Form matters

Three articles accepted in as much as three days! Published in three national dailies, a hat-trick of 8216;middles8217;.

Three articles accepted in as much as three days! Published in three national dailies, a hat-trick of 8216;middles8217;. Writing never seemed easier. And after going through a dreadfully long lean period, I made the most of this 8216;purple patch8217;. Sunil Gavaskar8217;s oft-repeated words, exhorting the batsmen, came to mind: 8220;Make hay while the sun shines8230; pile up the runs8230; you never know when a rainy day may be around8230;8221;

And so I did, feeling in good touch. 8220;When is your next piece coming up, Mina?8221; came from family and friends, wishing me on. Next piece? I sat at the keyboard, fingers ready to fly. But, the 8216;touch8217; had deserted me. The fingers wouldn8217;t move. The mind wouldn8217;t work. Ideas dried up. The inspired spell had gone! I was no longer 8216;in the zone8217;. Forget about writer8217;s block. I couldn8217;t claim to be a 8216;writer8217; on the strength of a few articles. Then why this sudden slump?

I sympathised with the batsmen who go through this 8216;dip in form8217;, their feet are like clay, their mind unclear, their technique, in question. And looking painfully out of place, they ask themselves, 8220;What am I doing here?8221;

Look at Yuvi and Ricky, who, as I write this, are going through the biggest dip in their careers, their struggle patently obvious. But they are men of character and will undoubtedly fight their way back. And prove the old cricketing cliche right, 8216;Form is temporary, class is permanent.8217;

But where does all this leave me ? How do I 8216;perform8217;? And then came the clincher! Like the 8216;princess and the pea8217;, only those with pedigree can 8216;feel8217; the slump. You need to exhibit class and talent, to experience the pain of losing it, albeit for a while. Commoners like me have no business going through a temporary loss of form.

That settled it. The mind was clear. No 8216;bad patch8217; for me. I could write again! I stay at the crease 8212; and the words flow with ease8230; how about a limerick?

A writer8217;s slump is only for those/ Who have 8216;made it8217; in poetry and prose/ So as you can see/ No 8216;freezing8217; for me/ With no name to live up to 8212; here goes!