10 Writing Lessons By Chetan Bhagat

Table of Contents 

• 10 Valuable Writing Tips By Chetan Bhagat
• Key Takeaways 
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Chetan Bhagat mastered something that others could not: making books readable for the average Indian. India has always struggled with literacy rates because of poverty. Books were still mostly limited to the elites in the country. The average Indian was almost always deprived of reading, mostly because of the verbosity of literature. 

And then arrived Chetan Bhagat: the voice of the average Indian. He single-handedly made more people read in the country than was ever done before. This just goes on to show that there are significant writing lessons that can be learned from Chetan Bhagat’s books. 

10 Valuable Writing Tips By Chetan Bhagat

Many things can be learned from Chetan Bhagat’s books and writing style. In this blog, we cover ten valuable creative writing tips.

1. Keep it simple

Chetan Bhagat relies on brevity in his work. He keeps it simple, without using any verbose sentences. This practice helps him engage with the average audience, who does not want to consult a dictionary or a thesaurus while reading books. 

2. Keep it contextual

Chetan Bhagat knows the socioeconomic backgrounds of his target audience, which is why he picks contexts for his books from actual events in their lives. For example, the Gujarat earthquake, interfaith marriage, and friendships at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) are all themes a common Indian can relate to. 

3. Publish regularly

During the pinnacle of his writing career, Chetan Bhagat was publishing regularly, thus keeping his audience pining for more. Taking long breaks from writing can result in 

disinterest among the audience, something that a writer like George R.R. Martin has suffered from. The time he exercises to release his books has often left fans hopeless and frustrated. 

Source

4. Set relatability

This is one of the most important creative writing lessons. Chetan Bhagat knows his demographics well. He knows exactly what the age group of his target audience is and what they are looking for. For example, since the majority of the young Indians are forced to give competitive exams, you will often find that context in his books. 

5. Invest time in developing characters

Bhagat knows how to create his characters well. He sets the right context and creates characters that are mostly replications of people we might know in real life. That is how detailed his character-creation process is. In most of his books, Bhagat has relied on the guy-next-door character type to set relatability for his target audience. The fact that people gravitate towards his work is because they find themselves exactly relating to particular themes and characters in his books.

6. Use the “love” element

None of Chetan Bhagat’s books is devoid of romantic or familial relationships. This is because he knows that an ordinary citizen will definitely relate to this element. And as we have mentioned before, Bhagat relies on relatability in his characters to set the right context. When people read about relationships that are similar to those of their own lives, they start taking interest in those works. Eventually, however, it’s Bhagat’s writing that sells more.

7. Be passionate about writing

Bhagat was quite well-off before he started writing, thanks to the many well-paid jobs he worked upon graduation. He chose to set everything aside because he was passionate about writing. This requires a lot of passion, courage, and dedication. 

8. God is in the details

He pays enough attention to details while constructing his stories and characters. It will be tough to find a plot flaw within Bhagat’s works because he meticulously carries out the writing process. Good writers always pay attention to the finer details of their work. 

9. Set aside doubts

This creative writing tip takes us back to the seventh lesson, where we mentioned how Bhagat prioritizes writing over other things. This is also because he has chosen to set aside doubts about his writing and has confidence in what he is creating. 

10. Don’t forget to experiment

Imagine if someone had told Chetan Bhagat that whatever he is writing will not be successful because it hasn’t been done before? We would not have read his books and he would still be working in a bank. A writer should always be willing to experiment, as nobody can predict what can turn out to be successful. Hence, experimentation is another crucial creative writing lesson. 

Key Takeaways

• Chetan Bhagat single-handedly made more people read in the country than was ever done before. 
• Chetan Bhagat mastered something that others could not: making books readable for the average Indian.
• During the pinnacle of his writing career, Chetan Bhagat was publishing regularly, thus keeping his audience pining for more.
• He sets the right context and creates characters that are mostly replications of people that we might know in real life.
• He plays enough attention to details while constructing his stories and characters. 

Conclusion

Chetan Bhagat is an inspiration to aspiring writers. By being highly contextual and relatable, he has managed to carve a niche for himself in the overly saturated publishing industry. When you begin to write, be sure to read the above-mentioned writing tips. We hope these writing lessons prove useful in your creative writing journey.

FAQs