Comments on: Writers Are Created, Not Born

By: Steven

Steven — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:49:53 +0000

True and most anyone can write a letter, story, article, or even a novel. But to say writers are created is a misunderstanding of what it is to be a writer. One can learn the craft of the written word from an academic point of view, but one cannot learn the creativity behind those words. I have known many “writers” with few creatively gifted or talented enough to gather as many words needed to craft a novel worth reading. With a repertoire of several published works and a novel, I do not consider myself a writer although technically I can put words together which is really what most writers are all about.

By: Patti Stafford

Patti Stafford — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:47:40 +0000

@the_bard

I completely understand your fear. I've recently become involved with the Fear of Writing Website and online writing course. You should check it out and consider taking the course.

http://fearofwriting.com/creative-writing-cours...

By: Patti Stafford

Patti Stafford — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:47:40 +0000

By: the_bard

the_bard — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:55:15 +0000

I loved your article! I've had that passion to be a writer since I was 13. I am now twenty. Before that, all through gradeschool, I was always making up stories. The problem was I never had the confidence to write any of them down until junior high.

To this day, I still question whether I am a "natural" storyteller or not. My great grandmother was a writer, and both my Dad and aunt are gifted storytellers. I must have gotten some chunk of their storytelling skill.

That fear in regards to my writing comes from being too hard on myself. If I don't get something the first time around, I automatically think that the draft is garbage, I suck, don't have the knack, etc. Your article has given me some things to think about.

By: fearofwriting

fearofwriting — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:59:29 +0000

Great points, Patti. And beautifully expressed!

Many writers that I know (myself included) have to first get through a bunch of emotional issues that basically boil down to the question: "Do I deserve to be a writer?" I'm not sure why some (or many?) of us were born with this gene of self-doubt . . . do artists and musicians ask themselves these same kinds of questions on a regular basis?

After agonizing over that one for long enough, some of us actually make it through that phase (LOL) and commit to becoming a writer. "Becoming" being the operative word. Even after years of living my writing dreams whenever I can, I still feel I'm learning and teaching myself to become the writer I want to be.

It's a journey and we're never really "there." I believe that might even explain why some writers are so darn prolific (we've all heard of those Amazons who churn out 80 or so books in their lifetime) . . . because they never really feel they are "there" yet.

And that's probably a good thing. Writing is about creating. If we ever stop to rest on our laurels for too long (or become stagnant out of feelings of failure) then we stop creating.

I'd rather be on a journey with no end in sight than lose my creative bone--even though that bone *does* cause me emotional rollercoaster rides on an ongoing basis!