The desires of a child are like a flickering light bulb. As we change calendars,  children change their desires. Children can be so impetuous when it comes to  decoding their passion and inner gift. Similar is my story wherein I dreamt of  being a doctor to heal and help people a while ago. This thought quickly drifted to  being a soldier to defend our country. I have originally yearned to be a best-selling  author until the stereotypical advices started pouring in- ‘You won’t earn very  well. What good is it to be an author?’ ‘There aren’t quality jobs for writers. Even  if there are, they offer a low pay check.’ Such advices can leave a deep impression  on a child’s mind thereby forcing it to abandon its desire for the fear of not  ‘earning well’. However, with maturity I realised that it’s better to do something  that you love; something that interests you; something with which you can spend  hours without exasperation since that is your soul calling. You want to do it  because you are meant to do it. I did fear taking the step towards my passion  because nobody wants to be devoid of the paper notes that though can’t  purchase happiness, can purchase things that make you happy.  

Ever since childhood, I have been deeply immersed in books. Bookshelves almost  flooded and my family had to give some books away, much to my dismay. I have  this strange obsession of collecting books even if I wouldn’t read them. Seeing  that abstract colourful collage on the shelf really brightens up my day. I can literally  stare at the books resting in the shelf to feel better- call me creepy or weird!  Merely glancing at the books really helps me develop better ideas. The bonus  part- those books from other authors really inspire me to write one of mine and  see it resting in the display of my close acquaintances. 

It is said that reading and Writing go hand in hand. Though I tried to balance the  two, I couldn’t succeed. I am a writer, to be precise. I consume little and produce  more. The consumption process (reading) has always been interesting for me. I  grasped words promptly from a text and recollected those to be used at the right  time, in my literary work. As a result, I didn’t have to read much because the  structuring of the text along with its language, writing style, and vocabulary were  stuck with an adhesive in the corners of my brain! I didn’t learn how to write a  diary though. However, I would record all the incidents appropriately with a great  tone and expression. When I read those accounts today, I stand flabbergasted at  how good I was in descriptive writing. Though the vocabulary remained average, I  was able to write a diary from a tender age without knowing anything about it  until during adolescence, I learnt about ‘diary writing’ as a way of expression.  

I am addicted to noting everything down- like literally everything! Be it my life, my  to-do lists, grocery lists, time tables, stories, poems, quotes and what not. High  school during the pandemic can be tedious for writers who can’t help make  personal notes. We can’t rely on recorded lectures like the others. The only way  for a writing junkie to remain focused during lectures is to note the information  being blabbered about, simultaneously. When I say noting the information, I  mean penning ‘everything’ discussed in the class and not the significant points. It  does sound silly and you are free to call it an obsession.  

This addiction towards English language and my willingness to play with words  fuelled my pursuits. I could naturally feel the inclination towards the language because I perceived it as challenging with a whole lot of homophones and  homonyms to drive me crazy. I wanted to learn to distinguish the meanings of  words with identical sounds. Meet and Meat don’t mean the same, duh! This 

grabbed my attention and had me mesmerised. It all started with phonetics and  led me to vocabulary. One can consider this as the beginning of my obsession  with the language. I felt the urge to learn new English words that would embellish  my write-ups. I started using heavy words everywhere and made it difficult for the  readers to decipher the messages in my literary pieces. With a thunder bolt came  a revelation- Language should be simple since its main purpose is to deliver the  message. After all, simply garnishing the food doesn’t make it scrummy! I realised  that I must maintain a good vocabulary (using the best words is not required) and  focus on imparting the message. It can be in a simple language with an offbeat  writing style. Here is when I wore detective glasses to grasp the writing style of  some of my favourite authors like Agatha Christie and T.S. Eliot. However, I felt the  urge to invent a unique writing style to not fall second to these authors in the list!  Why not create my own style against the conventional ones created by these  authors? I might end up formulating a good style for the future generations to  gain inspiration from. Thus I began playing with words- assigning different meanings and perspectives to existing words, discovering new words and  providing varied meanings, using metaphors to perceive the common elements  with a distinct perspective, and inserting the philosophy of life to degenerate  complexities and explain them better. Ever since then, I have been flaunting my  ‘bold and unique’ style of explanation that elaborately and honestly narrates its ‘ideologies’ without hesitation or petrification of arousing the society. We write to  arouse and enlighten the mob so why fear the consequences? Words are golden  and every writer has complete authority over expression of their respective  opinions. 

You might not believe me when I say this- I haven’t suffered writer’s block yet!  Any day for me is sunny to begin writing. I can pour those emotions out to my  heart’s content on a blank word document. In fact, I write when I am in a bad  

mood so that my stress hormones relax! I ponder quite hard on a topic and select  the one closest to my current mood. It really helps compose a masterpiece and  prevent writer’s block. Writing is an emotion so turn the tap on and let the water  flow without thinking ‘how it would flow’. Words will eventually make their way  on that blank sheet as you place your thoughts. Focus on brainstorming your  ideas and structuring them without worrying about the writing style  simultaneously. The vocabulary and writing style are simply garnished on the  literary work and can be attended later.  

Recently, I have written an essay on a social issue-teens migrating to a foreign country, embracing its culture, and despising their native culture in the process. I  have also penned numerous quotes on my Instagram handle @the_laconicwriter which should help you understand my writing style. I have designed a website  named Literary Messiah- my primary motive being to assist others in their literary  journeys. 

In short, I would describe my writing journey as- Write for uniqueness, write for  rejuvenation, write for others!  

Thank you for reading! 

- Amatullah Padghawala

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