Many would not agree that the urge to write is a gift. They see it as a compulsion. Some examples: “Writing is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay” - Flannery O’Connor “I really hate to write. I get no fun out of it because I can’t get up and say I’m working, close my door, have coffee brought to me, and sit there camping like a ‘man of letters’” - Jack Kerouac “I hate writing. I love having written.” - Dorothy Parker
I've been watching all your videos while I work. I feel like I'm getting a college level education from your wisdom! Thanks for sharing and please keep the good advice coming!
You are right on target. I wish more people understood this. I have been mentoring writers for three decades, and you'd be surprised how many aspiring writers think they are capable of writing "King Lear" immediately. Someone told them they have a "gift," but even if it was possible, they have few skills. So, naturally they start badly. Their so-called "gift" is nullified because they don't have patience and tenacity. Thank you for your comment. It is a wise observation.
I feel honoured that you have made a video in response to a comment that I made. Thank you for this. I have to agree with you that writing is not an innate ability, therefore some degree of learning is always required. As you said in the video, this also applies to any craft. Your argument that anyone can learn to write is something which I might just have a slightly different opinion about. I have been in writing groups where people treat writing as a form of therapy rather than as a craft, although such people might be able to eventually learn how to write they would need to live longer than anyone else has ever done in order to do so. This also applies to any craft. The desire to be able to do something does not mean that you ever will be able to actually do it, it just means that you will be more inclined to work towards being able to do it. Jumping off of tall buildings is one of very few exceptions to this.
Thank you. I appreciate your input. You raised an important issue and you can see people have different opinions. I'm glad they are expressing them. You raise another important issue, above, that I will address in the future. That is, there is a need for therapeutic writing. People should write for emotional release. But they should not make the mistake of publishing what they write. Just because people can self-publish without a literary gatekeeper doesn't mean they should do it. Also, you mention an important point that I did not cover, and that is the desire to write is not enough. You are right. Lots of people dream of writing but don't gain enough skills or cannot overcome their inner inertia to do it. It is a fantasy. Is that a subject for a video? I'll have to mull that over. But thanks again for your thought-provoking feedback.
I agree with you that there are people who just don't have talent for writing and even with courses and workshops they do not improve that much, they just don't get it and may never be able to write well enough to be published. I don't know why is that, but I do believe that not everyone can learn to write well. They may get better at writing, but not good enough and as you said, some progress at a very slow pace. Particularly in the picture book community there is a lot of people who want to write picture books or who already write them, but after reading their stories I can tell that they do not read picture books. If they did, they would write a lot better, because they would at least understand the genre and how to construct a story. Perhaps a cure is to read loads and loads of books and copy the masters to get into "their head" and then you can try to find your own style and voice?
Yes, there is a lot of wisdom in what you say. It is not limited to the picture book community. Remember, I have mentored hundreds of aspiring writers and I have edited many hundreds of books over the last three decades, including Developmental and Copy editing. My views are based on my academic training (MA in Communication) and that experience. velocitywriting.com/value-author-services/ In my view, the thing that separates potentially good writers from the bad ones is whether the aspiring writer has a "teachable spirit." Many think they know it all, and they get plenty of support from FB writing pages where it seems the blind lead the blind. They refuse to follow proven practices and instead do what they "feel." No one can help such people improve their writing skills. These days I offer a free "Sample edit." It is ostensibly for potential clients to see if they like my editing style. No. It is for me to determine whether or not they have a teachable spirit. I have plenty of long-term clients, so I refuse aspiring writers who think they know it all. If writing is a skill, as I believe, then anyone can improve their skills if they open themselves fully to learning. No, I am not a know-it-all myself, but after all these years, it is easy to read a manuscript and see how to help people. I completely agree that reading is the royal road to writing. Copying the masters to learn how it's done is excellent. Hunter S. Thompson retyped "The Great Gatsby" just to get the feel of Fitzgerald's work. Many think it is plagiarism, but of course, it is not. Thompson made no claim to authorship. He did it as a learning exercise to dig deeper into the art of writing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thankyou very much for this inspiring video. I grew up in an environment where both my family and teachers encouraged us to read good books. I was nurtured by my English teachers to write grammatically correct and clear pieces of essays. I later grew up and nurtured my own talent through sheer hard work and motivation. I have turned out to be a writer of publishable standards and I am really proud of it. 😇😇😇
I think that the ability to see what is going on is inherent, and the ability to hear the lyricism of natural speech. Of course much of writing is comprised of skills one can hone.
