It’s Wednesday of my New York adventure/whirlwind and wow is it great to be here. New York! Must you be so awesome and tempt me back every time I visit you?
Meanwhile, this topic has been percolating in some of the recent posts and we addressed a variation of it in the past, but I thought I’d raise it here.
Can anyone with enough practice be a good writer? What about a great writer? Is there a part of writing that is innate or can it be learned by anyone?
Marla Taviano says
N-o-p-e.
Laurel says
Laura: That is hilarious that you thought of Ratatouille, too! My first thought on the topic was that a good writer can come from anywhere…but that does not mean anyone can be a good writer.
I think we need to not take this personally, like the implication is that I am not a good writer even if I think I am, and no amount of hard work will make me so. Maybe I'm not. But the fact remains that if the aptitude is not there, it is not there. Those are just the breaks.
I'm not a good lot of things and I never will be no matter how much I would like to or work at it. Running is a great example. I'm slow but determined. I will never win a race. I wouldn't qualify for the Boston Marathon even if I maintain my current race pace for the next 40 years. I could hire a private coach, train eight hours a day, and I still won't win anything. I just enjoy it, and that's fine. Other people deserve to shine where they excel and not everyone can do the same things, that's all.
Polenth says
I don't think you need awesome innate writing talent. You do need a reasonable level of intelligence, ability to learn and ability to evaluate your progress.
When this question gets asked, people avoid addressing the variety in mental abilities in the population. Some people can't learn a particular thing, no matter how hard they try. You don't have to have a recognised disability to be in this category (and having a recognised disability doesn't guarantee you'll be here). It's one of those ways people vary.
Saying that everyone can make it if they try hard enough is another way of saying those who don't are failures who just aren't trying hard enough… not very fair to the people who tried and tried and didn't improve.
Sherry says
Sometimes I think writers are a different species all together. I get characters so strong in my head that if I don't give them the much needed attention they need I'll go crazy. I have to write, and I've always been this way. Recently I’ve written two manuscripts and honestly so far they haven't been very good, but I do believe that some people are born writers, but like me, most of us are perfectionist, and that can get in the way of the creative process. So to clearly answer the question, "can anyone be a good writer?" I would have to say no. Anyone can write, but not everyone can be good at it no matter how hard they work at it. Like someone else said on the post about artists, I’ll say about singers, you wouldn't say just because everyone can hold a tune, necessarily means they can sing.
Laura Martone says
I'm with you, Laurel. I enjoy singing and doing yoga, but I'm far from the best at either, and that's fine by me.
When it comes to writing, though, I must admit that it's something I long to be amazing at.
The real question is… are published novelists necessarily great writers? Likewise, are many great writers never going to be published? Great art and successful commerce do not always intersect, but they certainly can!
Jil says
Writing what? I think it would be possible for most people to learn to write good (not brilliant) non fiction but for excellent fiction a great imagination is needed. Also sensitivity, the art of seeing into other's hearts and passion for the story. In possession of these attributes I think a person can then learn to be an excellent writer. He will have talent.
Whether he will have his work published is another story!
Anyone can take photographs but there are only a few great photographers.
Kimberly Loomis says
I don't think everyone can be a good or a great writer. There is some talent, some innate skill for prose which seems to be there from the start. Same goes for voice.
Being successful, I think, has absolutely nothing to do with being a good or great writer. There are some authors whom are good storytellers but not good writers (language is all clunky and/or clichéd) and go on to have tremendous commercial success. There are also others with tremendous ability and talent who rarely have the stomach to persevere through the gamut of the publishing industry but are no less talented because of this limitation. (Same goes for those that do try to get published and don't.)
Language, oft times, is instinctual.
In music we can listen to someone who knows the notes, the time signature and will play with absolute precision but as an audience we'll be left wanting. That piece of wanting, I think, exists because that instinct, that heart, that "something" is missing. The great performers, even the good ones, will make our hearts yearn, soar and possibly weep with the tone they invoke, the phrasing they emphasize and the dynamics they use. (I think the great ones just accomplish it on a more regular basis than the good ones.) That is, ultimately, what I think a great writer does as well.
