Read and Reread the Classics

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 When I read the news about the cancellation of a horror novel in the US, it was just another news story. What else can we expect?

A few years back, I was part of a writing group that used to meet once in a month to learn and experiment with the act of writing. When the group got to the stage of writing drafts, a few started to provide tips to others in the group on how to create outlines, plan the plot, and write the drafts. It was not the group's organizer who provided the tips. 

I withdrew from the group and did not attend further sessions since I had a strong concern that some of the drafts were developed using AI tools or bore the imprint of AI tools. As a two-decade-old technical writer, I have some insights into how Indians write in English, the common errors we make, and our creative capabilities. I also felt the presence of strong egos at work, as a newbie was recommending tips to other newbies. 

I did not develop the first chapter of my book because the book I had in mind involved lots of travel. It involved elements of Solastalgia, a term coined by Australian environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht. 

As I pondered over the news, one thing became clear. Don't stop reading the classics, don't sell the classics that you have in your collection, and buy more of them before they disappear. I still prefer printed books than reading online books. Over the next few weeks and months, it will be all about classics and how to save the classics. 

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