Writing: Talent or a Learned Skill?

And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.

~William Shakespeare

Well this turned into an interesting discussion in a writer's forum.

Is writing learned or an inherent trait (talent)?


P. said: "I suggest the answer is "yes and no". I don't accept that the skill is innate. It is an art, and like any other form of expression, has to be learned. No one can be a good writer without learning the craft, but one can have the mechanical skills and still not be a good writer. But we have to try."

How many of you agree with this?

I personally don’t feel you can force yourself to learn how to write skillfully. Sure you can learn the skills, you can learn until your face turns blue, but to carefully and skillfully pull off a tale of art? Can you learn that?

R. said: “Writing is an art and, as such, it can be improved. Practice without talent won't work, however, since you have to have a minimum of culture and preparation to write something that makes sense.”

B. wrote: “You have to want to be creative and have a love for the writen word. That's the talent part. The learned part is pracitce, practice - write, write, write, read, read, read and always invite and accept constructive criticism.”

I like B.’s response. A talent innately, but it falls on wood and not paper if you don’t practice writing itself, read a lot of books, and be strong enough (criticism) to be told your work stinks! Just like a musician. He may have the talent to play an instrument, but if he never plays, will his talent heighten or lessen?

This response was almost comical in my eyes from M.: “It would be very difficult to determine, because an infant cannot contribute in words or writing, we must assume it is a learned ability, but by that I would shy away from a person's ability to gain that skill without being prone to do that. Because the experiences in a toddler's life are not related very well, but early impressions may influence a later leaning toward writing.”

This person must not of had kids for he could not witness the intelligence that newborns exhibit! Yeah, it was ‘impressioned’ upon me to be a left-handed person. I mean really? Listen to this; All (three) of the J’s out of six kids are left handed in my family. Each one of us has excellent cursive writing, drawing abilities, and we can write very well, as writers. They didn’t pursue a writing career and only I showed an interest in becoming a writer, but it was not impressed upon me from any form of well-bred functional familial upbringing. I just knew, innately, that writing was within me, and have been writing poetry since I can remember!

I like this woman M.’s response: “Intriguing question and intriguing answers! I lean towards those who say "both," but also believe that without a spark -- elusive and wondrous -- neither talent nor training produces good writing.”

So that sums it up for us, ladies and gentlemen. It is a talent, when nurtured, can become a great tool in your path of pursuing your writing dream.

One final comment from K.: I dreamed of being a writer since the first grade. The desire to write has driven me to aquire the skills needed to achieve my dream. A person can learn new skills, but I believe we're born with the determination and passion that drives us.

Born with the determination that drives us. So all in all… if you’re choosing writing, be determined and the dirt road will become a yellow brick road that you can follow all the way to successville!

The Drama of it all...part II

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. ~Ray Bradbury
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As if one drama post wasn’t enough...I had to go and write two? Well you know...I have a tendency to over dramatize. If they had a crown for drama queens I think I would win the crown hands down. But know that my dramatics are usually my truth in a situation as to the way *I* see it unfold.
 

I can not take anything lightly by no means. If I see a picture, I want to write. I dramatically unfold the scene for you, word by word. You yourself climb into the picture and become one with the world in which is presented to you. When I stop writing I jump into my reality, which is no picture postcard let me tell you. And you wake up out of the daydream saying, wow!
 

If I see a kitty, run across the road, I scream out, “Did you see that mountain lion?”My son will laugh and say, “Mom that was a very fat tabby cat.” “But it was huge!” I go on and then I come home and tell anyone within earshot that this huge fat cat almost made me swerve and hit a tree, so as to avoid splattering all his innards over the road. Again, over dramatizing a mere avoidance of hitting a cat.
 

I can take a molehill (I have them out in my backyard so I do know what they look like) and turn it into... have you ever seen a molehill? Well I ventured out in my backyard and the silky sand mound was splat right in my face, it had grown overnight. I put on my hiking shoes and as I started to climb, I slid all the way down because this molehill was made out of sand, not rock like I normally expect to see.
 

There it was...the molehill that turned into a mountain! Now do you see what I mean? I can make a mountain out of a molehill. This is what needs to come alive in your stories. You need to give your character that thorn that will prick her/his finger and draw blood.
When you have a character that is bland, your story that you’ve built around her/him will surely be bland. You have to set a mountain on fire and have your character strive to walk through the fire!
 

If he is blind, have him fight for his sight! If he was born with no arms, have him go for the Guinness Book of World Records for archery. If it is a fish with no fin, have a character create a prosthetic tail. The world is limitless. Don’t just sit there and see the world through one window, grab hold of it and build yourself a house with MANY windows. Windows that look out onto mountains, or fields or a lake or stream.
 

Remember YOU are the writer. You are the creator. Your power with words is what is going to make or break you. The ones who fall, are the ones who cling to the old. The ones who soar, are the ones who decide to move on and FLY....

Staying Motivated

Light your candle within and allow it to burn. That's what a writer does.

How does one stay motivated in writing? I mean lets face it, it can wear you down, drag you through the mud, slap you upside the face and yet you wake up everyday and do it again?

What is wrong with you? Oh, that’s right, it is the passion within you that keeps you going back to the writing table. Sure setting goals, being inspired, and being obedient to the craft helps in assisting you in a daily routine, but what keeps you motivated in doing so day after day? Month after month? Year after year?

Let’s say you’ve written the all American best selling novel of your dream, you’ve revised it numerous times and have sent it out with the wings you gave it to watch it soar. Only it was returned, rejected. Did you know that there are thousands of best-selling authors who have trudged the same path as you? J.K Rowling and Stephen King to name just two who were rejected. (see post below of nine BS authors who were rejected)

You’ll get a glimpse of the struggles that a writer has to endure to make it in a cut-throat business these days. Staying motivated can be one of the most daunting tasks you undergo.

1.Never undermine your work. If this is what you have chosen to do, then do your best and wait for the positive outcome that you envision.

2.Never lead with an ego. An ego can get you in trouble when you think you’re the best. Rejection will hit you the hardest of all.

3.Accept rejection! By accepting the rejection slip you are allowing yourself to move forward and GROW as a writer.

4.Always hope for a positive outcome. There is nothing wrong with having hope. It’s the patience that you’ll need in seeing the tomorrow’s sun shine!

5.Always believe that your reward is right around the corner. If you tend to give up easily, writing is not going to be for you. Believing that it is not much further to acceptance, then the payday will be right around the next bend!

Now these steps may take years to finally get that one published story, but when it happens you will be the happiest fish in the sea doing pirouettes on top of the waves.

I can’t emphasize enough the patience, faith and hope you need to have in yourself to carry you one little extra mile.

And let’s not forget the One that carries all of our burdens for us. Your gift was given from Him so He knows you’ll need Him to get you through each and every step.

Be wise, don’t compromise. And before you know it all fear dies!