The journey of youth in the field of writing

Aanzoomaan Khaleque is an eminent writer and has interest in the field of writing. She has published a solo book, “Of Cupcakes and Mud Pies”.Let us talk to her about the topic, “The journey of youth in the field of writing”.

Q1) As a youth author, what is your take on the profession of writing? 

 A: Writing like any other profession needs sincerity and complete dedication. Writing can be a rewarding career option provided one can understand the varied scope and opportunities it can offer. As a writer, one has to be clear about the focus area since the possibilities are endless, starting from being an author, content writer/developer, blogger, editor, copywriter etc.

Identifying the genre of interest too, like for e.g. romance, fiction, nonfiction, fantasy or suspense could make matters easier. As a writer, one needs to hone one’s skills and improvise on the craft in order to face the various challenges which they might encounter on the way. With utmost hard work, dedication and perseverance, writing can become an absolutely satisfying and incredible career option to pursue. Lastly, a writer should never shy away from following one’s dream and pursuing the love for writing.

 

Q2) Writing gives an immense source of happiness. A lot of authors actually enjoy writing, even on hectic days as they feel it vents out emotions. What is your take on this?

 

A: I have to absolutely agree to this. Writing for sure gives a sense of happiness and immense pride. The fact that you are able to create something worthwhile for your readers can be an amazing feeling in itself.

Yes, even when you are not having a good day or not in your best frame of mind, writing about what you like or simply jotting down your feelings can work wonders and act like a therapeutic medicine. Writing can be the best way to express oneself or vent out one’s emotions. It acts as a stress buster and mental exercise. The right choice of words can convey the exact message to the audience and in turn extract the desirable response making the entire writing process more fruitful and interesting.

Q3) What is your favourite genre of writing? Do you like to write in the line of romance or enjoy crime thrillers and detective stories as well?

 

A: Well, to define a favourite genre is quite difficult since as a reader I don’t like to confine myself to any particular genre.

However, as an author, romance or fantasy definitely interests me more as that happens to be my forte and comfort zone. That’s the sole reason why I chose the romance genre for my debut novel. As of now, haven’t given a thought to writing crime or detective novels since I am not sure if I would be able to justice to it. However, I can’t completely rule out the possibility since tomorrow I might just decide to step out of my comfort zone and explore something new. But there are no immediate plans for the same.

Q4) What is your take on writing as a career? Is it challenging? What are the challenges one should expect while coming into this profession?

 

A: Writing, like any other profession or career choice, has its own opportunities as well as challenges. Today for any writer, the options are endless, starting from content writing, news writing/reporting, editing, screenplay/script writing, blogging, social media management, technical writing, authoring one’s own book or freelance writing etc. A writer needs to be passionate about the work he or she is doing irrespective of the difficulties or challenges that might come in the way.

One challenge that a writer might face in the modern day is online distraction. With a host of social media platforms and the sheer habit of checking every notification on the phone to stay in the loop can disrupt a writer’s line of thoughts. For a writer, doing research on his/her topic of interest and taking some time out religiously everyday to write is equally important. Writing can be a lonely process and writers might end up spending a lot of time alone and at times it might lead to writer’s block too. So, for a writer it is important to have utmost dedication, discipline and be passionate about the work one is doing. However, the biggest writing challenge might be that you can’t be completely sure whether whatever you have written can be deemed fit to be published or not. The real mantra is to strongly believe in oneself and not to be shortsighted and look for immediate rewards, laurels or acceptance but hone one’s skills and abilities and be well prepared for the journey ahead.

 

Q5) Finally one advice you want to give to the youth who wants to take up writing as a career option.

 A: Writing can be a tedious process and at times a forlorn activity too. So firstly, one needs to totally understand if making a career in writing is really his/her choice and calling.

Be true to yourself, identify your genre and do not just blindly follow someone else. With sincerity, dedication and discipline, you can definitely scale heights and achieve you desired goal of becoming a successful writer.