Writing a Story

The writer’s mind undergoes transformation at several stages of the crafting of a story. The process of writing it can be compared to the four seasons that most of us experience. The first is the spring, when a story idea germinates in the mind and begins to take root. It brings joy because the possibility of creation has arisen. Writers gather all their resources to get down seriously, putting everything together. It is like a tree that has begun to get new shoots and can feel its buds beginning to appear.

The second stage is the summer of the story, when it is actually written. This brings in the joys of the moments of creation. The writer has got connected with their subconscious mind; images, metaphors and symbols are streaming in, making things blissful. The first draft makes the author swim in fulfillment. There’s the feeling of ‘this summer will never cease.’ It is as though the final text has been crafted.

The third stage can be compared to autumn, when the author visits and revisits the story several times. Each reading reveals shortcomings. Words, phrases, and sentences, have to be deleted or added every time the story is read. Editing makes the author feel not as good as when it was first written. The author sees its limitations and begins to be under a pall of gloom. This leads to more and more editing.

The final stage is the gloomiest one; the winter of the story. It brings in despair as there is a realization that the execution has not been equal to the idea. The voice has not actually matched the vision. Self-doubt sets in. One reads other authors and finds oneself lacking. It is this frustration which gives rise for another story’s creation. In the winter of this fourth stage, the writer wonders whether the story will be picked up by a publisher or will it lie cold and low within its grave?