I am sure you know by now that extensive reading is a necessary foundation for a career in writing; Good books are the windows of the world outside. Rightly has Francis Bacon said, ‘Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man’. But he has also cautioned about wasting one’s precious time over worthless books by advising thus, ‘Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some to be chewed and digested.’ Books impart knowledge, and knowledge  in the intellectual’s words denote ‘power!’
Alas, even with the facilities provided by the government in the form of  free libraries, the reading habit has lessened due to the Internet; Language is also being affected with the ‘internet vocabulary’ taking over. I would advise would-be writers to be wary, and study classical literature first, before venturing out on their own.

Have you ever experienced a deep urge to express  your feelings in words? If so, do not curb it ever, for then it will be like a root struggling to push its plant upward;  Allow it to flower gracefully, otherwise, it may play havoc with emotions. Writing is a good form of relaxation, making any heavy heart lighter with all the stored thoughts and pent-up emotions channelized   into something wonderfully creative for posterity.

Now, there are different forms of writing -  novels, short stories, skits, poetry, drama, not to mention translations  which are also finding a niche of is own. The technique of each field is different, novels calling for a wide canvass wherein the lives of  quite a few are woven together. Much research has to be done to gather authentic matter, and that presented in an appealing way   with  interesting conversations, suspense, humour here and there,  powerful emotion where necessary, and colourful description to make an impact.  

Short stories, though not so laborious, are also painstaking in its own way as  it  calls for a powerful or interesting story within  its small frame. Goethe, Somerset Mahaum, O Henry, R K Narayan have all perfected the art through intense power of observation and diligence.

Skits require a sense of humour; daily incidents, however bitter, can provide the platform if viewed with a pinch of humour. And poetry flows when emotions are stirred. The technique of drama is different, an  effective media   with the personal touch as the characters speak out;  Many are taking to drama-writing nowadays, what with revolutionary ideas cropping up. Penning radio-dramas are different from stage-dramas; One depends on ‘hearing’, while the other on ‘seeing.’ Stage plays are becoming popular with bold social themes and wide experiments conducted by both talented youngsters and dedicated veterans. Studying them, through reading and viewing, will certainly guide young aspirants to get a clear insight. Translations are no easy task; The ready made script may be there, but to mirror it as effectively as the original requires a lot of patience and skill.

Now to come to the most important part - selling your writing. Magazines and papers are the most popular medium; but each paper has its own yardstick, so it is advisable to study the published scripts of each magazine and submit them for consideration accordingly. One magazine may like humour in an essay, another may like conversations to spice up the article and yet another, humourous takes on current topics. The  same applies to short stories also - some require simple language and a crisp plot, while another may like an emotional piece written in flowery language and so on. And novels? Serials have a special technique of their own evolved to sustain the reader’s interest every week. It is quite a difficult craft, but paying if pursued. There is nothing intellectual in it, a sort of soap-opera in written form. Many magazines thrive on such writing;.

Children’s literature is another field one can explore; Kids have become ultra smart, refusing to buy Santa or the old fairy tales. A lot of reality has to be blended before they can be weighed and accepted. It is worth the trouble since that piece of writing is much in demand at present. Regular reading of the sheets specially brought out each week by all magazines and papers will help to hone one’s talent, even cultivate it.

With some effort, the aspiring writer can find out the needs of each medium.

Lastly, current-topic based articles become period-writings, valuable  for the next generation since it gives them an insight of the past history, past problems, past civilisation etc, be it in any form. Examples are, Gone with the wind,  A Suitable Boy,  Tale of two cities, Walter Scott’s novels, War and Peace, Good Earth, Rabindranath Tagore’s works etc. Another important factor to be remembered - styles change, according to the period we live in. In this nuclear age, nobody has the time to read Scott’s lengthy descriptions, (However interesting they may be), or Dicken’s colloquial language, (however humourous), or go through the lengthy  feelings of Thomas Hardy’s characters. They are alright as a solid foundation, but writers must keep pace with the trendsetters to prove themselves.