When Writers chat on WeChat

May 21
NabanitaDhar
They say stories barge into a writer’s imagination in the middle of silent nights. They also say that writers rise when the entire world is in deep slumber. It makes me think that perhaps the phrase burning the midnight oil was in fact, particularly conceived for writers. Well, if that was true, how could I be left behind? Not that I am a “writer”, at least, not yet but there is no denying the fact that I do love to write! So one fine eerie night, I sat in my bedroom determined to get the creative juices flowing and weave something like I had never written before.
 
The crickets chirping and frogs croaking were the only sounds around apart from the tick-tocks of my wall clock. Well alright, alright, there was also the sound of a snoring husband oblivious to his wife’s steely resolve to pen down something awe-inspiring right then, right there!
 
At the stroke of the midnight hour, dramatic as it sounds, I sat with an empty Word document open in front of me. I sat there typing a few lines, reading, re-reading and editing over and over again. The cycle continued for about three hours when I suddenly glanced at the clock and realised that I had spent half the night without writing anything significant. But I was not about to give up. How could I, with the steely resolve and all? So I decided to get help from those who were experts in this craft.
 
Early the next morning I rushed to the abandoned library in the neighbourhood, the place to be for aspiring writers like me. I punched my card and was let into the amazing red-brick building, which looked horribly dishevelled from the outside but was highly organised on the inside. It had wall-to-wall shelves on all sides, in the middle and on every floor; with books from all over the world adorning its every corner.
 
But there was another aspect which made this place magical as also the Hogwarts for writers of this world, both past and present! Yes, you heard, or rather read, me right! It was the place where the most renowned writers and poets from different eras would gather through WeChat groups to talk about the art of writing. Yes, it was the only hub where WeChat aided by wormholes and technological gibberish helped members chat across timelines! Yes, and that’s exactly what I decided to do with some of my favourite people of the literary universe. Shakespeare, Austen, Christie, Dickens, Hemmingway and Keats were already active when I pinged them for help! And here is how I came upon the title and plot for my new story, or didn’t I?
 
Shakespeare: All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts!
 
 
 
 
The rest sent resentful smileys at Shakespeare’s melodramatic entry!

              
          Austen: There you go again! Will, I think you need to stop doing that love! 

Christie: Well, he always does that, doesn’t he? The playwright in him always has to make a dramatic entrance! Perhaps I should do a Poirot or Marple too eh?

 
 
 

                                        Shakespeare: O Austen, Austen, wherefore art thou Austen? 
 
 
 
Austen: Oh Will! Could you please stop with your dialogues for a change?
 
 
 
 
 
Shakespeare or rather the comic in him sent a chucking smiley at Austen’s reply.
 
Dickens: Has he ever stopped Jane that he would today? His panache for theatrical entries is like the undying love of a mother towards her child; only in his case, it’s exasperating!
 
 
 
 
Hemmingway: Oh these English are so overly dramatic!
 
 
 
 
 
Keats: He does what he does! Why do we even bother to discuss?
 
 
 
 
 
Christie: Oh no not the poet again!
 
 
 
 
 
Me: Okay people! Enough of your petty fights! Now I really need your help!
 
 
There I seemed to have had their attention.
 
Me: Guys I want to write something great, something that people will remember me for! But I seem to move from romance to comedy to thriller and just can’t decide the genre!
 
No sooner had I sent this across, than advice started pouring in!
 
Austen: Oh dearie that is so simple. It has to be romantic fiction, the best genre of all!
 
 
 
 
 
Christie: Oh Jane, please. Don’t weigh down your genre on her. Let her choose herself. Sweetheart, what about crime novels, I hear these days they sell like hot cakes.
 
 
 
Shakespeare: Nay my lady nay, thou shouldst write a play mirroring comedy and history.
 
 
 
 
 
Dickens: My two cents now. Have you read David Copperfield? Why don’t you write something like that?
 
 
 
 
Keats: Oh precious you write poetry on your blog; then why do you dear slog! Romantic poetry is what you need to log!
 
 
 
 
Hemmingway: Oh that’s preposterous. All of you should be ashamed of yourselves! Why don’t you write something like my masterpiece ‘Old Man and the Sea’?
 
 
 
 
At Hemmingway’s suggestion, each one had sent drowsy smileys across! Well, I guess I had expected that!
 
Me: Oh God people! Here I am trying to solve my problem and you guys are of no help at all!
 
