Frustrated Writers- Turned Monster!

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

writing quote franz kafka non writing writer

” A non writing writer is a monster courting insanity.” — Franz Kafka

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My personal opinion here is that this may apply to seriously committed writers, not bloggers like me.

I think this quote addresses the soul of an artist who for some reason stops creating.

A painter who knows he has a masterpiece hidden in his brain but is unable to bring it out on canvas, or a musician who has a melody humming in his soul but refusing to be played are the sort of people who can turn into a crazed person because of the frustration.

A talented writer needs to write. Though there are instances when a wonderfully gifted author just wrote one masterpiece during their lifetime, most of them are prolific writers. They produce book after book, all maintaining the high standard that people expect of them. And when any one of them faces circumstances where they are unable to write, they may experience extreme frustration.

Though I do hope that they don’t turn into crazed monsters!

Bloggers are a different kettle of fish. They can take it or leave it. Most bloggers write for fun or with a desire to share their life experiences. Though there are some bloggers here who are published authors as well, but others here are mostly blogging as a hobby. I know many bloggers who took long breaks from writing, but came back sound in mind (without turning into monsters ) to resume their blogging.

So while this quote may apply to people who are committed authors, we the ordinary bloggers are unlikely to face this fate!

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Thank you so much Tanya for this thought provoking quote.

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Blogging Insights – Showing not telling

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” — E.L. Doctorow

I think this is what it means to “show and not tell”.

What do you think?

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First off, if you find the font in this post too small, it’s not a fault on my side. WordPress in its infinite wisdom has decided that it would be so!

Now on to the quote;

Good writing is supposed to involve the reader in the story/ poem in an immersive way. In fact, it is the hallmark of a good story or poetry that it evokes emotions in the reader which the writer or their character is experiencing at the moment.

But not everyone can do this. This needs a lot of practice. We also need to write straight from the heart. Writing with emotions and feelings that are real brings out this effect on the paper ( so to speak) as well.

One can write of a heartbreaking scene but if the writer is not able to transmit their emotions in the story/ poem then the reader won’t feel the intensity of the situation at all. The same goes when writing of a joyous or hilarious moment. And I believe that making a reader cry is easier than making them smile or laugh out loud!

These are my observations regarding this quote. What do you think?

Thank you so much Tanya for giving us the opportunity to express our views regarding this quote!

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Blogging Insights # 11 – Writing vs Blogging

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

” Writing is the best way to talk without being interrupted.” — Jules Renard

What do you think?

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Do I agree?

Of course, I do. Any one would agree with this statement. But it’s not the complete picture, is it?

Writing is a lonely pastime. One can pontificate without being interrupted but we don’t get the benefit of debate. We share our opinions and that is it. What could be counterarguments, we don’t get the benefit of those as till the writing is read by others, they won’t be able to share their opinions.

In comparison, blogging is a different cup of tea altogether. When we write a post and state our opinions, stories, or poems, immediately after posting them, we get feedback from others.

Though we write without interruptions, we do get the advantage of counter-arguments when others share their views on our writing. I think this way we get the best of both worlds. We can say what we want without anyone stopping us or correcting us and yet if we are in the wrong, or our views are outdated, people out there help to set us right.

And thinking along these lines, I would say that blogging is even better than writing books because an author doesn’t know how people would react to their story till the book is completed, published, and sold. While a blogger gets instant feedback and has the advantage when any flaws or discrepancies are caught by their readers and corrected there and then.

Thank you Tanya for this interesting topic for today’s Blogging Insights

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Blogging Insights # 11 -Who do I write for?

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

Today’s quote is from celebrated author Margaret Atwood.

writing quote margaret atwood - write for no one

“Perhaps I write for no one. Perhaps the same person children are writing for when they scrawl their names in the snow.” — Margaret Atwood

Who do you write for? Yourself, your readers, or posterity? I would love to know.

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Who do I write for?

When I started writing for my blog, it was just to see if I could write. I started by writing on health-related topics because I knew that field. It was only later that I ventured into poetry and short stories, inspired by daily and weekly prompts.

