Write regularly to find your unique voice and style: Writer Shilpa Krishnan

CHENNAI: A shy kid during her childhood, Shilpa Krishnan’s best friends were the books in the library. “In the early 2000s, there was not much awareness about the avenues available to pursue a career in writing. I completed my bachelor’s degree in commerce. During my college days, I wanted to delve deep into writing, which started with a blog,” starts Shilpa.

This motivated Shilpa to pursue her post-graduation in journalism. “But I was more interested in the writing aspect than reporting,” she remarks. Shilpa wished to work on something related to children but was unclear about the niche. “After some time, I joined the Book Lovers Programme for School. The focus was forming a reading community with children,” the writer adds.

During the initial stages of her writing journey, Shilpa attended a writing workshop, which shaped her understanding of the structure of writing and the various processes involved like overcoming writer’s block. “For budding writers, writing regularly on a daily basis is crucial. It could be journaling, writing a letter to someone and many more. I strongly recommend the tactile aspect of writing, which is on paper with a pen. The more you write, the more you will find your voice and style,” says Shilpa, who published her first book, titled Mr Postman, under the pen name Nila, in 2020.

Shilpa believes that writing greatly impacts a person’s mental health. “I was diagnosed as bipolar at 19. My psychiatrist informed me that I have to take medication for the rest of my life. Then I was introduced to holistic medicine. For the past seven years, I have been journaling regularly and this had a huge impact on my mental health. Writing is not just a skill, it is a therapy,” shares the 37-year-old.

Breaking the misconception of Artificial Intelligence becoming a threat to human creativity, she remarks, “Everything is a double-edged sword. AI is not necessarily a threat. It becomes a threat depending on the way we use it. Readers look for human connection in a piece of writing. And books are a form of expression. AI is a great tool to generate basic write-ups from the inputs we give and writers can upskill them for a better read. This is an interesting shift and the fears are valid,” explains the writer.

Writers tend to mimic the style of their favourite renowned writers. Shilpa reflects that there is no original idea. But mimicking is acceptable as long as the concept comes from the author’s heart. Earlier, writing was considered a profession, which is not for everyone. Now, Shilpa feels that parents and society are encouraging and people are more respectful of writers.

Since 2017, the author has been conducting workshops, both online and offline. Her workshops aim to equip the participants to learn the craft of writing and various tools and techniques that writers can employ.

Talking about the writing scene in Chennai, Shilpa remarks, “A lot of online writing forums and communities are coming up. The city is a literary place and there is interest in writing and literature. Like the book fair, the government can conduct more writing-related events to spread awareness. Like how there are communities for reading and photography, we need more writing communities as well.”