Posted on by Sonia Dogra

Boxes for Writers

Dear Reader

One of you messaged that Because I Cannot Be Spring brought tears to your eyes. Thank you, I’m only glad it made you feel something. Many-a-time I’ve held a poem so close because it says everything I cannot. Yes, sometimes even writers need the words of another—a comrade, a friend, an acquaintance, a stranger whose random utterance has actually been rising like a wave within us.

I wonder if Because I Cannot Be Spring could have been a story or an essay. Well, yes, it very well could have. But when it spoke to me, we communicated in verses and that’s how it came out on paper.

Recently, when I shared with a friend that I had an idea for a short story, she was pretty surprised. Since I’ve been working on middle-grade fiction, she said she’d love to see how I would transition from one genre to another because the language would change so much! Her innocuous comment, made out of curiosity, surprised me even more. It spiralled a series of thoughts and I had to put them down before they evaporated into thin air.

To start with, are writers incapable of writing in different genres (or forms) or for different ‘target audience’ (as is popularly termed now)? Can they diversify? Or, did she mean it was difficult to talk to adults after I had spoken to children? Does language seek permission before it comes to us? Or does it know the form it must take on a certain day? Is the decision to write a story made first, or does an initial message and an instinct dictate the form of our thoughts? When forming a piece, should the driving force be the compulsion to write or the need to articulate?

Can artists be compartmentalised? I’m aware that the current publishing landscape promotes choosing a genre and sticking to it. How stifling, I would say, how inadequate to confine a free, thinking individual to boxes.

Margaret Atwood has written children’s books and poetry and of course, The Handmaid’s Tale. Maya Angelou wrote I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings alongside Life Doesn’t Frighten Me (children’s literature) and some very powerful poetry. A.A. Milne, the playwright and novelist and poet gave us Winnie-the-Pooh! Roald Dahl wrote poetry and non-fiction. Ever wondered why they made the switch?

Creativity is like a river, choosing its course as it flows. Ideas have the freedom to choose the clothes that best suit their personality. We are sold too many labels as writers, we are sold too many rights and wrongs, we are forced to be a certain way by commerce, by the industry and that is exactly the last nail in the coffin of our creative sojourns.

Someone said writers must read poetry if they want to write good fiction. I think Ray Bradbury encouraged all writers to read one poem every day. Sadly, the hurries and scurries of commerce have left little scope for fluidity nowadays.

And before I turn this into a rant now, let me put a halt to it and share some publication and other news—which is another imperative in the list of being a certain way. Thank you for staying and reading. See you soon!

An excerpt from KUHU LEARNS TO DEAL WITH LIFE appeared in THE SCROLL. You may read it here to get a glimpse of Kuhu’s life!

The Pen Kids Creative featured Kuhu on their page with young Idika talking about the book.

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14 Replies to “Boxes for Writers”

  1. I’ve resisted compartmentalization in my writing, and I admire those who venture into different categories. Yay, for you, Sonia!

    It’s harder to market, but I’d find it too boring and not challenging enough.

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  2. ‘Creativity is like a river, choosing its course as it flows.’Well said.

    Many writers do choose to write within their niche genre, and many others are diverse (Kiran Manral writes thriller, romance, humour, horror, time travel…!). Some writers find it difficult to write in certain genres (I think I can’t write crime thrillers and humour, even though my dreams usually lean towards thrillers). It’s about personal interest. We usually do well when we are deeply interested in something.

    And your poem ‘Because I Cannot Be Spring’ is beautiful.

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  3. I agree creativity should not be confined to boxes. Sometimes reader expectations can be so strong that writers find themselves inhibited by them. Don’t let that happen to you Sonia. Go where your muse leads you.
    Congratulations on the Scroll feature. Wishing many new heights for Kuhu.

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  5. It is awesome that you wrote this today because lately I have been thinking i need to get out of the ‘I am only a poet’ bucket and write whatever comes. (Though this might have been initally triggered by no one reads poetry rant). I have only written 3-4 short stories all these years and I wonder why i have been resistant to writing more. Same for CNF or non-fiction pieces. I even have ideas for a comic! So, yes! I agree we should not compartmentalize ourselves and see how the words want to flow.

    _ Namratha

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    1. I hear you, Namratha. I don’t even know if all the seriousness about writing diktats really counts. I just feel being creative in any which way should bring us joy without the burden of doing it the right way. Thank you for stopping by.

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  6. To add to this discourse, I find it even more amusing when writers themselves are surprised by these transitions. It wouldn’t be called ‘creativity’ if it fit into a single shape, if any shape at all. I believe my style is an amoeba undergoing constant fission.

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