How I read the Opal Mehta Book

Recently read Kaavya Viswanathan's much hyped book, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and got a life'. While this book and its author have been in the news for all the wrong reasons, one must admit that the plot of the book is an engaging one. It does remind me strongly of the plot from the Lindsay Lohan starrer, Mean Girls. However, the book is an entertainer, one of those novels one might pick up out of boredom on a lazy weekend.

Having said that, I do think that as authors one must be careful about citations of others' work, whether it is fiction or non-fiction writing, of the academic kind. I know some of us get into trouble, inspite of citations. The world is sometimes a heartless place, where work tends to get scrutinized to the point where the critics lose the essence of the idea that the author is proposing. The authors on their part get engrossed in putting across their ideas in writing, to the extent that any possible 'inspiration' or 'reference' goes unintentionally unacknowledged.

For one thing, no individual would want to be called dishonest, much less be accused of doing so intentionally. As long as the plot or idea are original, it is upto us readers (and critics) to make informed decisions and opinions regarding the work, in as objective a manner as possible. Lets not forget that each of us has ownership for our ideas and wouldnt like to see them reproduced without due acknowledgement. Lets also give each other benefit of the doubt. Creativity is something that one cannot examine objectively. In this age of information and knowledge, each of us is influenced by a wide range of sources, which can be unconsciously absorbed into our minds while reading or watching something. Being a discerning reader/viewer is therefore important, and so is being a writer, who is aware of possible sources of influence.

Hoping that we as writers can make an impact on our audiences, big or small, based on the power of our ideas and the depth of our writing. Let us think freely and in as creative a way as possible, exploring newer avenues for self expression in thought and speech.