Now my point of view has changed. Now I feel that I write for my readers as well as myself. It IS like scrawling my name in a random place so that some passerby would read it, the same principle does apply here. We don’t know when we put out our writing and views on the vast platform of WordPress, and through that, the WWW, who might read it and who might benefit from it.

Whoever is the target audience, writing is an exercise in self-expression and also a form of catharsis. Sometimes, when we are worried or irritated by something in life, writing about it helps us to see the problem more clearly and we can also see our way out of it.

Many thanks to Tanya for keeping this conversation going.

What or who do you write for?

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Blogging Insights -Bad grammar

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

I saw this on Instagram the other day and thought it would be interesting to discuss it on Blogging Insights:

” What I mind in modern society very much is the awful lack of grammar. ” — Ruth Rendell

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I think that bad grammar, used in any written document is very off-putting.

In literature, it is unforgivable. Badly written stories are so irritating and off-putting that people usually give up in the middle. The same goes for any inspirational article. If the usage of words, tenses, and grammar is not accurate, the meaning gets distorted and the purpose of writing that particular piece is wasted.

For people like me, whose first language is not English, we have to make more effort to see that when we finish writing, it all makes sense and is easily understandable. So I do make mistakes and try to proofread my posts before posting them.

Using bad grammar in talking is even more horrendous. I’ve seen teenagers using the word “like” ten times in one sentence when they are searching for the appropriate word to use. It was amazing for me when I first came to America to hear the youth here talking like that.

In social media, people use abbreviated text like grT or U or 4, and I don’t like that either. But we can ignore it because they may be in a hurry. But when they start using this form of writing in school essays, it becomes ridiculous.

“Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation” by Lynne Truss is a fantastic book about the usage of punctuation. I think everyone, specially the young people should read it.

One such example lent the book its title:

A panda walks into a bar. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

“Why? Why are you behaving in this strange, un-panda-like fashion?” asks the confused waiter, as the panda walks towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

“I’m a panda,” he says, at the door. “Look it up.”

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

“Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”

I rest my case!

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Blogging Insights- New Format # 9

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

“Writing did not save my life, but it has continued to do what it always has done. It makes my life a brighter and more pleasant place.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

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I do agree with this quote but with a proviso, sometimes writing does save lives as well.

When I talk about writing, I am talking about writing for my blog as I’m not a writer in the traditional sense. It is this writing that brings joy and light into my life. It also connects me to people from all over the world. This connection is of friendship which also educates us about each other.

Blogging/ writing out what is in our hearts also works as therapy. It gives us a platform to share our experiences. Many people share some dark and upsetting life situations. Writing these experiences serves a twofold purpose. On one hand, they vent out their frustrations and feel lighter for it, and on the other hand, this sharing makes them and others realize that they aren’t alone in feeling the way they feel. This can be a life-saving or at least a sanity-saving experience.

Creating something out of nothing is like giving birth. A process filled with wonder and joy. Writing is such a beautiful creative process that helps both the writer and the reader.

As usual, many thanks to Dr Tanya for continuing this discussion.

These are my thoughts on today’s quote. What are yours?

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Blogging Insights — New Format # 8 – Honesty

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

“If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

(Quote courtesy goodreads)

Do you agree, and if so, how far ?

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I agree that bluntly told truth can alienate and offend people. However, if a blogger is writing about their own truth, it should not offend anyone else because it’s their personal experience.

On the other hand, if we write about politics or religion and state our point of view as the absolute truth, this can result in unpopularity. I don’t shy away from tricky topics but I write about them diplomatically. I try to leave my arguments open-ended and invite the opinions of others.

There are many situations where I share my thoughts as a Muslim. I try to educate or inform people from other cultures and religions about my culture and religion. I have received very positive feedback about these posts.

In my personal experience, I’ve found the community here at WordPress very tolerant and open-minded. They neither get offended or give offense. At least the part of WP community with whom I interact.

In conclusion, I would say that being truthful is essential but being blunt is not. State your truth, but with respect and in a way as to not offend the readers.

Thanks Tanya for another interesting quote to discuss.

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Blogging Insights – New format.

