Every profession is wrapped in a certain look. For e.g. if you say you are an engineer, people imagine you as specky dork, if you say you are a teacher, they imagine you as a preacher and if you say you are a writer, people imagine you as a person with a messy look and awesome grey matter inside.

While talking about how each profession has pseudo professionals instead of just professionals, my friend (also a fellow writer) and I started discussing how everyone thinks how awesomely he/she can write. And that is when, my friend remarked, “the mind that can think and the hands that can produce” defines the beauty of creative writing.

Absolutely true, I thought to myself. In the recent times, such pseudo fillers have majorly taken over the writing industry, merely because they think they can write. While it’s good to be ambitious (and there is always scope for improvement), it would be nicer (rather appropriate) if these self-proclaimed writers had some understanding of how the whole deal of writing works (pun unintended).

#1: Basic, common, and always clichéd: Pseudo writer = shabby look + jhola bag + flip flops.

#2: A pseudo writer will have an exaggerated hatred attitude towards all Indian writers. So LS you see!

#3: A pseudo writer’s social media statuses/tweets etc. are no less than verses from Shakespeare’s play.

#4: Will always carry a book, a tab, or a Kindle just to reiterate their marriage vows to reading and writing.

#5: Speak endlessly rather boast about how they read a book and it changed their thinking about life. In most cases, it is The Fountainhead.

#6: Mostly, pseudo writers claim to have read all classics or are in the process of buying ‘em.

#7: Will always carry a notepad and pen and pretend to be penning their thoughts in the most unlikeliest of places.

#8: Will flaunt how they prefer reading a book over stepping out or hanging out with pals. Even if they choose to do the latter, they are devouring the book, just so you know.

#9: A pseudo writer will make a face just to show how they can’t stand copy-pasting.

#10: Will swear by the blog he/she created and will go to any lengths to make you read it.

Do any of these ring a bell?

Cover image: MovieMag