Writing a novel is basically treading in unknown waters

COVER STORY

Writer /ˈrʌɪtə/

Noun

A person who has written something or who writes in a particular way; a person who writes books, stories, or articles as a job or occupation.

- Oxford dictionary

A breed considered extinct.

The full hall at the launch of the Writers’ Lounge at Lincoln Corner (Karachi) proved otherwise. And, their attention was held by none other than Mohammad Hanif, renowned journalist and writer, who spoke at length about the difference between a journalist and novelist, the role of editors, and the whole writing process.

Dealing in words

The only thing common to both journalists and novelists is they deal in words. Beyond that, you see the former going out, being a witness to something, talking to people and writing their stories or their own opinions. The thing is you’re supposed to tell the truth. When you’re writing fiction, that stuff is all in your head. And, of course, you’re lying; only convincingly. For instance, A Case of Exploding Mangoes is based on a real-life character, which people knew lived and on a certain day died due to a plane crash; the rest was all made up. The fact that there are people who believe it and read it as a piece of history feels satisfying – flattering even – as a novelist and yet it’s scary at the same time as to why they so readily believe these outrageous things. (It’s another story – the journalists and media person who’ll lie to you on your face and are very good fiction writers.)

Beware; it’s a lonely process

Imagine sitting on your desk in a corner, day after day, week after week, sometimes year after year. You’ve no idea what you’re doing and why you’re doing. Clueless. Will anybody ever read it? Does it make any sense? If that’s what keeps your mind occupied as you pen your first or fourth novel, know this: you are not alone. This is how it works.

But it’s nothing like writing a diary, which is maybe cathartic for some. A good cry or a visit to therapist could help you with that; you are not just sitting on the desk to get something out of your system. Writing a book is more complex than that.

Follow the path

Wait, is there a path? Transitioning and moving back and forth between different mediums namely journalism, novel writing, and vlogging as and when trends change and opportunities appear is no formula for success. Everyone should follow their own path. If you want to write a 1000-page novel, do that. If you want to blog about your emotions, do that. If you’re interested in writing, then the best advice is to read! No matter what! (Makes sense, no?)

Reading, too, is an intimate process. No two persons ever read the same book. There’s nobody else; basically the reader and his or her experience of the book.

Get lucky

Sometimes, people have to struggle a lot. Yes, idea count, and talent counts, and hard work counts. However, it won’t get you a literary agent to represent and see your novel published. You have to have the hunger and readiness to give it all you have got. Take it like any competitive sport. This is not something you can do half-heartedly. Have faith in yourself. With most writers, the first book they get published is usually the second or third one they’ve written. It’s like you do something and you learn from your mistakes. It’s difficult to let go of something which you have spent years on; you do it knowing it is all part of the process.

Also, let’s not forget the editors. You may have written a paragraph which you think is great, but it doesn’t make any sense to the reader, so if somebody is wise enough to make you see that error, then he or she is very important.

The questions remains: how does one write well?

A writer is a person who finds writing more difficult than other people do. There’s the element that you take yourself very seriously. If you’re telling a story, you’re always thinking this is not working, this character doesn’t sound realistic, or this line is bad.

Journalism, for example, is largely about certainty – a 1000-word piece; you know the editor, you have a general idea of the readers and their responses as well. In contrast, writing a novel is basically treading in unknown waters – there’s a lot of doubt and you have to live with this doubt every day of your writing, which is why it becomes more difficult.

Remember, fiction only has one purpose: to tell you a story. Every writer will have their own voice. When you start reading a book, there’s somebody talking to you, and that voice is more crucial than syntax, etc.

Most writing comes out of other books that inspire you. Audio books, podcasts, in this matter, are an excellent learning source. However, reading is active, and when you are reading your own stuff out loud while editing (whether on screen or on paper), you can pick that wrong note.

Will it get better after the first one?

No. But, you’d at least know it has been done once and can be done again. The twist is you have to redo the whole process because you still don’t know if it will work.

Does writing make a difference in a society like ours?

In theory, it should teach you everything. Whether it makes a difference is another thing. There are well-read monsters who exist, unable to see other point of views, accept people who are different than them, people who don’t speak their language, people who are not from their class background, and people who have different political views.

The Writers’ Lounge will meet once a month where workshops and discussions with authors to the benefit of aspiring writers. If you’re interested, you can register at Lincoln Corner.