Ash says
I have edited writers, who are considered good – very good – writers, whose hallmark is their absolute mangling of syntax. It hurts my head to do editing like this. Untangling is more like it. But they get the story and type it up and, therefore, they get paid. They do the work. It's like the old saying: a great actor is one who shows up and knows his lines. Everything else is gravy. I think I am a good writer. Actually, I know I am a great writer. But can I carve time in my five-children-forty-hours-a-week-desk-job life and focus on putting words on the page? And perhaps more importantly, can I get over my great writer self and make a plan to write something that a Nathan Bransford can sell the hell out of – a dozen times over?
Ash
Word verification: focker. Ha. Hm.
Aspiring Nurse and Writer says
I think if you have the drive and desire to want to become a great writer then you can work towards improving your craft, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you will ever good enough to be published or produce something that others will want to read. I love to sing, but I am pretty sure that no amount of training will ever perfect my voice enough that people won't shudder when hearing me belt out lyrics. There is such a thing as talent and it can't be learned.
Simon C. Larter says
The answer to the question kind of depends on what you mean by "writer," doesn't it? We have Mark Helprins and we have Dan Browns, Stephenie Meyers(s) and Madeleine L'Engles. Vastly different styles, but all wrote books people wanted to read.
Some people have writing chops and can edit a manuscript till it sparkles (like vampires!), but can't find a way to tell an interesting tale. And I've known people whose command of grammar and structure was shaky, at best, but whose stories grabbed you by the neck and shook you around some. I may be in the minority, but I think some people, whether it be nature or nurture, have stories to tell and the drive to tell them.
Grammar, structure, how to construct great sentences, how to plan a plot down to the last detail, those can be taught. Dreaming up great stories and having the grit to see them through to the end, though? I'm not sure where one would learn that.
And, to be clear, it remains to be seen whether I can do that, so I sho' ain't on a high horse or nuthin' (more like a Shetland pony with bad knees).
P.S. Stephen King's made his opinions clear on this issue, hasn't he?
Gemma says
ELLE-what a lovely and eloquent response. Very well said. Why do you not have a blog?!? Is there any way I can reach you?
NickerNotes says
Learning the craft of writing is kind of like learning to play the violin. Anyone can learn how to do it, but most people are not going to be Yoyo Ma.
BarbSmitherman says
That could depends on the type of writing. I totally believe for non-fiction one has to learn the subject for which they write. Fiction on the other hand can be innate. Some people just seem to be born great story tellers. I know numerous children that can make up a story in no time flat. As far as the craft of putting it down on paper once again that must be learned.
Donna Hole says
No. Practice and perserverance get you only so far. You have to have some amount of talent – skill if you prefer – to hone to perfection.
I don't say that to be mean. Just because someone has a dream to be something, doesn't mean they have the skill to achieve it. If that were true, how many of us would be able to fly, or turn invisible, or move objects across the room with only our mind.
Everyone wants to be a singing sensation, or famous artist, or the worlds best pianist (pick any musical instrument). Practice doesn't take the place of innate talent.
Maybe anyone can string a few words together and entertain their friends or family with short diddy's, but to actually WRITE a good story, I don't think just studying the craft makes you a writer.
I'm perfectly willing to entertain the notion that all I'll ever be able to write is entertaining stories for friends and family. I think I'm better than most people I meet on the street, claiming they could write a novel. But, I won't really know if I'm a really skilled writer until I've hit a certain number of rejection letters.
I don't know what that number is, but I have faith that I'll recognize it when it comes up.
……….dhole
J.J. Bennett says
I can sing- Well actually… Does that mean I'm sucking it up as a writer? I hope not because after three kids Broadway will not have me. So, I think I'll take my chances…
Joshua Peacock says
Anyone can learn to write well. Only some people are born with the talent for awesomeness. Only a few people are capable of really working magic with words.
