Chain writing, a technique popular in the 1980’s is all set to make a reappearance in the upcoming Telugu spy-romance novel Niharika. Though the book’s primary author is Nanduri Ramachandra Rao, 44 other writers have contributed twists and turns that are sure to keep readers hooked.
In case you’re wondering just what chain writing is, it’s a writing technique in which multiple people independently author sections of a single narrative. Rao has chosen to employ it in the creation of his novel because it’s one of his core interests.
“In some instances, writers have just contributed their portions without bothering to read the other parts. Such, self-centrism has always existed. That’s where the coordinator comes in — it’s his job to keep the group interested, right till the end,” Rao says. He believes that chain writing fosters unity in diversity, a feeling of sharing and an idea, of give and take.
What makes this form of writing special is that fact that it brings people with different ideologies, backgrounds, qualifications and writing styles together onto a common platform to tell a story. The story, the central concept, and the ending may either be predetermined, or they may be left for writers to play around with as per their whims and fancies. “The person who pens the first part lays the foundation, but he isn’t sure how it’s going to turn out and what the ending will be,” Ramachandra Rao says. This offers readers the thrill of many different writing styles, as well as unexpected twists and turns. “In the earlier days, it was very difficult for writers from different places to communicate. But today, Facebook and WhatsApp make it easy, and so chain writing can be widely practised,” the author says.
Though it’s not an easy task collecting and coordinating so many writers, Ramachandra Rao has started a story that will be penned by 100 people, each of whom will contribute just 108 words. What does he get for all the trouble that he goes through? “Satisfaction, a good name, and the joy of being true to my conscience is what I have received from writing novels, stories and poems, and especially from chain writing,” he concludes.
