Women Writers Fest: How to find the hidden writer in yourself

Everyone has a writer hidden inside of them says author and writer Sonia Rao kicking off a packed workshop at the #WomenWritersFest in Mumbai. She admits that writing is a difficult job, but not an impossible one and is armed with tips on how to turn into a real writer. With a little brushing up on writing skills, a structured approach, one could become a good writer.So all you aspiring writers listen up:

Seven tips to become a writer by Sonia Rao

1) Don’t wait for the moment: Jot down immediately. The moment you feel like this could be a good thought write it down. Do not wait to reach somewhere and then write it later! As they say time once gone will never come back. The moment a good thought strikes the next time don’t forget to jot it down.

2) Start writing: You need to get out of somewhere to reach somewhere; the same applies to writing. You need to start writing with something , start writing and the universe will guide you. The flow will built up on its own.

3)  A novel should consist of:

a) A plot: The plot is one of the most important thing in a novel. It should have structure of questions which one will ask as an audience and you as writers need to be answering them. Who, what, when & how? All these questions are needed in your plot and the writer should be able to answer all the questions in the plot to the reader.

b)The genres/ themes: Another important part of the novel make sure each character has  a theme to it, this helps to maintain the freshness of the story, as the reader will relate to one or the other character of the story which will make the novel reading a pleasurable experience for him/ her.

4) Give equal importance : The protagonist and antagonist both are  equally important. Consider the battle half won if the reader is able to associate himself with if not both then at least one of them.

5) Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment : Always remember that the person reads a book to escape reality. Make sure that the book has good amount necessary fun moments or  points which can entertain the readers this will make your novel more likeable amongst the masses .

6) Leave the readers alone! Not all of it needs to be explained, as they say something are better left unspoken , leave something on the readers imagination after all a book is like a iceberg it has to be left on the reader to imagine the depth of the book. So remember not to say it all out!

7) Research : A strong research on all your characters is a must! The stronger the foundation the better the structure of the novel . Minute errors can be spotted if the research is strong enough. Sit and develop, think on how will the character be , if the setting of the story is in the 1900  the make sure the setting does  full justice to the plot and the characters. The more the research the faster the obstacles you will overcome. So don’t forget to research folks! A research on what is the current popular genre will also help a lot in developing the story.

Lastly, If it’s your first novel, sit down set a word count goal for yourself and write. Get the first draft ready. This will for sure give you a lot of confidence. Some online communities such as Nano Wrimo India, apps like KDP, Juggernaut and more help the new writers with new options. Some even enhance the story with suggestion and feed back! So get going with the novel now.