I think that writing, like most skills, is something a person can learn. However, without a gift or knack for it, I don't think a person will be as good at it as someone that does. Now I don't know if that gift or knack has a particular gene behind it or not. My own family is rampant with creative people, quite a few of which are musically inclined. I'm not one of those. My knack or gift is more visual.... drawing, painting, carving, etc. My only attempts at music - learning to play guitar - was mediocre at best. Certainly not of the level my other talents are. So in the end, I have to conclude that there is something to the thought that one has to have some sort of creative gift. And many people just don't seem to have the imagination required to write, draw, sculpt, or anything else in that vein. But if a person does, they usually won't have any trouble learning whatever skill they take an interest in. But that begs the question... can imagination be taught? Again, I personally don't think it can. By the way... one of the things I used to "hear" a lot, back when I spent a lot of time on writing forums was people saying "I want to write, but I don't know what to write about". Again, just my opinion, but that's a person that will never be a writer and shouldn't even bother trying. Because it seems pretty obvious that all they're looking for is a way to make money with the minimum possible effort. ...which I have to say writing is NOT.
I think a knack for things comes simply from being exposed to IT. Picasso was watching his father paint since he was a very small child and he started to learn the craft very early on too. I come from a family that loves books. My dad loved books (he passed) and my mum was buying a lot of books for us, so I developped passion for books. My younger sister is also a writer. BUT I have 3 more sisters and they are not writers. So it is a combination of environment and personal interests/passions. When it comes to music, we are "not gifted" because music was never very important to our parents. My aunt used to work as a theater set designer and 4 out of her 5 kids are into art. The oldest studied sculpture and drawing and he is a set designer, the others studied: photography, music and textiles making. Parents and thier interests infuence us a lot. Some resercher claim that we have a born personality as well and I kind of agree. I've always been an introvert so writing books suits me perfectly.
It's funny that you posted this particular video today because earlier today I wrote a poem about that exact topic. Not specifically about gifted writers, but gifted people/talented people and heros. All of those people are made not born.
It is so fulfilling to see current, regular submissions on your UA-cam channel, Mr. Hughes. Thanks so much for sharing what you do. Do you think about Walter at all? I find myself thinking of him often of late. I want to believe he found some solace in what he sought. That his journey was illuminating for him - no matter the destination. Thank you sir.
I’m actually planning on making a video about this topic on my UA-cam channel. First of all, writing is not just one skill, but it requires a series of different skills. In my opinion, most writers might have one or two innate skills, such as being naturally gifted at writing description or dialogue, but very few writers are naturally gifted in all areas of writing. For example, writing lyrical prose is very instinctive for me, but I struggle with plot. Writers must compensate for their weaknesses, hopefully improving over time.
You struggle because you believe that a writer can be "naturally gifted." I have tried to make the point that it is not the case. You may be predisposed toward lyrical prose but do you think it is "instinctive" in any true sense? I think not. You say you struggle with plot, but all writers do, even the great ones. That is why so many novels are fabrications of true stories. The plot already exists and the fiction writer adds his or her own creative embellishments.
As with many things, I suspect there's a spectrum, a continuum. People who are born with talents or propensities need to develop them. I think both the question and your answer are too black-and-white. Nevertheless, I've enjoyed many of your videos.