D. G. Hudson says
Good writing can be learned, but the ability to make the story come alive is an innate skill.
IMO, factual or nonfiction skills are more easily learned. How to thrill a reader, or make them feel the emotion of the character takes greater skill because so many variables come into play.
Great writers come from highly educated backgrounds, but they can also come from disadvantaged or poor backgrounds. What great writers do with their stories make us remember them long after we've put the book down.
The gift has to be there in the first place.
J.J. Bennett says
I couldn't help myself Nathan you inspired my post tonight. ("So You Think You Can Write?")
Carolyn V. says
Okay, maybe not the voice.
Anonymous says
Gordon, dude, loosen that tie and relax those shoulders a bit. You look like you're willing and ready to take one in the chest for Art, but seriously, Art's scratching her fleas in the next meadow and nobody's aiming their guns at you. Chill. Jump in the lake with the rest of us. The water's fine.
britmandelo says
I'm going to step out and say:
No.
Practice can teach you the craft of writing. You can become a decent nonfiction writer or ad-copy writer with enough practice.
The thing is, when you start getting into fiction and narrative nonfiction, it comes down to stories. Not everyone can tell a story. You can teach yourself to write competently well, but you can't teach yourself to have a unique voice, or to tell an engaging story that isn't a rehash, etc. Survey as many writer's blogs as you want: every single one I've read talks about the idea of INSPIRATION. Not that dramatic crap where you "only write when you feel inspired" but the ideas that come from the ether, unfinished or half finished or just a sliver. Then you write them, and the scenes at chapter 2 suddenly make sense in chapter 12 even though you hadn't planned it…
Yeah. That's not a learned skill. In my experience, it's innate.
You need both craft knowledge and that innate thing about the story to be a fiction writer.
Linnea says
I don't think so. I've used the comparison before and I think it's much the same as a pianist. One can have all the training in the world and be technically correct but lack the connection to the music that marks a great pianist. I believe it's the same for writers or anyone in the arts. There is something inborn in the greats that the rest of us mortals simply can't reach no matter how hard we may try.
S. K. says
The old saying, "Practice makes Perfect" holds true in this case. To some it may come naturally, to others only after sweating blood and losing all their hair. If you have the knowledge necessary and the right tools and most importantly (in my mind anyway) a great imagination, you can be a good writer.
It doesn't matter who you are, though. Not everyone will love you. What's classic and genius to some may be drivel to another. That's what makes writing so incredible.
To be a great writer is something else entirely. Some are born with an inherent gift for telling a story. I can only hope that once I practice enough, I'll find that I'm one of them!
tallycola says
I don't think so. I think hard work and practice makes up 90% of it, but the other part is talent… and also having something to say. Not everybody who is a talented writer and who is willing to do the work necessarily has a new insight or something fresh to say – although that can be solved by life experience I guess. My answer is still no.
GEM says
I have been teaching people, young and old, to draw and paint, make sculptures, prints – most media to do with the visual arts – for 40 years. Many have shown ability to learn methods and processes; very few have demonstrated an innate driving force which gives their work a distinctly unique character or impact. So, no, good writing can be taught and learned (technique) but the important variable which makes great writing (content) is an elusive one which resides in the unique experiences, influences, capabilities and obsessive need to give form to the leitmotifs which great art practitioners share and demonstrate in their practice. And man, does it rock one's world when coming across these individuals!
Me, I type and enjoy doing so, live and experience the output of the great ones. Often they are not the ones who have made huge best-sellers, but sometimes, they are. GEM
Mira says
This was fun. I wasn't expecting a new Nathan post so soon, and here it was! Yay! So cool. Thanks for taking the time, Nathan! 🙂 I read everyone's comments through the day, and really liked what people were saying.
For me, I agree with the people who said 'no.'
