To understand the modern authors (writing in English especially) is a little difficult for the outsiders these days. They leave no impression upon you after the book is finished but they leave their traces while you are reading a title. Unlike the authors of the older generations, the motifs behind writing have changed. And likely, the authors have changed too. Modern authors tend towards commercial writing because they have to market their books to make sure they get the benefits along with the investment return. On the other hand, the authors in the older days wrote with other purposes altogether. So, what do we expect from the authors today? I have a few demands which I would request them to meet before their books come to my reading table.
Write literature: In other words, and obviously the frank words, don’t write bullshit! The lonely guy meets the lonely girl. They date and have sex the very second day and then they part their ways. The guy seeks revenge or vice-versa. Write the stories which make sense and leave a message. We don’t want Mastrams in increasing numbers. We have enough of them already!
Don’t overwrite: I have seen many authors fail just because of this ultra Shakespearean attitude. They begin well and they make a well-balanced progress but moving towards the end, they just kill the game! They try to become the new Christopher Nolans and fail the entire plot in search of some extravaganza! So, if you are a modern writer (wannabe), please remember my advice – don’t overdo!
Connect to the society: We read Chetan Bhagat; we read Durjoys and all other c class writers too. However, we don’t ‘respect’ them because theirs is the ‘casual’ work of fiction – not the notable and critical and literary as that of Jeet Thayil or Amitav Ghosh. Therefore, as a new writer, if someone wants quick money, please follow the examples given in the first. However, if someone wants to be known for literature, you have better examples lined up. Write about the issues which connect to the readers easily and there are plenty of issues outside the ambit of filthy sexual intercourse and semi-pornographic wordings.
These are some of the basic expectations that I expect from the new authors of today. If they come to their senses and try to write meaningful literature, that will the best for our country’s literary tradition of we are heading in a nonsensical direction where we cannot distinguish between literature and nonsense!
by Amit