Dewriterization
More than a decade ago, I desired to be a writer. What that meant for me was I wanted to think, learn and express for a living. I first had that desire because I was fascinated by the self-expression and the big ideas of people I read. I had so much to think, learn and say too…I thought. I have to do this all the time.
I was in an engineering college so for a couple of years I freely thought, learned and expressed myself in words while skipping my classes and ignoring the exams. Soon that had a reaction and I failed almost all of my subjects. I had to be serious about writing because I am from South Asia where there are huge social and cultural stakes of existence. The desire to be a writer permeated my existence.
I had to be a professional writer not just because of my real desire but also because I had to show everyone by becoming one if I was to live in that society with respect. He couldn’t finish engineering because he is stupid, ringed inside me. I had to prove to myself and everyone else that I didn’t finish engineering not because I couldn’t but because I had found something far more meaningful for myself. Each moment was now about what it meant to be a writer and how to become one.
It didn’t take long for me to understand that being a professional writer wasn’t the easiest pursuit in the world. First, because writing comes with the A true writer doesn’t…