I think everyone has innate talents and creative abilities, but I think those talents vary. Not everyone expresses their talent through the written word. Not everyone can tell a good story (like me, I'm not a storyteller.) But then, not everyone can write good non-fiction, despite what some people on this fiction-dominated site might think! (Humph.)
In terms of great writing, I think writing consists of three parts:
a. mechanics of writing
b. facility of language
c. meaning of content
Good writing will be good in at least 2 of those areas. Great writing will be really, really good in at least 2 of those areas. Genius is wonderful at all three.
That's where practice comes in, to get better at mechanics and facility. But it's hard to practice meaning of content. That's something that is gained through experience, usually through deeply emotional experiences.
So, I think everyone can be a great writer, but it may take some time to develop that. And I actually mean time in terms of lifetimes. I believe in multiple lifetimes, where we grow and develop, and that includes talent, facility and connection to the muse.
So, no to everyone being able to write, and yes to everyone with writing talent being a great writer. Eventually. If they want to be.
Veronica Bartles says
It looks like the difference of opinion here stems from the way that "good" and "great" and "writer" are all defined. Are you a "writer" if you write technical manuals or textbooks, or are you only a "writer" when you spin marvelous tales of mystery or romance or fantasy? And who determines the definition of a "good writer"?
In my personal opinion, anyone can, with practice and determination, be a good writer. The problem is that, without an innate talent for writing, it may take more time, effort and patience than the person is willing to invest in the project. One without talent would have to spend many, many hundreds of hours to learning, and as many of you have stated, that kind of commitment doesn't often come from someone without talent.
However, simple practice can't make a bad writer good. you can't learn to play a piano, no matter how much time you might devote to plunking the keys, unless you learn the notes and the music theory. To learn to play well, you must practice, but "practice" only works when you are willing to learn from and accept correction from a competent teacher. It is the same with writing. Anyone CAN learn to be a good writer with patience, determination, practice, a good teacher and a healthy dose of humility. We are all CAPABLE of that level.
Of course, that definitely does not mean that just anyone WILL be a good writer. Many, many, many folks simply don't care enough to take the time to improve. Many others are so self-assured that they are unwilling to accept any correction, even when they are stuck on the wrong road. And some simply don't have the faith in themselves to try.
To be a great writer, however, takes a little bit more. I believe that, in order to be truly "great" you have to start with a natural ability and hone it with the same kind of study and discipline that any "good" writer must do.
No one writes a perfect novel in their first draft. It takes countless hourse of revising and polishing to make a book readable. However, I truly believe that anyone, if they are willing to put in the effort required, can take that first draft and turn it into a passable story. The difference is that a great writer can put in that same time and effort to produce something that captivates and enthralls his readers.
So, yes, anyone CAN be a good writer. (Even though not everyone WILL be one.) Only those with that something extra will become "great."
Steve says
I think anyine, except in the case of the severely disabled, can learn to write and write well. But this will be harder for some than for others, based on background, pre-existing verbal skills, etc. For some, it may be too difficult to be prectical.
A great wtiter? I'm not sure what that means. To be widely regarded as a great writer? First be a good writer. Then be in the right place, at the right time, with the right work. Say what people in that time and place need to hear, and say it well enough that it will continuwe to resonate through the ages.
You cannot seek greatness. It must find you.
-Steve
Diana says
Anyone can learn to write a coherent sentence or paragraph. But, to be a good story teller, that, I think, takes some innate talent.
Thinking about the people in my life who tell me stories about something that happened to them or someone else. Some people just bore the socks off of me and others have me hanging on every word. I would say that it's the same with writing stories down. Some people will write blahblahblah rambling stories, while others will grab your attention and hold it.
Then again, some people like the rambling stories …
knight_tour says
I think looking at other intense fields, especially those with prodigies (chess, music, mathematics) can demonstrate that not everyone can become great. I have seen people train for decades in chess without ever becoming even decent, while watching 8 year old children become masters seemingly overnight. There truly is inborn talent, and there are indeed some people who will simply not be able to be great at everything they put their minds to.
