Saturday, June 28, 2008

You’re writing on the Internet

The world has evolved and progressed with advancement of technology. Technology arm man with tools for different purposes what he requires. And these tools are result of human imagination towards achieving higher, faster, and greater milestones in any field. One such milestone, which brought world closer with a mouse click, is the world of Internet. The invention of Internet has revolutionized the world of communication by leaps and bounds.

Connecting all the computers of the world through a world Wide network is the most modern gift of science to the human being. People can communicate with one another across the country effectively via their websites, emails and blogs. Communication has never before been so easy and cheap as it is now. It has even grown beyond this. The great social networking sites and great opportunity for anyone to store data online are other gifts. Innovations are still on to provide some more opportunity in the future.

The core communication of the Internet is written language except the voice chat. Entire web pages are filled with written messages to communicate to specific audience. Naturally your written skills play a very important role communicating on the Internet. Whether you write an email, or a scrap, or a blog post, everywhere your writing is the index of your image. Language is not the barrier any more and you can choose to write in any of the important languages of the world listed with the Internet. However, the world of Internet largely understands English and respect the users most, who use this language, broadly because of this being the most popular international language.

This does not mean that you command least respect when you write in your mother tongue. But obviously it speaks the truth that you are here to communicate to the audience who belongs to your nation and speaks the same tongue. This specifically communicates that you are trying to reach to your community and this is the best language you can use to communicate effectively.

The reach of Internet has been so wide and varied that people from Jhumari Tilaiya to Tumbaktu write on the web pages and send email to their friends, relatives and whomsoever they want. Most of the people use English language on the net irrespective of being native or non-native speaker. English is the most obvious choice because most of us want to pose a brave international face on the Internet. At one hand this is really appreciating, whereas on the other hand it is disappointing that a messy, unclear writing puts off reader and fails to impress the audience with its content. Most of the people try to get the thought and idea correctly and in the process miss the grammar and way of presenting it, which at a time makes different sense if not used judiciously.

Good writing always attracts good appreciation and wins half the battle in business as well as on the personal front, solves our problem. Good writing is not only about putting bare thought and concept but putting it across correctly without any error. People judge you here by virtue of your writing skill and since they have not met you before this is the only face you have. Your writing can connect people if it is legible, direct, focused and simple. To your people your writing is you. This is what the importance of writing, is on the net.

Eventually Internet is filled with good and bad writing, be it in any form. But the experience of years says that filthy, slang and poor writing no more appeal the Internet users. The Internet users now look beyond the personal identification, which reflects in your writing. You create a sense of confidence among the audience if you are trying to reach out for a writing profession. Such kind of opportunity is flooded on the net. I might discuss these in some other post. But the bottom line is your writing can make or break your image on the net if you are not cautious.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Reading helps Writing

A writer is a good reader himself. I have come across this statement quite a number of times. Frankly speaking, I realized very late the potential of being reader could enlighten the spirit of writing in me. In fact I can write and I want to write itself took long time for me to understand. As usual, like numerous Indians who are not aware what they want to do with their life, what they are interested into and what they want to become, I too was indecisive about my life.

In reality, what you want to do and what you are ought to do are two things, which literally makes you think before taking a step in life. You are ought to be in a profession which earns you livelihood, is the first thing you are supposed to be doing than the next what is close to your heart in our context. If what you dream to do, is what you do, and that gives you livelihood, then you are the luckiest soul. Else, bury your idea to follow your dream. This is nothing but the opportunity available for you. But if the opportunity really exists, will you have the right skills to chase your dream is another question. For example you want to break into writing, but can you write effectively.

Ask hundred people whether they want to write something or not. Ninety out of hundred times you will find the answer that people want to write something. Every one of them has some message to convey to the world or to the small crowd to which they belong to. Sometimes, they simply want to write their diary. Once you write and if your writing is published, it adds into your joy. Suddenly you discover that you can write and you can express your ideas across. That is when you feel you can take a chance in a writing career.

But, writing is not as easy as many of us might think. Good knowledge of language, grammar and even good selection of words can not guarantee you to be a good writer. Many people speak eloquently without any hesitation. However, if they are asked to write the same things what they speak, many of them would struggle. Because putting down something as coherent sentences is a difficult act. I bet, to do that, some special impetus is required.

I recall my first encounter when I began writing. The first shot was a letter to the editor of a science magazine. Successful, with moderate editing it was published. Then on, whenever felt like expressing my views, kept on writing to different magazines, news papers and most of the cases it published except on a few occasions when my idea was preconceived and supporting particular ideological group.

Over the period of time I have learned to express in writing what I want to say. Though, not very accurately but most of the time I have been able to narrate the point what I want to say. The pivotal point of my writing have been the input I have gathered while reading others writing. Consciously or unconsciously, other’s writing has contributed immensely in my writing also. I have learnt the art of expression, narration, arranging the content and creating a style of my own. That has purely come to me because of reading other's creation. The more you read, the more you evolve as a writer.

Truly, writing requires empathy. The personal experiences and the view point has greater role to play while you write. Rightly once said by one of the writer, “Reading is an education and writing is a pleasure one shares.” There is no substitute to this fact.

To many of the writers beyond anything reading and writing make life more colorful, intriguing and interesting. Seeing their writing published makes one feel happy more than anything else, as they are likely to reach a larger audience. When I read the comments posted by the reader on my writing, it provides me different dimension of thoughts on my write-up. In my opinion, to write effectively and beautifully, one needs to read more good pieces of writing. The revelation and expression of your inner beauty comes out naturally in your writing and you do not tend to emphasize on it. That’s the wonderful effect of reading to writing.