By: Surabhi Kaushik
I am not a doctor, but I can heal you. I am not an engineer, but I can help design your dreams.
I am a writer, armed with my words. My words may comfort you when you are low or inspire you when you are on the verge of giving up. I write what I know and crave for readers who melt into the world of my words instantly.
When I was growing up, writing was hardly considered a profession. When I enrolled into a bachelor’s program, excited about my journalism major, I knew that my other friends who were enrolled into engineering or medicine programs were considered smarter and richer because they would take home a fat paycheck. This bitter truth did not stop me from following my passion and chasing my dreams.
Nothing can replace the joy and satisfaction that I get from putting words on a blank screen and hitting the publish button. Even better are the comments that I get when people read my words, resonate with my thoughts, and respond to my writing. I take pride in the fact that my words can spur so much emotion in my readers and would not trade anything for that feeling. My author bio begins with the line, “writing comes to me as naturally as breathing.” Writing is my first love, and that explains my writing life, spanning a little over two decades now. Here is a sneak peek into my writing process and a few tips that I have learned to use over the years.
My writing process
I am the kind of writer who does not wait for inspiration to strike. I can write anywhere and about almost anything. If I am not working with a deadline, I love to start writing by putting pen to paper and pouring out my thoughts. Listening to music while I write helps me focus and gives me company. The kind of music depends on the type of writing that I am working with. Julia Cameron’s morning pages and Lynda Barry’s visual diary are among my favorite writing tools.
My writing tips
How to begin
I begin with what I know and what I feel like writing about.
If I want to delve deeper or elaborate on it, I support it with needed research.
Read aloud
Reading out loud is a practice that I have been following for years now, and it has never failed to spot errors that I would have missed. I highly recommend the use of it to not just avoid spelling and grammar errors (which Grammarly also does), but reading your work out loud helps you see any obvious errors in the structure of your piece, character flaws or the plot of your story.
Critique
I have a friend or a fellow writer read my piece before I submit it for publication. It is super helpful and gives me an entirely new perspective. It also helps spot errors which might not be obvious, like the transition from one paragraph to the other or not giving the reader enough clarity with the way I am expressing something.
My advice on looking for the right person to critique your work is to look for people who are serious readers if they are not writers themselves. Avid readers have the gift of making connections to our own emotions and experiences and therefore are the perfect choice for this task.
Accountability
I enter writing contests regularly. This helps me keep myself accountable and tuned in to working with deadlines. I like to enter at least one writing contest every two months.
Writing Groups
I have been actively participating in writing groups, and this has added richness and value to my writing. Being inspired by other writers, listening to their point of view on my writing and learning from their writing has been influential to my own writing process.
Reading
Books have been my best friends ever since I was a kid, and this is the biggest asset to my writing life. I am a slow but diligent reader. I read multiple genres and allow myself to get sucked into the world of these authors. Sometimes, an idea / theme strikes as I am reading a book, and I quickly grab a pen and paper to write down my thoughts and ideas. Oftentimes, they become the birthplace of powerful writing for me. If I am inspired by a specific book, I deliberately allow a gap before I start writing. The reason being that I do not want that author’s style to influence or interfere with my writing style as I feel it might alter my originality.
I like to draw a parallel between the process of writing and planting a seed, watching it grow into a plant and admire the flowers, in full bloom. Writing is blissful and energizing for me. I feel the adrenaline rush every single time my piece sees the light of day. My advice to all writers, beginners or otherwise, is to keep writing, ignite the spark and watch your passion fuel your dreams!
About Surabhi Kaushik
Words have always been my best friends, allowing me to find comfort and joy in playing the role of a copywriter, storyteller, poet or essayist, not necessarily in that order.
My blog, Writersmind.Surabhi, has links to my work published in several websites in India and the United States.
Apart from being a writer, I am also a book addict, love learning new languages, am a trained Carnatic music vocalist and binge watch or hike when I am not writing. I enjoy conducting Move to Write<>Write to Move workshops, a unique workshop where movement enhances creativity and writing ignites expression. I am offering these FREE workshops in challenging times of this pandemic, allowing them to explore ways to express themselves and use writing as a coping mechanism, develop a hobby or use it as a distraction, if they like.
After moving to the United States in 2015, I volunteer with public libraries in Charlotte and have a close association with Write Like You Mean It, a writer’s group at Main library, Charlotte.
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This is true inspiration to me as a writer.
I have never considered using writing contests to monitor accountability, but it is a great idea. Thank you for the tip. I also read aloud while editing.
I love reading about how other writers “do” writing and what their processes are. I use the “reading out loud” technique all the time; it’s amazing what you can catch when you speak your own written words. Thanks for sharing. ❤
Great interview! I’ve always written in some form. It used to be short stories, now it’s freelancing and blogging. But it took me a long time to think of myself as a writer.
I love writing. I always read my work aloud. I think it’s a necessity. Thank you for your insight.
I do too. Even just reading it under your breath helps with clarity and flow.
Thanks everyone. I am glad parts of my writing process resonate with you as well.