Maya / מיה says
I think everyone can be a good writer, but not the same kind of good writer. I probably couldn't write good sci-fi if I tried. On the other hand, my voice lends itself well to women's fiction.
Some of us have to work harder at learning the skills to write well, though… and I think we have to have creative minds.
Claude Forthomme says
What IS a "good writer"? Who says he's good? You, me, somebody in the future? And what about the difference between "good" and "great". They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder…the same goes for "good" and "great" writers!
Sure, hard work makes one technically better: I agree with every other commentator here on that point. But greatness? Isn't that something that requires the test of time, and none of us have a crystal ball!
Anonymous says
Can anyone be a good writer?
Can anyone be a good anything?
The answer is yes. It has to be!
Why? I will tell you why I think anyone can be a good writer…
Anyone can be good at writing if they truly want it. If you have passion, drive and motivation you can achieve anything. How? I hear you say it. I will tell you how! If you want to become a good writer, and you live and breathe it, then you will do absolutely anything and everything to achieve it. It all starts with a thought, a plan, a goal, a mission, a dream. For most people, it seems too big to tackle. They might try nibbling at their goal around the edges and find that they are biting more than they can chew and give up.
Anyone can be a good writer if they break up everything that makes a good writer into small pieces–one small goal at a time.
Most importantly, one doesn't want to just be a good writer. There is a reason why they want to be a good writer – to communicate, to share, to be published, to write the company marketing material etc. There needs to be an explicit need for it, in order for them to carry through on their wish.
You see, the bigger picture is all the more reason why anyone could be a good writer.
Lastly, I know there have been so many comments out there saying – "I am a good writer, I have done this and I have done that, but I still didn't get published." You don't need to stop there! You can publish your book yourself! Don't have the money? Well lookie what we have here…another part of your goal list. Make more money! How? Do I need to prove my point any further? Anyone can do anything if they try hard enough and you are only trying hard enough if you truly want it.
Janet says
No.
Raw talent fuels the constant need to write and that leads to continually working on crafting that talent into really great storytelling.
Can a person just want to write and learn the craft? Yes, but there is formulaic feel to the work. Or perhaps just a feeling that the story is nice, but something is missing.
What's the difference between watching, say, Courtney Cox acting as opposed to Meryl Streep? They both studied craft, big difference in the end product.
Just my 2 cents….
Anonymous says
I tried to find an answer to this in your FAQ's and just about everywhere else on your blog. So if I missed it, please accept my apologies in advance. I have read on various blogs and pages that a lot of (and I get the impression that it was closer to most) agents shy away when a new author queries with a proposal for a book series, and that they should write a stand-alone first. So after finishing my first book, I now realise that there is a very real potential for two more books. I have written the book as a stand-alone but have I also written an alternative ending (plus epilogue). The advice also suggests that I should not mention anything about follow-on books. Now, to my question: When I slave over my query letter, do I or do I not suggest this possibility. And should I be so lucky to have someone want to read my manuscript, do I send the stand-alone version, the carry-on version or both endings with an optional epilogue and explanation?
Matt Mc says
I'm going to say no.
Having spent three years teaching high school English, I've seen that writing ability comes as naturally to some people as athletic ability comes to others. It's a gift, a talent. Now, if one is inclined toward writing and has some natural ability, they can refine their skills and get better, but not anyone can do it.
Anahita says
Once I asked this question in a local writers’ meeting in our area. The speaker who was a university professor said, “Of course it can be learned! We have courses for that.” So, I guess it can be learned. But will that learning be easy, natural, and pleasurable for everyone? I think not. Marcus Buckingham said in one of his tweets, “Talent brings appetite, appetite brings practice, and practice brings performance.” So for people who have the talent for writing, I think the same amount of practice generates better results and since the practice itself feels so good, they practice even more.
Terry says
A good storyteller bewitches the reader. I think that's a gift.