Austen: Sorry honey! We really want to help you! Alright, we are going to be serious now. Tell us what you like to write.
 
 
 
 
From that moment onwards, we seemed to be going somewhere or did we?
 
Me: I like mystery but it should have an element of romance in it too. Mysterious, romantic, poetic! Oh great! Now I want everything in it!
 
Shakespeare: Pray love! If thou wilt not fret, I have a suggestion for thee. Perchance thou shouldst write a play that doth all.
 
 
 
 
Me: Hmm… okay but then how should I go about it?
 
 
I replied lost in deep contemplation!
 
Austen: Sketch a character like Mr Darcy first who would make any woman go weak on her knees and…
 
 
 
 
Shakespeare: Maketh him woo a lady like Juliet and then make her fall victim to misery. Nay doth something more dramatic!
 
 
 
 
Austen sent a smug-faced smiley at Shakespeare cutting her short!
 
Christie: Let me tell you the next part. Sketch a character like the great Hercule Poirot who ends up solving the mystery.
 
 
 
 
Dickens: The personal tragedy of the main characters is pivotal to being a great writer. And do introduce friends like James Steerforth and Tommy Traddles and subplots with characters like Mrs. Gummidge and the Micawbers eh!
 
 
 
Hemmingway: And you cannot write the story without making Mr. Darcy go out to the sea in search of a giant marlin, can you?
 
 
 
 
Keats: As always the poet gets the last say. Nevertheless, make Mr.Darcy sing a love song; that makes Harriet come along. Oh sorry, that makes Juliet come along! That would make the tale strong and among us will you belong!
 
 
 
Me: Whoa! And what by you should I name this tale?
 
 
By then I was at my wits end with their suggestions!
 
Shakespeare: Taming of Darcy in the Hamlet of Macbeth.
 
 
 
 
 
Austen: Nay! It should be called Loss of Sense & Sensibility.
 
 
 
 
 
Christie: duh uh! It should be called Murder in Her Disorient Dress.
 
 
 
 
Dickens: Honey it should only be Darcy in the Chopper field.
 
 
 
 
 
Hemmingway: You should call it Darcy and the Sea.
 
 
 
 
 
Keats: Nay it should be called Ode to Strangle.
 
 
 
 
 
I thought to myself if this was what happened when one asked writers for advice!
 
Me: Thank you guys! You know what, I think I should write a book ‘Never take advice from writers’!
 
Shakespeare: My lady I shall say thee to be or not to be, that is the question.
 
 
 
 
 
Me: What! Will what can I say but, for my own part, it was Greek to me! Arghh!!
 
 
Take that as a dialogue I thought!
 
At that Austen, Christie, Dickens, Hemmingway and Keats started bickering about Shakespeare’s dialogues again, I, clearly being out of focus, quietly left the chat and ran home and resolved never ever to take advice from ‘celebrated’ writers again!
 
This post is part of Indiblogger’s WeChat-The New Way To Connect Contest.

33 thoughts on “When Writers chat on WeChat”

  5. Haha hilarious Naba 🙂 Be prepared to win the prize. I think I wont participate in the contest at all now 🙁

  8. haha Thanks Parsanna 🙂 and why won't you participate! i'm looking forward to reading ur entry!

  13. this was such a creative piece of work. loved the parts of all writers! All the best for the contest 😀

  17. Naba- This is indeed a creative post. Of all the 'Wechat' posts I have read, this is something really different. I mean the concept! Good Luck

    TSw

  25. Firstly, that was really a wonderful read… liked every bit of it… goodluck for the contest…
    and secondly, m ur 350th follower…:)

  31. Goes to show how big the writers' egos can be 🙂 Quite a fun read, Naba! And you got it right – never take advice from writers 😉

  32. What a creative and fun read that was! I could just picture all those writers giving you advice. Hilarious! You did well capturing their voices, too. Well done!

  33. Oh my Nabanita, that was way too funny! Quite amusingly hilarious I would say! Never take advice from writers in the end may be the best as you say! 😉 On a serious note though, you are a writer! I've been told that myself Not that I am a “writer”, atleast not yet but there is no denying the fact that I do love to write! I'm not sure if this will help, but it might: Part 2: The Call to Write (on May 31, 2011) – http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2011/05/to-write-or-write-right-part-2-call-to.html and/or this one, Lost…or Found (Jan. 12, 2011) – http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2011/01/lost-and-found.html 🙂 <3

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