Are Good Writers Born or Made?

 

My last two recent blogs discussed the genetics components of musical, artistic as well as vocal ( singing) talents and abilities of some of us. This article will be a related article, but the subject are about good writers, reporters, and novelists. So are Good writers Born or Made? Here's an article I found informative.

Good writing is a combination of both talent and skill by

Yewande Ade

As a writer, I believe that writing is a fantastic blend of talent and acquired skill. No writer can function without the two.

For every writer, there must at least be a great deal of passion. This is because when someone doesn’t fancy writing, no amount of training will make him want to write anything.

To this extent, K.M Weiland notes that a person may have the mental skills and experience required to be a better writer, but in the absence of a genuine interest in writing, his skills may not do him any good.

You can’t give what you don’t have.

There are natural-born writers who can simply pick their pen and creatively express themselves in the best way possible. However, talent is never enough.

Without regular practice and devotion, even the best writers won’t be as great or popular as they are. They keep showing up every day; that’s the root of their success.

Truly, one may possess the ability to write, but it’s like iron which must be sharpened regularly so it doesn’t become blunt.

We can’t compare a writer who exhausts hours refining and correcting his drafts so he can get the finest output to one who has the innate talent but does nothing to improve himself.

With constant writing, the burning desire to get better should exist for any writer who is truly passionate about his craft.

As much as we try to convince ourselves that writing is strictly inborn, if you don’t have the right tools or time to enhance it, no one will truly know how good you are. For this reason, writing comes with research, organization, deep thinking and analysis. Ordinarily putting pen on paper may suffice.

Truly, a good balance between both is what makes a good writer.

I often ask myself: would I even be able to write at all if I wasn’t constantly reading and learning it consciously and unconsciously?

Indeed, consistency and intentional effort is what got many writers to where they are today. By daily showing up, they carved a niche for themselves in the hearts of their readers.

When focusing on great writers, we are caught up in the success stories that they have become. No one particularly pays attention to the hard work which they put in before they reached a place of excellence. Training to be a better writer requires a lot more than talent.

You can’t completely enjoy the writing process if you aren’t willing to put in more time and energy.

Here are some quotations on this subject-The 90 secrets of the best selling authors. 

https://www.writersdigest.com/improve-my-writing/the-90-secrets-of-bestselling-authors

 And here's my take and personal account on the above subject.

 Am I a Born or Made Writer?

I am not quite sure what the correct answer is, but I feel I am both. My early childhood has never been devoted to writing or art activities. It was science and mathematics that was emphasized in my early education. Later in my high school years, for some twist of luck, I was chosen by my English instructor to be editor of our high school newspaper. I was forced to write articles as fillers for the newspaper and was taught the basics of news writing and editing. I also started writing poetry in both English and our national language (Tagalog). During my high school years, I entertained the thought of taking journalism as a career in college. My parents however discouraged me, stating there is no money in writing and I will not be able to support a family. They wanted me to be a lawyer, doctor of medicine or a catholic priest. At their urging, I enrolled as a pre-medical student at the University of the Philippines, Iloilo College. At the end of my second year, I learned I will never be a good doctor as the sight of blood nauseated me. I shifted to Chemistry and the rest is history.

My years as an undergraduate and graduate student emphasized science, mathematics and engineering. It was only after my retirement that I started blogging and learned that I enjoy writing. This is true also for my oldest son. He wrote a novel (Cloyne Court) after finishing law school and now is on his second novel. He told me he writes as a hobby and is a relaxation therapy for him. Writing to him is a good diversion from his hectic life as a prosecuting attorney here in Northern California.

There is a common saying that if you can talk, you can write. But great writing is a born talent and I believe can not be taught. The passion to write is born. People have different reasons why they write. A few writes for the sake of writing and can not survive without it. Others write to earn a living and work hard to be a successful writer, reporter or novelist.

So why do I write for Hubpages.com and continue writing for my blogs. First, I enjoy writing. Second, to advertise my beach resort in the Philippines and last but not least is to get affirmation from readers and other writers that they enjoy reading my articles. Reading positive comments from others is an ego boost and makes me feel alive and useful during this stage of my life (retirement and old age). It kept away the feeling of boredom and uselessness.

Getting a monetary award is another ego boost, but I have learned this is no longer my primary incentives why I am writing for Hubpages.com and blogging for my Googles Adsense earnings. I have also learned not to compare myself with the other writers/bloggers. I have my own style of writing and if I write from the heart, nothing can go wrong.

Most writers that I know write because they love writing. To them writing is just like breathing. These born writers do not work hard to create an excellent article, because their writing comes from the heart and their soul. Others write with a lot of work, training and pain. Good writers run in the family as exemplified by the family of Stephen King. Most writers however are made and only become good writers through hard work and constant practice. The most common traits of good writers are patience and persistence, whether their writing talent is inborn or just developed.

Allow me to quote Jan Bird a Face Book friend from UK and an excellent writer from her article, The Writing Bug. "Writing for me right now, is like love. It isn't something I do, it happens to me. It takes me completely by surprise when I least expect it and then it absolutely refuses to let go until it wants to. It's intoxicating and irrational".

This is how a born writer feels everyday of his/her life. Writing to inborn writers must feel like addiction or a compulsion that must be satiated.

How about you? Are you a born writer or a made writer? Do you agree with the statement that good writers can be made but great writers are born? I will be glad to hear from you!

 https://marinduqueawaitsyou.blogspot.com/2014/01/am-i-born-or-made-writer.html