It certainly takes a fertile imagination, an understanding of the human condition, and the ability to weave words in such a way that the audience is riveted.
Most importantly, the best authors don't just engage the reader's mind, they evoke emotion, charm the reader.
StrugglingSerpent says
Okay, so the short answer is, yes, I do think anyone can develop into a "good" writer with enough practice and guidance. Now, can just anyone become a great writer? Well, that may be another story. So much goes into the pot, and then there's that extra quality that catapults a writer into the literary stratosphere. A sharp and creative mind helps. That is the only innate part of writing I can think of. I'd like to say good instincts and taste factor in there, but my guess is that they can be developed as well.
Heidi Thornock says
I think that natural talent and ability plays a strong role, but just like anything else, with some work and practice anyone can learn it.
A colleague of mine said something that really stuck with me: "I am a terribly writer, but I am a great re-writer." With some hard hard and dedication, I think anyone can learn to re-write well.
For beginners, a writing group/reviewers are crucial to helping see where the problems are because you can't fix something until you understand how it's broken.
Anonymous says
Have you guys met Anyone? Because I have! He's a anti-social, foul-mouthed, sixth grade dropout that can't say a complete sentence – much less write one.
Maybe your Anyone ain't the same guy as my Anyone… but I'm just saying. Come ‘on, really, Anyone?
No way!
anniegirl1138 says
I was an English teacher for twenty years. I never met a kid I couldn't teach to write a complete sentence, a decent paragraph or string enough of them together to write a page that made sense and wasn't painful to read.
I could not teach someone who who wasn't a storyteller to be a storyteller. Imagination varies from person to person and it doesn't seem to be "teachable".
Southpaw says
I think anyone can be a good writer. I just don't think many people have the drive to be a good writer. Motivation and desire play a bit part.
As for a great writer, that takes a little something more. You have to think outside the box and a lot of people just can't do that.
Carolyn says
Can anyone be a good writer? Sure!
Can anyone be a great writer? No.
Here's a thought about why that's so.
https://koreanish.com/2009/10/16/junot-diaz-in-o-magazine-on-becoming-a-writer/
Veronica says
I think anyone can learn to be a good writer, but not everyone can learn to be a great writer. There are certain literary techniques people can learn, and of course anyone who really tries can learn how to put a sentence together properly.
However, creativity is not something that can be taught, but is necessary for writing a really great book. Also, to be a great writer, one also has to be able to relate to the readers. I suppose it's possible to learn that…but I kind of doubt it.
Jennifer Bondurant says
A writing professor once told me that the students who went on to become successful, published authors were not necessarily the ones who were the best writers. They were the ones who kept writing. Good writing is not just God-given talent, but also perseverance and dumb determination.
Amy Dawson Robertson says
Unforunately, it seems that a lot evidence points to no. I think at least two aspects of writing are such that people either have it or they don't — the tendency toward observational thinking — not all books have this present but most good books do. Second is having a strong rhythmic sense for storytelling and unfolding a story in a way that keeps a readers attention.
Rebecca says
I think that anyone can learn to be a good writer – if they set their mind to it. I do not, however, think that everyone can be a GREAT writer. To be great requires a certain passion, life experience and/or perspective that many people do not have. I don't think that fabulous writing neccessarily makes a fabulous story. A fabulous story requires a less tangible "something".
Leis Draven says
easy question. my take:
there are composers. and then, there's Mozart.
anyone can learn to write well — 'great' is not so common. though it can be subjective (everyone does not prefer Mozart. duh.)
Jennifer Blanchard says
I think it is possible for anyone to be a competent writer. After all, competence in writing is about learning as much as you can and knowing how to apply it. I think that some competent writers can definitely become good writers with enough study and practice. But I don't know that just anyone can be a great writer. I think that some writers are just born with talent. They know how to write so seamlessly that it seems effortless. Great writers are extremely rare. I'd know I'd be happy just being labeled a good writer 🙂