top of page

Depression inside the Lines

Writer's picture: Yogesh ChandraYogesh Chandra

Writing, as it progresses, with lengthy acts and prose, the entire style seems to be a great repugnance, or at least that is what many writers would be compelled to believe. With each line leading the chapter to another tragic ending, and ending in this case relating to the prose that seems to be developing against your initial plot- and now that you are drifting apart, with each line getting viciously vulnerable, could there be a spill in such a beautiful plot?

Well, to begin with, every writer at some point in time may be prone to ‘writing sicknesses’ or that is at least what I could relate to. The phase is one of many which leaves the writer longing for new sentences, chapters and eventually a thrilling plot. But the little stick, at this point in time seems to be much more than an ordinary drawback. Expanding ones thought into the realm of excessive writing-which will eventually give rise to stress- circumstances which our brains are so good at perfecting. There goes the next great line, drifting away from you, acting like it never knew you-just like she left with her new lover leaving you breathless.

To feel such, it is quite plausible, and with each new line, something new has to be explored after all. ‘Depression inside the Lines’, I believe could be a perfect metaphor to describe ones phase in writing- which has the writer confined to such ‘unintentional writing’. I would call it as such, and first to define unintentional writing- one that is omnipresent yet so alien, a type of writing which I would mostly call ‘the deferred protagonist’. In relation, this could be well attributed to the concept of passive writing- with thoughts leading up to nowhere, and if it ever did-how did it ever impact the central aspect of the plot.

It seems that writings will seemingly continue, with fatigued and orchestrated nights, what could a writer even do-or any person for that matter, even it be a school student trying to compile that defining short story to please the teachers or the persona who is just trying some new free writing during spare hours or when he is just feeling 'high' perhaps. The lines slowly get drifted away from you, as if one was trying to walk on water, feeling the pleasure and each aspect of it, but to be at contempt with reality-things eventually seem to look quite dramatic.

“I went to town…and in town, I saw Hanna-she was holding onto someone else’s hands.” Let’s say one were struggling with this particular line, and this just seems to be the beginning of the chapter, a pity for the mind which has to think, sire. I have myself, been quite overwhelmed by writing with each line giving me opportunities in exploring the more of me. But there would be no point, when one would just seem to shut down from such a pleasing world of words and have thoughts that will want to deviate you from getting into the next page of your book.

Consequently, at some point in time, may totally result in discouraging a writer- suggesting that all these lines are of no good. Well, I would say that it is natural to feel such a thing, and things like this, ones which have no definition, or those that can never be weighed- it seems to act as a barrier and at the same time, a new hope towards the light-one which you saw while you began your first few lines of the book. It is slowly trying to indulge itself into other primordial aspects of the society, rather than trying to search for new literature in between the lines. Depression in writing can be very real, and with all that has been expanding around our societies, an entourage of conversations-or just a simple talk would undeniably make you feel better.

At first, when I was to be presented with a large plot, one which had been raging inside my mind for quite a while, and then trying to develop into a ‘readable story’ would sound quite tricky, as I would coin. And so the aspect of outward seeking comes in. I always love to share a particular plot that interests me, with a friend or with just a random stranger-provided he/she is ready to listen to me. And now when words are out, the burden on top of the chest- I know it sounds quite naive, but it is, the act which may have at least helped me.

In addition, if some lines inside your plot are treating you like a nobody- one which isn’t supposed to have been written what he/she has- in this case, for things to come to an equilibrium, one has to reach towards the concept of self-perseverance and compassion. I do realize that everyone’s mind is different, and will react differently to each situation-whether it be good or bad. But the point here, is having the ability to rationalize, even at the times when gravity seems to be in denial.

Take a hike to the mountains or a nearby village or anyplace which you like. I usually like the silence and the dizziness of the forests, which seem to be never ending. An hour or so, and I’m fully recharged- much abler than the person who had been seated in front of the lousy laptop with the script open just a few moments ago, with nothing to come out of the actual moment. The idea of searching for hope and inspiration is a good thing, although many would see it differently- which I highly respect as well.

I also usually set a target-let’s say three thousand words per day( and by day- there is no relation to the entire day but just a fraction of the day in which I feel more creative)-, and am eventually compelled to dance with words, as it shall be the next defining thing for anybody or anything at large. In such cases, everyone’s word count or pages, or any scale used to measure the length of writing undertaken, there is no doubt that it will differ. But the beauty in each line, the construct and the pure charisma which is about to form, one shall embrace such stillness with melancholia, which I believe is part of the job. And it also may end up making your piece more creative than that you could think of, unlike the next Jupiter close to our minds. So next time when the ‘lines get depressed’, do try with a simple, even it be rhetoric’s-as far as the mind is able to regain its energy and the thought processes to transcend into the next phase of creative writing.

-Yogesh Chandra

Image Courtesy: http://art-sheep.com/14-quotes-from-sylvia-plath/

bottom of page