Friday, July 9, 2010

Here's my STORY....

I guess I’ve mentioned it before, but here it is anyway- I love writing! I can write about things that matter, things that don’t, crazy things, random thoughts, happy feelings, strong inhibitions et al…but there one thing that I just can’t write- a STORY!

Architects can build structures that are nothing short of breathtaking; Doctors can perform miracles, Engineers can make technological breakthroughs that can propel us into a whole new era….but none of these people hold as much awe and make my head spin with admiration as a master story-teller can! How I wish I could write a great story…just one!

I truly mean it…it just amazes me how some authors can transport you to a magical land (and I don’t mean it literally like the Harry Potter or Twilight or Artemis Fowl books!), they make you feel like you are a part of the story, make you feel the adrenaline rush, the feelings of love, wonder, amazement and faith. It is beautiful what some stories can do to you. They whisper to you, your own secret, personalized message. They tell you what you want to hear. They simply make you feel alive!

By story telling, I don’t just mean novels or comics. There are movies that we hold so close to our heart, they are the kinds that make us feel good, they tell us about the simple truth about life and they just make us smile quietly to ourselves! We usually give the credit to the hot actor or the lovely settings in the movie, but in the core essence it is the story that appeals most to us, we may not realize this but it is true.
It is truly fabulous how some writers and directors come up with stories so captivating and so complicated sometimes, they just leave you gasping with every unexpected twist!

Many people poke fun of TV soaps, but many more are hooked to them and that, my friends, is due to the simple fact that they have stories that intrigue us, that intimidate us and in some cases, stories that remind us of the things we do, that make us laugh at the characters in the soaps, characters that we soon start feeling like we know, we recognize and we relate to. At the end of the day, it is the Story alone that keeps the magic alive!

Now I’m going to stretch the boundaries a little here- Great story tellers, we have seen touch our lives through books, movies and soaps. But there is more….for those of you who have read the Bhagavad-Gita (I’m guessing not many), you will know that our scriptures are stories too, they teach us morals, tell us about the glories of God and state bold truths…all in stories again. Those of you who were lucky enough to have been told the Mahabharata or the Ramayana by your grand parents would remember how as a little girl or boy your eyes would light up in wonder and amazement listening to all the glorious stories, cuddling up next to your granny while she would animatedly describe all the little details as you prod her with questions and doubts!

I feel there is nothing more hauntingly beautiful than the talent to write a story, not just any story, but a story that people love to love! Some stories are more sagas than stories. I feel J.K Rowling and the makers of How I Met Your Mother are nothing short of brilliant, with their ability to produce a story which spans several years with such tiny, intricate given so much attention and subtle, vague hints about future events being dropped in early books/ seasons. Bravo!

Its authors like Jeffrey Archer, Dan Brown, Irving Wallace, Stephanie Meyer that push you all the way to the edge of the cliff with their blindingly magnificent story telling skills that threaten to test our ability to resist our urge to set the book aside to eat, reply to a text message or even pee! It’s simply bloody brilliant.

Even though it might take years, if I ever do write a good story…I will count it among one of my greatest achievements!

6 comments:

Abha said...

Nice article, Chhavi. And I totally agree with you. It does take unique talent to write captivating stories. It's not just about imagination or creativity but also about the gift of expression and understanding the complex human nature...

Abha said...

btw, did you change the name of your blog? I did not understand the meaning of "JOIE DE VIVRE"! Sounds like Joy Of something though... :P

Rachina Ahuja said...

hey i agree...writing a story is hard!

Unknown said...

yeah i changed the name...its french, it means care free enjoyment of life or literally it means joy of living

Pranavi said...

Wowow...I Love the way you think..:)
i dint realise your blogs would be this addicting..loll

Unknown said...

thanks Pranavi :)