(JP/Dicky Christanto)Some say that in order to write — just like an artist — you’ll need to be in a certain mood. That may very well be the reality for some but not for one of Yogyakarta’s best writers, Agus Noor.

The award-winning writer prefers to “create” mood instead of “waiting” for it to come.

If Agus plans to write at least four short stories in a month he sets the goal of writing something every day to meet the quota.

He recalls that he would write and write without paying attention to the quality. In this approach, to begin writing would relax the mind, thus releasing all the creativity he requires to produce a good piece.

The Tegal-born writer says that every time he failed to meet his personal deadline he would count it as “writing debt” — and in the same way when facing debt in this life, you do not mess around. You muster all you can and pay them straight away.

“The idea is to familiarize the mind with a sense of discipline. As a professional writer, I fully realize that my life depends on my ability to produce. So, no one could imagine what kind of life I would bump into if I just keep relying on the mood,” Agus told The Jakarta Post on recent interview.

When writing Agus relates it to an everyday reality. He seems to realize that besides being the writer’s medium of creativity; a good writing piece should also be able to offer a perspective on a particular problem.

Only by doing it this way, in his opinion, a work of literature is able to greet its readers and unveil its true meaning.

One of Agus works that won the Kompas Daily Short Story award titled Kunang-Kunang di Langit Jakarta (Fireflies on Jakarta’s Sky), tells the stories that surround the Jakarta May 1998 riots where thousands of lives were forcedly taken. He depicts the souls who departed as fireflies.

In his other works “Selingkuh itu Indah” (Love Affairs is Beautiful) and “Bapak President Yang Terhormat” (Dear Mr President) Agus presents themes such as disloyalty and the president’s lack of competence to the forefront.

Supporting his fictional stories Agus includes unavoidable facts that are often a slap on the face.

Agus discovered his passion to write from an early age. That is why, he recalls, unlike many of his playmates in his hometown of Tegal, a city located by the Java island’s north coast, who pursued trade or established businesses in Jakarta, he choose Yogyakarta instead.

He said that going to Yogyakarta, pursuing intellectual achievement, was like swimming against the current for him.

“At that time, all I wanted to do was write and write and I knew that I had to go to Yogyakarta to improve my skills,” he said.

Initially, Agus studied at two universities — the Indonesia Art Institute (ISI) with theater as major and law at the Indonesia Islamic University — only to change his mind and focus on art.

It was during his journey in Yogyakarta he met figures such as the noted theatre actor Butet Kertaradjasa and younger brother Djaduk Ferianto as well as writers like Emha Ainun Nadjib and Indra Tranggono.

Agus says that he has gained so much energy and knowledge from these people to establish himself as professional writer and they have inspired and influenced dozens of delightful short stories and scripts.

Besides writing short stories and poems, Agus writes and directs for the comic play Our Indonesia. These plays, Agus acknowledges, are a way for artists to voice their concerns about society and social problems.

Agus reveals that right now there is a growing concern among many people that Indonesians have lost their sense of unity.

“We need something to glue our sense of pride in being Indonesians. Hopefully, the plays would become an outlet where we still see the strong will to reside as Indonesian people,” he said.

Agus has just completed writing the 10th project, The ladies of the palace, which he jointly directs with noted movie director Hanung Bramantyo. The story focuses on what is considered to be a taboo in this country - that behind strong political figures there are often found stronger women.

The play has been a commercial and artistic success and sold out very quickly. At least two ministers, Financial Minister Agus Martowardojo and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan sat in the audience at the last show.

For Agus, the success further supports the notion that society longs for a more orderly condition, where those guilty of terrible wrong-doings are punished and those who have done something good are rewarded.

“Somebody should act fast to provide some answers or else we will risk losing the nation instead,” he warns.

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