Thank you for your kind words about my videos. It has been interesting to me that many like you think creative work is a gift when other things, like homemaking or auto racing, are not. I'll continue to think that humans are born Tabula rasa, and they develop passions and pursue them. It is not so much a black and white issue as it is a matter of the nature of human development. However, I'm glad to get the input you offer. Thank you.
Dear Velocity Writing, If you could make a video on the preparation of a manuscript (for the submission of a novel, novella, short story, poetry, et al.), I would appreciate that. If you have already done that, I will look for it on your channel. Your videos are quite insightful and I’ve been helped by you in my writing journey. Thank you for the expertise... Cheers!
Great suggestion! This is a big topic so I am in the process of writing a an entire course on it. It is both for those who are submitting to traditionally publishers and those who are self-publishing. It should be ready by the end of the year. Please check this page periodically: velocitywriting.com/online-courses/
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator indicates psychological preferences and has nothing to do with writing. There are successful writers of all types and probably some types Myers-Briggs never thought of. Things like IQ tests or Myers-Briggs inventories really have no place in the writing world in my opinion. They tend to pigeon-hole people, and to me that is a crime against creativity. Forget INFJ and just write.
Pen touching papers to move on to write down the the ideas, thoughts. So writing is thinking and documenting for its implementation of ideas. Writing is producing words.
Not sure what you are saying here. No, writing is not merely "producing words." Any school child can do that. Transferring ideas and thoughts from the mind of the writer to the mind of the reader with clarity is a wonderful thing to learn to do. The two (producing words/transferring concepts) are as different as the sun and the moon.
But sir many don't have access to the valuable critics avaliable for their work. How can they know whether they are writing good, objectively? Any suggestions?
Yes, this is a problem to some and I appreciate you bringing it up. You want to find the most qualified third-party person you can to evaluate your work. It may be someone local or someone on the Internet. Lacking that, please see this video: ua-cam.com/video/WQUGTnagn9c/v-deo.html
If literature, and literacy was an inherited trait, one would see babies born able to read and write proficiently from day one of life. After over 40 years of my life, I have yet witnessed such as miracle myself.
I am blocking on Finishing up the first draft! 51,000 words in. I can't put my finger on why. I have the material, I have the tools, I even have enough of an outline. I just don't understand why I'm taking so long. I think my feelings are related to organization. It Feels Like A Rat's Nest and I just don't want to clean it.
I'm smiling right now. We all reach the stage in our manuscripts where they seem like a rat's nest. Be patient with yourself and the way forward will be become clear to you. You may need to take a break from your manuscript. Do something different and fun for a week or so. Your subconscious mind will continue to work on the problems with your manuscript, and when you come back to it resolution of various issues will be far more clear.
I self published a little known book ten years ago. Within the last few weeks I have got several phone messages telling me they want to sponsor the book? The caller has a foreign accent. I'm thinking this is a scam.
Yes, it could be a scam. The notion that THEY want to sponsor your book implies they want to pay you. That may be fine, but we wary of giving out your banking or other financial details. Let them pay you by PayPal or other means where you do not have to give them any details about yourself. Sponsoring a book is extremely rare. The very idea of it raises a red flag to me. If they require a payment for any purpose FROM you, you it is a likely scam. Get any agreement in writing. Hope this helps!
Like your videos... but do you really read Virginia Woolf? Mrs. Dalloshyte is the most boring I've ever read! "The Hours" by some whoever can compete - a kind of follow-up on aforementioned trype...
The urge to write is the gift.
Writing is the craft.
Writing well is the art.
Many would not agree that the urge to write is a gift. They see it as a compulsion. Some examples:
“Writing is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay” - Flannery O’Connor
“I really hate to write. I get no fun out of it because I can’t get up and say I’m working, close my door, have coffee brought to me, and sit there camping like a ‘man of letters’” - Jack Kerouac
“I hate writing. I love having written.” - Dorothy Parker
I've been watching all your videos while I work. I feel like I'm getting a college level education from your wisdom! Thanks for sharing and please keep the good advice coming!
