Well here we go. What I find most annoying in my teaching career is a student coming to me and when I asked him what do you want to write on. The student replies with "Sain, jaiko tawhan hukum kayo" (Sir, as you wish). It has nothing to do what I wish. It always depends upon your wish and choice instead. This is the beauty of creative writing that you are the master of your own fate. Unlike other academic courses, you are not imposed upon an assignment by the teacher. In creative writing, you have to choose what you want to do yourself.
Now, since the instructor has given you a choice, again it becomes head ache to choose a topic. First of all, ask yourself "what are you interested in?". Every body has some likes and dislikes. There must be few things in which you take a great deal of interest such as sports, films, books, movies, TV serials, politics, online business to mention a few. Even you may choose to write on your home town which known to you more than anyone else. Here you have got millions of possibilities indeed.
Moreover, you may choose any topic from your observation, experience and imagination as well. I suppose you all must be on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other SNSs. There are many issues and things trending in social networking sites everyday. Even if it's not trending you may notice some things and problematise it for your own writing. Here I would like to describe those two things separately.
Firstly, you may get an idea for writing in your everyday experience. For instance, once a friend of mine made fun of me when he heard I regularly pay bill of water and sewerage. That brief talk with him made me think about the matter deeply and I wrote a blog on it (Click here to read the mentioned blog). Travelling in local transport buses in Karachi is not a fun at all, hence you get the opportunity to interact with local populace and look at their issues by having a conversation with them.
Secondly, there are few issues which become famous and get a high rate in trending on social issues such as #ColonelKiBiwi and many others. Just at the time of writing this blogpost I found an abusive trend on twitter for a female politician of Pakistan. Such issues occur on every day basis in our society. Even you may find other issues from social media which do not get any hashtag such as audience commenting on pictures of Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain. And Pakistani people teaching ethics to Turkish actress Esra Belgic and so on. Such occurrences give you a chance to reflect over mentality of Pakistani people.
Thirdly, you may get a topic from traditional media as well. Watching dramas is a fun indeed. You may write on Pakistani dramas, their contents, presentation, production and so on. Even you may compare them with foreign serials. You may watch TV news and see how news is presented on Pakistani TV channels as compared to foreign news channels. One can also watch repeated reports of child abuse in country and wonder why shouldn't I write on it.
Fourthly, you may write on anything you are interested in. You are interested in watching serials, seasons, movies, sports. It is okay. You are fond of reading novels, travelogues, biographies, autobiographies, short stories. It is okay. You are interested in playing cricket, hockey, football, badminton etc. It is alright. You are interested in politics. No problem. Go ahead. From now on, think about all those issues from an eye of a writer. You will express yourself far better on those issues which are of your interest.
All I want to say is that you have got limitless possibilities. So what are you guys waiting for? Just start looking around for interesting topics to write on.
Now, since the instructor has given you a choice, again it becomes head ache to choose a topic. First of all, ask yourself "what are you interested in?". Every body has some likes and dislikes. There must be few things in which you take a great deal of interest such as sports, films, books, movies, TV serials, politics, online business to mention a few. Even you may choose to write on your home town which known to you more than anyone else. Here you have got millions of possibilities indeed.
Moreover, you may choose any topic from your observation, experience and imagination as well. I suppose you all must be on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other SNSs. There are many issues and things trending in social networking sites everyday. Even if it's not trending you may notice some things and problematise it for your own writing. Here I would like to describe those two things separately.
Firstly, you may get an idea for writing in your everyday experience. For instance, once a friend of mine made fun of me when he heard I regularly pay bill of water and sewerage. That brief talk with him made me think about the matter deeply and I wrote a blog on it (Click here to read the mentioned blog). Travelling in local transport buses in Karachi is not a fun at all, hence you get the opportunity to interact with local populace and look at their issues by having a conversation with them.
Secondly, there are few issues which become famous and get a high rate in trending on social issues such as #ColonelKiBiwi and many others. Just at the time of writing this blogpost I found an abusive trend on twitter for a female politician of Pakistan. Such issues occur on every day basis in our society. Even you may find other issues from social media which do not get any hashtag such as audience commenting on pictures of Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain. And Pakistani people teaching ethics to Turkish actress Esra Belgic and so on. Such occurrences give you a chance to reflect over mentality of Pakistani people.
Thirdly, you may get a topic from traditional media as well. Watching dramas is a fun indeed. You may write on Pakistani dramas, their contents, presentation, production and so on. Even you may compare them with foreign serials. You may watch TV news and see how news is presented on Pakistani TV channels as compared to foreign news channels. One can also watch repeated reports of child abuse in country and wonder why shouldn't I write on it.
Fourthly, you may write on anything you are interested in. You are interested in watching serials, seasons, movies, sports. It is okay. You are fond of reading novels, travelogues, biographies, autobiographies, short stories. It is okay. You are interested in playing cricket, hockey, football, badminton etc. It is alright. You are interested in politics. No problem. Go ahead. From now on, think about all those issues from an eye of a writer. You will express yourself far better on those issues which are of your interest.
All I want to say is that you have got limitless possibilities. So what are you guys waiting for? Just start looking around for interesting topics to write on.
Nice lecture sir
ReplyDeleteGreat!
ReplyDelete