Can Writing Be Taught?

[Steerpike]

The instinctual reaction is 'yes,' but let's take the question deeper. Here is one answer from an essay by Tom Bissell:

"Can writing be taught?… Of course writing can be taught… All human activity is taught. The only thing any human being is born to do is survive, and even in this we all need several years of initial guidance.

Harder to judge is the possibility of teaching a beginning writer how to be receptive to the very real emotional demands of creating literature. To write serious work is to reflexively grasp abstruse matters such as moral gravity, spiritual generosity, and the ability to know when one is boring the reader senseless, all of which are founded upon a distinct type of aptitude that has little apparent relation to more measurable forms of intelligence. Plenty of incredibly smart people cannot write to save their lives. Obviously, writerly intelligence is closely moored to the mature notion of intellect (unlike math or music, the adolescent prodigy is virtually unknown to literature) because writing is based on a gradual development of psychological perception, which takes time and experience. Writing can be taught, then, yes—but only to those who are teachable."

In On Writing, as I recall Stephen King takes the position that anyone can learn to be a good writer, but no one can learn to be a great writer - you either have the ability to transcend to that level or you do not.

What do you guys think? It seems clear to me that in any creative endeavor there is some kind of innate embodiment of "genius" that can't be replicated through learning and practice. At the same time, it seems clear that only a small number of artists in any creative endeavor have that genius, and that there is plenty of room for the rest of us to work as well.

[deilaitha]

I absolutely agree with you.

There is also a difference between writing well and good writing. I consider "writing well" an ability to communicate ideas in a clear way, using good grammar, spelling, organization, and flow. You can teach almost anyone (barring learning disabilities) to write well. Good writing, on the other hand, does require that spark of genius, that inspiration, that not everyone has. Not everyone is a brilliant mathematician, yet you can teach math to just about anyone.

When it comes to that kind of distinction, here is a real life example. I recently read The Hunger Games series and thought it was good. It was creative, entertaining, and exciting to read. It was well written. But it's like a board book compared to anything by Stephen R. Donaldson. Donalson is a genius--his writing does indeed probe the psychological aspect of life that a young writer could never hope to achieve. Of course writers evolve--but some evolve faster than others.

Speaking of Donaldson, I can't wait for October 2013 when his final Thomas Covenant book comes out.

[Steerpike]

Yeah, I think Donaldson is a good example from Fantasy. Peake as well. Going outside of genre, I don't think you can teach anyone to be Vladimir Nabokov, for example. You might be able to teach them to be John Grisham, though.

[Caged Maiden]

I hope one day I can be a genius... Considering the time it takes to become one, I should have started a few years ago.

[Tasha]

I think to some extent yes but you can't teach anyone to be the next Sanderson, Donaldson, Martin, or Jordan to name a few. There could be genius writers out there who just need to learn to hone their skills. But I don't believe you can teach anyone to be an amazing writer if they don't have the underlying talent already there ready to burst out.

[Endymion]

What makes a good writer in your opinion?
I think everyone can learn to write well and beutifully and that kind of stuff, but there are only some chosen ones ( lol ) that have the creativity and imagination to truly become something more than just a writer.

[Feo Takahari]

I utilize a very mathematical approach to stories--put in characters as variables and setting as constant, then work out the equation to its conclusion--and I think anyone of reasonable intelligence could be taught to write like this. The stories it produces are a lot like some of Henrik Ibsen's stuff, and I'm kind of an Ibsen fanboy, so I think people can be taught to be great writers. That said, it would probably be impossible to teach someone to write like Julio Cortazar (a writer whose work I can't even process on any level other than the surface.)

[T.Allen.Smith]

This is not an original thought on my behalf but one I agree with:

You can teach anyone to be a better writer. What you cannot teach is better storytelling. If someone can't tell a story well they will never be a brilliant writer. They can become technically proficient but they will never exceed that limitation.

We all know people who just can't tell a joke. They have terrible delivery, lack emotion or inflection, or screw up every punch line. Story telling is the same. Some people you know can captivate their audience of friends with the simplest tales. Other friends receive eye rolls and knowing smirks when they attempt the same.

Storytelling is a talent. Writing is a skill honed in time through determination.

[Penpilot]

I think writing can be taught, but like the quote says, it's very dependant on the willingness and dedication of the student. Are they willing to learn? The ability to learn IMHO is a skill in itself, and to me, is a key to getting better at anything, including writing.

For me, I try to be a continual student of writing. I listen to what professional authors say about process. I read and reread books on process, trying to build a firm foundation of theory knowledge and then try to understand and apply it in practice. When I read a book, I take time to actively think about what the author is doing, how they're doing it, and if it's working or not. Always be learning is one of the things I think makes a good writer.

[cliche]

I believe that writing can only be taught up to a certain point. After that it is up to the writer to use his/hers imagination (something that needs to be built by the individual). Is it possible to teach someone how to imagine? We all learn in different ways and we all put our own twist on each story we write. Some of the stories we write may have a similar plot to another story but that does not mean that it is an exact duplicate; one will obviously be better and the other may find it difficult to describe certain scenes. You cannot teach them how to write out a certain scene, you cannot tell them how much imagery to use (if you do then you might as well be writing the scene out yourself). Some people may like your style of writing whilst others will despise it with a passion, its all about personal preference. If you like to write and continue to do so then your style of writing will develop, you'll notice certain things that do not work or when you read it out loud you will hear things that do not seem right to you.
On the other hand there are basic things that people have to remember about writing (such as grammar and punctuation) these things can be taught but not much else without the co-operation of the student.
This is just what I think though.