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Born with the write stuff?
I don’t think anyone will argue that the great geniuses of the creative world – Mozart, Beethoven, DaVinci, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Picasso and Shakespeare, to name a few – were born with something you and I probably don’t have. Call it a divine spark, call it a “genius gene,” whatever – it drove them to a universally recognized greatness, and a kind of immortality few people ever enjoy.
But what of we lesser beings who want to express ourselves creatively? More specifically, how about writing? Can anyone write? Forget great – can anyone learn to be a good writer?
Or are effective – and affecting – writers bestowed with their potential at birth?
As the Round Hill Writers Group wraps up its first Creative Writing Workshop at the Purcellville Library on January 30, it’s a question worth pondering.
I’ve had the honor of serving as one of the leaders for this month’s workshop sessions, and I’ve been pleased – even amazed – at some of the writing we’ve witnessed from our attendees. It hasn’t been limited by age or by background, by preference for fiction or non-fiction, or anything else, as far as I can tell.
But you have to wonder, as you look at the younger folks in attendance, how natural talent comes into play. Maybe it’s the middle age talking, but some of them look way too young to be writing as well as they do. Doubtless they are educated, but I don’t know how many years of experience they could possibly have. In any event, it’s enough to make a person jealous.
When the Writers Group discussed this topic a number of months ago, we didn’t come to a consensus. A few members thought that you really needed to be born with the talent and the sensibilities to string words and thoughts together in a way that makes a quality written piece.
My own feeling is that, just like chess or baseball, anyone can be taught the rules of the game. With diligence and by plying one’s craft, most people can become proficient in communicating with others, whether it’s in a business letter, a news article or a fictional tale.
I think everyone has a level of writing talent in them that can be heightened with practice and feedback from readers and other writers. Anyone can improve from where they start.
But I will admit there are some among us in whom the level starts high, and just goes higher. They are indeed lucky.
Sometimes you can see this talent at a very young age – flawed, but with glimpses that show a feel for language and flow and story. You hear a voice – that of the author’s, and it’s unlike any other.
Conversely, I have seen writers with the desire to write but a “tin ear” for the things mentioned above. Even in this case, the desire is key. If they apply themselves, they can improve and become, at least, reasonably proficient.
True, proficiency is a far cry from genius, from virtuosity. Then again, good writing, for pro and amateur alike, is a never-ending process – a journey, not a destination. Even brilliant writers have off-days … heck, even off-years. We all know authors who follow up great works with dry or uninspired or ham-handed efforts.
It’s an art, not a science. There is no right or wrong way to do anything beyond the mechanics of spelling and grammar, and even those rules can be broken, depending on the circumstances.
An old rule-breaker/genius writer by the name of William Faulkner noted:
"Let the writer take up surgery or bricklaying if he is interested in technique. There is no mechanical way to get the writing done, no shortcut. The young writer would be a fool to follow a theory. Teach yourself by your own mistakes; people learn only by error.”
Whether you’re born with real talent or just a real desire to write and a willingness to learn by your own errors, you’d do well to follow the advice from Sinclair Lewis:
“It is impossible to discourage the real writers - they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write.”
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