How I Write Has Nothing To Do With The Rules
My instincts gave me resounding success
I am predominantly a visual learner- I always liked the way movies moved. First scene is in the kitchen, the next scene is in the living room. The walk from the kitchen to the living room is implicitly assumed.
In those subtleties of the movies, moving from scene to scene, I found my biggest draw — a respect for the audience. The best way to describe the feeling — trusted to figure it out without being micromanaged.
As a movie watcher, I enjoy that feeling and I brought it into how I write. When I started, I moved my paragraphs without mentioning the walk between rooms. I slowly gained in confidence and became more daring — I started to move from the kitchen to a different location- an office space and sometimes even a different era.
From movies to books: The nuance of books I so enjoy
Talking about movies, 15+ years ago, my friend and I reached the theatre early to grab middle seats for a matinee show to watch the first Harry Potter movie. Children slowly filled the seats on both sides. The claps, the oohs and aahs, the roller coaster joy was amplified in the august company of the children.
As I walked out, I had one tinge of regret. While reading a book, you (reader) visualize the scene the way you see it. When I watch a movie, it is the director’s visualization that I absorb.
The independence that a book provides me as a reader is something I so enjoy. I always relished the idea of being the visual director of every book I read. I wanted my blogs to radiate the same feelings in my readers.
I left a lot unsaid and relished the thought of not being pedantic. I felt liberated. When many of you shared, I could imagine your grandmother in action in a remote village in India –those words filled my face with joy.
“During the winters of the mid/late 80’s, one thing was certain in my life. My grand mother would show up on my last day of school! She would whisk away my siblings, my cousins and me, on the last train back to her village for the winter vacations. All grandkids looked forward to it- pure fun, loads of affection and the best part — no expectations.
Every morning, she would gather us all around and she would heat up the freshly milked pot from the home cows. She lit up her earthen stove with charcoal (“aduppu”). Sometimes, the winter moisture would trouble her. I remember her dexterous hands that glistened with her daily golden bangles, working the magic. She would add a bit of sawdust to pep the charcoal up and an all-knowing smile would engulf her face.
I never imagined in my life that the magic of a simple act by my grand mom from a south Indian village could one day profoundly impact a multi-million dollar power plant operation on other side of the world.”
Writing has a lot of rules. When you know none, but follow your heart — the rendering is a joy to behold.