I know people may not be born with the gift of writing but I do believe some are born with the passion for it.
Whatever we decide to do we all have to accept that we must start badly in order to get better.
You are right on target. I wish more people understood this. I have been mentoring writers for three decades, and you'd be surprised how many aspiring writers think they are capable of writing "King Lear" immediately. Someone told them they have a "gift," but even if it was possible, they have few skills. So, naturally they start badly. Their so-called "gift" is nullified because they don't have patience and tenacity. Thank you for your comment. It is a wise observation.
Yep! It's just how life works.
Thank you, I feel much better now.
I feel honoured that you have made a video in response to a comment that I made. Thank you for this.
I have to agree with you that writing is not an innate ability, therefore some degree of learning is always required. As you said in the video, this also applies to any craft.
Your argument that anyone can learn to write is something which I might just have a slightly different opinion about. I have been in writing groups where people treat writing as a form of therapy rather than as a craft, although such people might be able to eventually learn how to write they would need to live longer than anyone else has ever done in order to do so. This also applies to any craft.
The desire to be able to do something does not mean that you ever will be able to actually do it, it just means that you will be more inclined to work towards being able to do it. Jumping off of tall buildings is one of very few exceptions to this.
Thank you. I appreciate your input. You raised an important issue and you can see people have different opinions. I'm glad they are expressing them.
You raise another important issue, above, that I will address in the future. That is, there is a need for therapeutic writing. People should write for emotional release. But they should not make the mistake of publishing what they write. Just because people can self-publish without a literary gatekeeper doesn't mean they should do it.
Also, you mention an important point that I did not cover, and that is the desire to write is not enough. You are right. Lots of people dream of writing but don't gain enough skills or cannot overcome their inner inertia to do it. It is a fantasy. Is that a subject for a video? I'll have to mull that over. But thanks again for your thought-provoking feedback.
I agree with you that there are people who just don't have talent for writing and even with courses and workshops they do not improve that much, they just don't get it and may never be able to write well enough to be published. I don't know why is that, but I do believe that not everyone can learn to write well. They may get better at writing, but not good enough and as you said, some progress at a very slow pace. Particularly in the picture book community there is a lot of people who want to write picture books or who already write them, but after reading their stories I can tell that they do not read picture books. If they did, they would write a lot better, because they would at least understand the genre and how to construct a story. Perhaps a cure is to read loads and loads of books and copy the masters to get into "their head" and then you can try to find your own style and voice?
Yes, there is a lot of wisdom in what you say. It is not limited to the picture book community. Remember, I have mentored hundreds of aspiring writers and I have edited many hundreds of books over the last three decades, including Developmental and Copy editing. My views are based on my academic training (MA in Communication) and that experience. velocitywriting.com/value-author-services/
In my view, the thing that separates potentially good writers from the bad ones is whether the aspiring writer has a "teachable spirit." Many think they know it all, and they get plenty of support from FB writing pages where it seems the blind lead the blind. They refuse to follow proven practices and instead do what they "feel." No one can help such people improve their writing skills.
These days I offer a free "Sample edit." It is ostensibly for potential clients to see if they like my editing style. No. It is for me to determine whether or not they have a teachable spirit. I have plenty of long-term clients, so I refuse aspiring writers who think they know it all. If writing is a skill, as I believe, then anyone can improve their skills if they open themselves fully to learning. No, I am not a know-it-all myself, but after all these years, it is easy to read a manuscript and see how to help people.
I completely agree that reading is the royal road to writing. Copying the masters to learn how it's done is excellent. Hunter S. Thompson retyped "The Great Gatsby" just to get the feel of Fitzgerald's work. Many think it is plagiarism, but of course, it is not. Thompson made no claim to authorship. He did it as a learning exercise to dig deeper into the art of writing.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I’m glad I found you. Not for me but for me but for my daughter who wants to become a writer. Thank you.
