In this post, you’ll read about…
The Planting of Thought
The movie Inception is about the planting of an “idea”—a thought. In it, a team enters someone’s dream and plants an idea in their mind, which then spreads like a virus. Interestingly, the person thinks the idea is their own. They believe no one but them could have thought it.
Likewise, our thoughts don’t come entirely from within either. For most people, personal struggles, society, the stories we see, hear, or read, and even fantasies plant various types of thoughts. For instance, I had a horrific news had inspired me to write I am the Devil. Meanwhile, the setting and the climax of What’s the Point? were based on my dream. Thoughts and ideas that enter the minds of writers grow in such a way that they cause unrest until they are written or turned into something. Yet, no matter how compelling the thoughts may be, most don’t become literature. Even prolific writers don’t write down everything that comes to mind.
Why Don’t All Thoughts Become Literature? What Blocks Them?
Both the individual and their society can become obstacles in literary creation. Most people don’t set aside time to write. When distracted by other work, unrecorded thoughts vanish, and the urge to write fades. Some people feel too lazy to write.
Society is also changing rapidly. What’s considered acceptable today may be deemed wrong tomorrow. In this way, some thoughts become irrelevant. Due to changes in perspective, writers often refrain from writing about old ideas.
Writer’s Block
The hardest part of writing is simply “getting started.” One of the most common problems faced by writers—especially those working on large literary projects—is writer’s block. This is a state in which, despite a strong desire to write, the writer is unable to do so. It can hit at any point—before beginning or midway through writing.
Recently, Paathshala writer Tirtha Gurung tweeted about experiencing this. George R. R. Martin, whose books were adapted into the hit series Game of Thrones, has long struggled to finish the final volumes.
Causes of writer’s block include:
- Fear of not being able to write as envisioned (the perfectionist trap).
- Doubt about completing the work.
- Fear of rejection in new writers; fear of disappointing fans in established ones.
- Emotional resistance when trying to articulate unspoken thoughts.
- The writer’s financial, social, or mental state.
How to Overcome Writer’s Block
In a conversation, George R. R. Martin, known as a perfectionist, asked Stephen King, “How do you write so much so quickly?” King’s simple but powerful reply was, “I write every day.”
King follows a rule: write at least six pages (2,000 words) daily—without worrying whether it’s good or bad. After completing the first draft of a novel, he lets it rest for a month and a half. During that time, he travels or writes something else. Then, he returns to revise the earlier draft.
King’s habits offer useful tips:
- Write regularly.
- Put thoughts on paper, no matter how they come out.
- Edit and revise later.
There’s a saying: “If nothing is written, there’s nothing to revise.” Of course, this is easier said than done.
In the Japanese animated film Whisper of the Heart, Shizuku dreams of becoming a writer. An elderly man named Nishi gives her a stone embedded with an emerald. After reading her first draft, he says, “You’ve mined a raw stone with effort. To polish it into a gem, you still need to work very hard.”
Original or Imitation?
Getting a literary work published professionally isn’t easy. Editors provide feedback on everything from spelling to plot structure. Writers go through multiple rewrites.
I once saw a photo on author Buddhisagar’s Facebook page of a huge stack of Karnali Blues drafts. Gabriel García Márquez’s first draft of One Hundred Years of Solitude was reportedly very different from the final book.
Reading such polished masterpieces can inspire new writers—but it can also be discouraging. Why?
- It makes them feel their ideas aren’t original.
- Our taste often evolves faster than our skill.
They say that nothing in this world is truly “original.” But that doesn’t mean new ideas can’t emerge. And if originality isn’t possible, imitation is a fallback.
But caution is needed. In art and literature, there’s an old rule:
“Imitating one person is plagiarism. Imitating a hundred is art.”
And another:
“Imitate so well that no one realises it’s imitation.”
The Path of a Writer
In Whisper of the Heart, when Shizuku says she wants to be a writer, her father replies:
“You’ve chosen a rare and difficult path. You’ll have to take responsibility for it yourself.”
Most writers’ lives aren’t easy. Internal conflict, family discord, social pressures from having different perspectives, and financial struggles are common.
Many writers have very few friends. Some brilliant authors have suffered from depression. The events surrounding the suicide of Bhairav Aryal, Nepal’s king of satirical literature, are heartbreaking. So too are the mental torments of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, the father of Japanese short stories.
After enduring inner turmoil, self-doubt, and numerous struggles, writers finally present their thoughts to readers. Only a few find financial success. Some readers don’t appreciate the ideas or their presentation. Sometimes, readers fail to even grasp the writer’s thinking. Some expect writers to express only the kinds of ideas they personally prefer. In extreme cases, books are torn or even burned by readers. Such acts are painful to see and hear about.
Of course, not everything written is good. Some books are written purely to spread propaganda or hatred. To expose such works, one must still read them.
Final Words
Salutations to all the writers who, without worrying much about success or failure, endure countless struggles and illuminate the world with the light of their thoughts!
(You can read the Nepali version of the article here.)