How to write like Chetan Bhagat
I won’t say I liked ’5 point someone’ but I could manage to finish that novel in couple of hours. I read the second one, “One Night @ Call Center”, just to keep up with the peer pressure. Almost everyone I know is a Chetan Bhagat fan and every person who mentions ‘reading’ as a hobby in their resume has read Chetan Bhagat’s book(s). No wonder he’s India’s #1 selling author [claim made by his official website]. I decided to keep away from the third one, which had excellent reviews from the fans, other said it was crap. I stayed away from the book.
Chetan is now releasing his 4th novel titled “2 states” which is about inter-community marriages in modern India. I read the teaser and found out that Mr. Bhagat has began writing novels that can be easily turned into typical Bollywood flick. I believe one can write like Chetan Bhagat if following points are followed -
1. Choose the characters: The protagonist(s) must be young & modern.
2. Communication among the characters: All the dialogs should sound as if young Indian is speaking. That essentially means the ‘F-word’ should appear after every alternate sentence.
3. Plot: Nothing in particular. Just think of bollywood movies.
4. Love story: Most people suck in love that’s why they love to read love stories. So make sure that there’s a love story. Basically, if you write love stories – people will read.
5. Add a twist: Preferably at the end – because that’s what keeps people reading until the end. It could be something way out of the world.
If you think I’m just kidding, give it a try. Write a story based upon any bollywood flick and publish it in your college magazine or personal website. Trust me, people will read.
-The Big K-
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[...] long ago, I had read this post about 5 elements of Chetan Bhagat’s wrting: young, modern characters (it helps if they are from [...]
You have it nailed.
I couldn’t bring myself to go past the first chapter of 5 point Someone.
I get the uncanny feeling that he treats his readers like they had brains the size of a dried pea, the kind that even kindergarten kids outgrow quickly.
So you mean, that if anyone does the following steps, they could easily sell out a million copies of their books?
Lots of people also read your blog
Have to agree with you on that one. But he writes for the average Indian and not you or me
@Kidakaka: Yay! We rock!
@Sugeeth: Yep.
@Sapna: Superblaag aims to be the the next AajTak/India TV.
yup i agree to this one..chetan writes for the average indian youth.and anyone who is not an avid reader(even an average reader) can be his fan.but biggie he wrote and his 1st book was big hit..thats what the world remembers..but many indian writers like arundhati roy & arvind adiga are far better than him……..
premchand and rk narayanan were the best authors from india i think…
I couldn’t stop grinning after reading that post above, especially your dig on the love stories.
I’m no fan of Chetan Bhagat. But, as you pointed out rightly, I read his two books 5PS and 3mistakes because of peer pressure. The first one was fine but 3 mistakes totally sucked.
I personally dont feel any thing bad in writing for an average reader. I do that. You do that and Chetan does that as well. Just that we have different set of readers all together.
@Mayur: That’s my generic observation. You should publish a book of your love stories. I bet it will be a great success.
You bet
But I’m not keen to do it, unless some one offers me a million dollars for publishing 20 stories on paper.
I dont want to write for a paid audience. When audience will start paying me for my stories, they will coerce me to write like Chetan Bhagat. And I cant do that!
mate,
the whole point is how he thought of it!!
why didn’t u think of it first and get a bestseller published..
stop being a loser, and give respect where it is due..
for the record, i loved FPS to the hilt..
But i wouldnt compare it to masterpieces like God OF small things..
still its a worthwhile work..with lovely insights into human nature..
Cheating. I wrote almost the same a year ago
.
1. Choose the characters: The protagonist(s) must be young & modern.
What makes you assume that Chetan Bhagat cannot write with any other type of protagonist?
2. Communication among the characters: All the dialogs should sound as if young Indian is speaking. That essentially means the ‘F-word’ should appear after every alternate sentence.
Ha dude! Then you missed lots of meaningful dialogues too! But why not, since you never really read the books!
3. Plot: Nothing in particular. Just think of bollywood movies.
Try converting a simple predictable plot into a bestselling book or a box-office hit and then rethink this point. e.g. Wake Up Sid.
4. Love story: Most people suck in love that’s why they love to read love stories. So make sure that there’s a love story. Basically, if you write love stories – people will read.
Very true. That’s what bollywood does as well and so do most bloggers. Write what people would like to read.
5. Add a twist: Preferably at the end – because that’s what keeps people reading until the end. It could be something way out of the world.
You mean climax, right? Even a well-crafted movie fails without a good climax. How does that disrespects Chetan Bhagat or his writing style, I wonder?
See Biggie, you are a script writer in the making already. I told ya, controversy sells.
@BigK
If thats the case, he has inspired a dozen or more readers to start writing Indian fiction. Do a research and see the numbers sold Vs Chetan Bhagat…
quite true
did you notice: 3 I d I o T s has IIT in it?
Though not a great fan of his style of writing but I sure can tell that there are many other writer out here who write the way chetan bhagat does, but it takes an IIT graduate to convince people that what you are writing is good enough. You know its like people take pride in knowing that educated people like him too use the kind of uncouth language that he does..
You are right. Chetan style of narrating the story and expressing it in plain english is great. But he never written good story. His one night at call center and 3 mistakes of my life are not good.
Hey!!!…hi…this is a superb post. I am very glad to know that somebody thinks like me.
One should know this fact that INDIANS love gossiping and masala in everything and that is what the novel has provided. 
I find the classics to be very good rather than these kind of masala novels which in no way improve our knowledge of English vocabulary and also satisfy the desire of reading.
Hats off to you for making this synopsis.
this is bullshit…. people love his books not for his plot or whatever you say…. its the humour that makes it interesting….
hey,no need to write anything like chetan bhagat if you are doing that you are just copying that….u can’t become like that…if you want to write …..u just write yourself..present your views…
[...] long ago, I had read this post about 5 elements of Chetan Bhagat’s wrting: young, modern characters (it helps if they are from [...]
It's not just chetan bhagat. Theres a whole crop of new authors that are using the points made here and spewing out 5 point someone-ish books every few days. Check out this article : http://www.whackk.com/july-2010/book-wars-attack-...