Thankyou very much for this inspiring video. I grew up in an environment where both my family and teachers encouraged us to read good books. I was nurtured by my English teachers to write grammatically correct and clear pieces of essays. I later grew up and nurtured my own talent through sheer hard work and motivation. I have turned out to be a writer of publishable standards and I am really proud of it. 😇😇😇
Thanks for sharing!
I think that the ability to see what is going on is inherent, and the ability to hear the lyricism of natural speech. Of course much of writing is comprised of skills one can hone.
I think that writing, like most skills, is something a person can learn.
However, without a gift or knack for it, I don't think a person will be as good at it as someone that does.
Now I don't know if that gift or knack has a particular gene behind it or not.
My own family is rampant with creative people, quite a few of which are musically inclined.
I'm not one of those.
My knack or gift is more visual.... drawing, painting, carving, etc.
My only attempts at music - learning to play guitar - was mediocre at best. Certainly not of the level my other talents are.
So in the end, I have to conclude that there is something to the thought that one has to have some sort of creative gift. And many people just don't seem to have the imagination required to write, draw, sculpt, or anything else in that vein. But if a person does, they usually won't have any trouble learning whatever skill they take an interest in.
But that begs the question... can imagination be taught? Again, I personally don't think it can.
By the way... one of the things I used to "hear" a lot, back when I spent a lot of time on writing forums was people saying "I want to write, but I don't know what to write about".
Again, just my opinion, but that's a person that will never be a writer and shouldn't even bother trying. Because it seems pretty obvious that all they're looking for is a way to make money with the minimum possible effort.
...which I have to say writing is NOT.
I think a knack for things comes simply from being exposed to IT. Picasso was watching his father paint since he was a very small child and he started to learn the craft very early on too. I come from a family that loves books. My dad loved books (he passed) and my mum was buying a lot of books for us, so I developped passion for books. My younger sister is also a writer. BUT I have 3 more sisters and they are not writers. So it is a combination of environment and personal interests/passions. When it comes to music, we are "not gifted" because music was never very important to our parents. My aunt used to work as a theater set designer and 4 out of her 5 kids are into art. The oldest studied sculpture and drawing and he is a set designer, the others studied: photography, music and textiles making. Parents and thier interests infuence us a lot. Some resercher claim that we have a born personality as well and I kind of agree. I've always been an introvert so writing books suits me perfectly.
Great channel! I found it only today and look forward to learning many things from your videos.
Thank you for inspiring videos. You encourage me to write more and better!
It's funny that you posted this particular video today because earlier today I wrote a poem about that exact topic. Not specifically about gifted writers, but gifted people/talented people and heros. All of those people are made not born.
It is so fulfilling to see current, regular submissions on your UA-cam channel, Mr. Hughes. Thanks so much for sharing what you do.
Do you think about Walter at all? I find myself thinking of him often of late. I want to believe he found some solace in what he sought. That his journey was illuminating for him - no matter the destination.
Thank you sir.
I’m actually planning on making a video about this topic on my UA-cam channel. First of all, writing is not just one skill, but it requires a series of different skills. In my opinion, most writers might have one or two innate skills, such as being naturally gifted at writing description or dialogue, but very few writers are naturally gifted in all areas of writing. For example, writing lyrical prose is very instinctive for me, but I struggle with plot. Writers must compensate for their weaknesses, hopefully improving over time.
You struggle because you believe that a writer can be "naturally gifted." I have tried to make the point that it is not the case. You may be predisposed toward lyrical prose but do you think it is "instinctive" in any true sense? I think not. You say you struggle with plot, but all writers do, even the great ones. That is why so many novels are fabrications of true stories. The plot already exists and the fiction writer adds his or her own creative embellishments.
