Five Myths of Creative Writing #2

The Myth: Writing good fiction requires talent. It is like playing the piano well or being a good golfer. You really have to be born with it.

Please determine now to take the position that there is no such thing as talent. Taking this position will save you a lot of worry and wasted time. You might have this thing we refer to as talent and you might not. I don’t know, you don’t know. No one knows. It doesn’t matter. It is a useless conversation. It is irrelevant to everyone, including you.

Commitment + hard work trumps talent every day.

Are there are loads of talented people who accomplish nothing of lasting value? Are there lots of writers who publish lots of writing who are amazingly untalented? Yes and yes. There are lots of houses built by untalented builders and lives saved by untalented doctors. Who is your favorite great author? Are they your favorite and are they great because they were/are talented? No. There are your favorite and great because they wrote a book that you love. Writing a book – a good book and even a great book – does not require talent.

The Truth: Writing good fiction requires commitment, hard work, and the discipline to practice.