Ruskin Bond advises budding authors to be disciplined, says they must avoid procrastination
Before you start writing a book, first write it in your head, suggests Bond.
By PTI | Updated:
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Ruskin Bond had started writing at the age of 17.
NOIDA (UP): Those who want to make a living out of writing need to write regularly and be mindful of time limits. This is popular author Ruskin Bond's advice to budding authors. The message from the master storyteller came during an interaction with young students during the launch of his latest masterpiece "Words From My Window - A Journal".
"Before you start writing a book, first write it in your head. Visualise the plot and the characters, before you put it into words," Bond told students of The Shririam Millennium School here on Wednesday as he took their queries about writing one by one.
"If you lose interest in something that you're writing put it aside and do something else, write something else. Then come back to it later with a fresh mind," the 85-year-old Padma Bhushan winning author said.
Bond, who had himself started writing at the age of 17, said writers are full of confidence when they are young and their first few books may become hit but the need is to sustain that success to establish themselves as author. Ruskin Bond was in Noida for the launch of his latest masterpiece 'Words From My Window - A Journal'. "You need to consistently produce work of a certain quality. If you want to make a living out of writing, you need to write regularly and be mindful of time limits. It is important to be disciplined," he said.
"Coping with success and carrying it forward as well as dealing with failure and other hard parts is one of the major learning about being an author," the Uttarakhand-based Bond said.
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Uttara Singh, the director-principal of the school, said that as educators they strongly believe that reading and being exposed to varied genres is imperative to be creative and innovative.
"It helps develop new perspectives as well as an ability to think beyond the confines of traditional norms," she added.
The event was organised in collaboration with Penguin Random House India and Kool Skool.
Banker-turned-author Chetan Bhagat is ringing his 45th birthday today. The '5 Point Someone' author, who quit his 11-year-old high-paying job to follow his passion for writing, credits his success to determination that kept pushing him to never give up. At an Alibaba Foundation event in 2018, while shared a few anecdotes from his childhood, Bhagat recalled the time when money was in short supply.
"My friends from rich families got nicer school-bags and pencil-boxes, and came to school in luxury cars. Being born in a middle-class family, money was always in short supply. Instead of feeling jealous, I decided to achieve all of it myself," he said.
As the '2 States' author turns 45, here are some more winning formula tips from his journey.
Banker-turned-author Chetan Bhagat is ringing his 45th birthday today. The '5 Point Someone' author, who quit his 11-year-old high-paying job to follow his passion for writing, credits his success to..
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"In a jungle, a lion's cub, initially fed by his/her mother, eventually has to learn how to hunt. He/she needs to sharpen the claws and learn how to use them. For humans, claws represent the mind," Bhagat said.
According to Bhagat, a sharp mind can do wonders in any situation. And for those with no material wealth in life, education is the stepping stone to sharpen one's mental faculties, and rise above one's station, he shared with the audience.
While he loves surfing the Internet (he has a sizeable social media following), chatting with friends and watching cute puppy videos, his mantra is very clear: ‘Work first, fun later’.
"In a jungle, a lion's cub, initially fed by his/her mother, eventually has to learn how to hunt. He/she needs to sharpen the claws and learn how to use them. For humans, claws represent the mind," B..
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If ol' habits die hard, good habits stay. And that's why the bestseller writer feels that it's essential to inculcate good habits that will see you through life. And if you've ever been lazy or lacked discipline to complete a task, fret not: what matters most is getting back on track.
Bhagat said that as a child he would seek refuge in the local, video game parlours for Re 1 instead of studying. But, somewhere, good sense prevailed and he didn't let that become a (bad) habit.
"Good habits are hard to develop and can seem like a pain, but are worth it," he added.
If ol' habits die hard, good habits stay. And that's why the bestseller writer feels that it's essential to inculcate good habits that will see you through life. And if you've ever been lazy or la..
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When Bhagat decided to choose a college, he started preparing for the IITs because it would make him employable and independent. In other words, empowered to look after himself.
And his message to the audience was: Equip yourself to one day not be dependent on anyone - this applies to everyone, but especially to girls, and women.
As more women break barriers and assume non-conventional roles, they are setting new limits for themselves, he said. And this is becoming possible because women are feeling empowered to take on challenges and excel in roles that were previously dominated by men.
When Bhagat decided to choose a college, he started preparing for the IITs because it would make him employable and independent. In other words, empowered to look after himself.
And his message..
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Failure, often, pulls one down, and pushes a person to the brink of taking an extreme step. Bhagat revealed that he, too, once wanted to end his life in school because he didn't fare well in Chemistry exams.
"Anxiousness and failure can play mind games with you. But, it is up to you to learn from your experiences and move on," he shared.
In an increasingly cynical world, it's important to hold one's stead, and stay positive.
Failure, often, pulls one down, and pushes a person to the brink of taking an extreme step. Bhagat revealed that he, too, once wanted to end his life in school because he didn't fare well in Chemi..
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Wonder why people love reading Bhagat's novels? Well, the author when asked, quipped: 'Because I care for my readers'.
"I have made reading easy, try to keep my stories fun, and my books highlight problems of my readers," he said.
And the engineer-turned-author reiterated that while it is okay to be self-centered when achieving one's goals, one should never forget those who may have helped you in your journey.
Wonder why people love reading Bhagat's novels? Well, the author when asked, quipped: 'Because I care for my readers'.
"I have made reading easy, try to keep my stories fun, and my books highlig..