As with many things, I suspect there's a spectrum, a continuum. People who are born with talents or propensities need to develop them. I think both the question and your answer are too black-and-white. Nevertheless, I've enjoyed many of your videos.
Thank you for your kind words about my videos. It has been interesting to me that many like you think creative work is a gift when other things, like homemaking or auto racing, are not. I'll continue to think that humans are born Tabula rasa, and they develop passions and pursue them. It is not so much a black and white issue as it is a matter of the nature of human development. However, I'm glad to get the input you offer. Thank you.
Dear Velocity Writing, If you could make a video on the preparation of a manuscript (for the submission of a novel, novella, short story, poetry, et al.), I would appreciate that. If you have already done that, I will look for it on your channel. Your videos are quite insightful and I’ve been helped by you in my writing journey. Thank you for the expertise... Cheers!
Great suggestion! This is a big topic so I am in the process of writing a an entire course on it. It is both for those who are submitting to traditionally publishers and those who are self-publishing. It should be ready by the end of the year. Please check this page periodically: velocitywriting.com/online-courses/
Great Video..👍
Glad you enjoyed it
How infj writer are gifted ....can you talk about it thanks indeed
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator indicates psychological preferences and has nothing to do with writing. There are successful writers of all types and probably some types Myers-Briggs never thought of. Things like IQ tests or Myers-Briggs inventories really have no place in the writing world in my opinion. They tend to pigeon-hole people, and to me that is a crime against creativity. Forget INFJ and just write.
Skill to learn but leaning in the artistic side helps.
Pen touching papers to move on to write down the the ideas, thoughts. So writing is thinking and documenting for its implementation of ideas. Writing is producing words.
Not sure what you are saying here. No, writing is not merely "producing words." Any school child can do that. Transferring ideas and thoughts from the mind of the writer to the mind of the reader with clarity is a wonderful thing to learn to do. The two (producing words/transferring concepts) are as different as the sun and the moon.
But sir many don't have access to the valuable critics avaliable for their work. How can they know whether they are writing good, objectively? Any suggestions?
Yes, this is a problem to some and I appreciate you bringing it up. You want to find the most qualified third-party person you can to evaluate your work. It may be someone local or someone on the Internet. Lacking that, please see this video: ua-cam.com/video/WQUGTnagn9c/v-deo.html
If literature, and literacy was an inherited trait, one would see babies born able to read and write proficiently from day one of life. After over 40 years of my life, I have yet witnessed such as miracle myself.
I am blocking on Finishing up the first draft! 51,000 words in. I can't put my finger on why. I have the material, I have the tools, I even have enough of an outline. I just don't understand why I'm taking so long. I think my feelings are related to organization. It Feels Like A Rat's Nest and I just don't want to clean it.
I'm smiling right now. We all reach the stage in our manuscripts where they seem like a rat's nest. Be patient with yourself and the way forward will be become clear to you.
You may need to take a break from your manuscript. Do something different and fun for a week or so. Your subconscious mind will continue to work on the problems with your manuscript, and when you come back to it resolution of various issues will be far more clear.
I self published a little known book ten years ago. Within the last few weeks I have got several phone messages telling me they want to sponsor the book? The caller has a foreign accent. I'm thinking this is a scam.
Yes, it could be a scam. The notion that THEY want to sponsor your book implies they want to pay you. That may be fine, but we wary of giving out your banking or other financial details. Let them pay you by PayPal or other means where you do not have to give them any details about yourself.
Sponsoring a book is extremely rare. The very idea of it raises a red flag to me.
If they require a payment for any purpose FROM you, you it is a likely scam. Get any agreement in writing. Hope this helps!
Anyone can, with effort, become a better writer Maybe even a better than average writer. But can anyone become Hemmingway?
Like your videos... but do you really read Virginia Woolf? Mrs. Dalloshyte is the most boring I've ever read!
"The Hours" by some whoever can compete - a kind of follow-up on aforementioned trype...