“A good leader in many ways has to be a good storyteller. If you think about the Indian Prime Minister, he sets a goal and then they work it out. So, a leader is like a storyteller. He actually has to see that dream, believe that dream, convince others that it's worth it walking the path towards a dream,” said bestselling Indian author Amish Tripathi during a session with fellow writer Lord Jeffrey Archer.
Addressing India Global Forum’s annual Investment Summit entitled ‘NXT10’ in Mumbai this week on the power of storytelling and communication, the duo shared insights into their craft and the impact storytelling has on shaping narratives.
Lord Archer, a British writer whose books are hugely popular in India, also underscored the importance of simplicity in storytelling, which mustn't become “convoluted, it mustn't become complicated".
“Everyone has got a good short story in them, an incident that happened in their life that is unique and different. And, those are the ones search for from real people every day of my life. And if I'm very lucky, I get three or four a year,” he shared.
Quoting noted Indian author R.K. Narayan, Archer highlighted the significance of authenticity: “I can’t write an Indian novel. I am an Englishman. I can write about politics, theatre, business, and even engineering. R.K. Narayan taught us, ‘You can only write about a small village in India if you have lived in a small village in India’.”
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Tripathi emphasised the instinctual nature of writing: “Storytelling is essentially the art of grabbing attention. It just comes instinctively, you just have to be able to read the room, read the person you're talking to and just come to instinctively what you must say. It cannot be planned. It's a blessing and if you have it, make sure you use it well.
“As a fiction writer, I am not the creator. I'm just a channel and the blessing comes from somewhere else. My job is to let it flow.”
On his mythological subject matter, he added: “I genuinely worship the gods I write about. I don’t do what could be called creative liberties. What I do is a respectful reinterpretation.”
*Info: India Global Forum