Tanya is our host for Blogging Insights

This week , I am breaking the mould completely and not posting something about blogging or writing.

” Did you know that 1980 and 2021 are as far apart as 1980 and 1939 ? “

I found the above quote on WhatsApp and don’t know what source to credit.

Anyone with slightly greater mental math skills than mine would know this already.

Those of us who were at school in 1980 used to feel that 1939 and World War II were almost prehistoric. Today I feel that my school days were prehistoric.

How about you? What do you think?

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My first reaction was of disbelief! How can that be the truth? But it is as you said, simple mathematics!

In 1981, I entered my first year of medical college. I got married in 1985, at the age of 23, with still a year to go of my 5 years medical degree. My first child was born in 1986, the second in 1987 and the youngest in 1991.

The time after this passed on like a speed train. They, the kids were in school, then universities got married and now have kids of their own. They have become parents, and life has come a full circle.

As for me in the last 40 years, I’ve matured from a girl into a woman on the threshold of old age. But that’s not how I feel or envision myself.

I still feel or imagine myself as that young adult who enrolled in the medical college, packed her bags, and came to another city to study medicine. I still think of myself as that person, young and silly at heart.

And that I think is the matter in a nutshell. The time that passed before we were born is ancient history because we weren’t there to witness it. And the time after we reach the age of understanding, that is just like yesterday! It is our own history and hence it is so recent!

I hope I made some sense.

Thanks Tanya for this interesting prompt

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Blogging Insights- Writing = Painting of the voice

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

Today’s quote:

“Writing is the painting of the voice !’

Voltaire

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Writing is the voice of our thoughts, given form in black and white. What the brain perceives, the hand writes on the paper.

We all have a different voice, we all think differently and when we express our thoughts, we all do it in a different manner. Even if our thoughts are similar, our expression of them are so varied. I have seen this phenomenon so vividly when I read the responses to my image prompt, What do you see!

The same image evokes such a wide variety of thoughts and responses. If these words were painted, the images would be beautifully divergent.

*Beautiful artwork, representing thoughts*

I do agree with this quote. And I love the diversity of thoughts and expressions of different people, which when expressed, made beautiful word paintings.

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Blogging Insights # 5 – Positive posts

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

Today’s quote:

One small positive blog post in the morning can change your whole day.

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I fully subscribe to this theory.

Being positive and spreading positivity is my goal as I don’t like to spew negativity. I agree that life is very difficult these days and things are very difficult for most people. If I want to write about the issues we all are facing these days, I have enough material to write hundreds of posts. But what would it achieve?

Everyone has enough problems of their own and are facing depression because of them. Negativity surrounds us almost everywhere and we can drown in this if we don’t try to find things to lift us up.

I write about life putting a positive tilt to it. A poem or a post with a positive message does good for my morale and hopefully for my reader’s too.

Beginning the day with a post to make others smile or laugh is even better. Or it could be words that inspire and give hope!

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” A non writing writer is a monster courting insanity.” — Franz Kafka

My personal opinion here is that this may apply to seriously committed writers, not bloggers like me.

Though I do hope that they don’t turn into crazed monsters!

So while this quote may apply to people who are committed authors, we the ordinary bloggers are unlikely to face this fate!

Share this:

Like this:

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” — E.L. Doctorow

I think this is what it means to “show and not tell”.

What do you think?

Now on to the quote;

Good writing is supposed to involve the reader in the story/ poem in an immersive way. In fact, it is the hallmark of a good story or poetry that it evokes emotions in the reader which the writer or their character is experiencing at the moment.

But not everyone can do this. This needs a lot of practice. We also need to write straight from the heart. Writing with emotions and feelings that are real brings out this effect on the paper ( so to speak) as well.

These are my observations regarding this quote. What do you think?

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“Perhaps I write for no one. Perhaps the same person children are writing for when they scrawl their names in the snow.” — Margaret Atwood

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I think that bad grammar, used in any written document is very off-putting.

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Today’s quote:

“Writing is the painting of the voice !’

Voltaire

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Today’s quote:

One small positive blog post in the morning can change your whole day.

I fully subscribe to this theory.

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