Ever since I was a kid, I have always wanted to write. I was not sure what I want to write about but I was sure I want to write. When I first read Sherlock Holmes, I thought that maybe someday I will write detective fiction myself. Detective fiction was my first choice of writing but as I read more realized the depth that can be achieved by power of words.
There is popcorn variety (I do not know if this term applies in writing) like Chetan Bhagat, Sidney Sheldon etc. I also had meaningful association with non fiction writers like Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, Robin Sharma. Dale Carnegie has been a huge influence on me. There was a time when I wanted to narrate stories the way he does to win friends and influence people. Then I read biography of Mohan Oberoi and autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi. I want to admit, I never wanted to write biography but I sure wanted someone to write about me sometime in the future. Oberoi’s story was that of a quintessential entrepreneur, one who will spot opportunity where none existed. Gandhi’s story on the other hand looked like a confession of sorts, though it was not confidential and was there for all of us to see (or read). I also had my brushing with literature, with the likes of Tolstoy, Gabriel Marquez and that was also the time when I realized my limitation. No matter how much effort I put in writing, I would never be able to capture the human emotions the way they did. This was a dark time and I thought of giving up writing altogether
That and there was another reason. What will I write about? I was not born into poverty, never had to stole to fill my stomach, never killed anyone. I do not have an exciting job nor can I write about my escapades, so what could I possibly write about. I am just one in a million of faceless population who wake up, go to class, come back, mug up the stuff taught in class and may be something here and there.
After writing all this and after some introspection I finally found something to write about but for that you will have to wait. And see I wrote a post about not having anything to write.:-)
