blog The Talent Myth

[Chessie2]

Chessie2 submitted a new blog post:

The Talent Myth
by Rose Andrews

There once lived a girl who wrote the best fantasy books in all the land. She was only twelve years old, having picked up a paper and pen to tell stories starting at age eight. She outsold all the big names in her genre, made millions of dollars, and never even went to college. She had been blessed with a unique ability to craft words into beautiful tales that spoke to the hearts of many. No other writer could ever aspire to achieve such great heights with their work because she was more talented than everyone.

So, with that I say, “Pack up your laptops, friends. If you don’t have talent then it’s over for you. Give up and go home.”

The end.

Um...no.

The Natural

Good old Google defines talent as “a natural aptitude or ability” at something. For the purposes of this article, the ‘something’ will be writing fiction. Talent is a word I hear thrown around a lot mostly outside of the writing community. There’s this permeating belief in folks that aren’t creative that, in order to succeed at writing and selling books, a writer needs to be talented. I am here to challenge this myth and encourage you, dear writer, to consider a new perspective: persistence and hard work.

So, what is natural? I believe every person born on this planet has a natural inclination towards a specific interest (or set of interests). For example, my husband loves computers. He builds them, writes...
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.

 

[Yora]

I think what people call writing talent is merely an unconscious understanding of story structure. When you hear a lot of stories, you automatically start to see patterns. If you can apply these patterns because they come to you instinctively, you're lucky. If not, you can conciously study the patterns of story structure and use them conciously.
"Talent" simply gives you a bit of a head start in learning how to apply story structure, but it's an advantage that matters less and less the more you practice and learn.

 

[Chessie2]

I think what people call writing talent is merely an unconscious understanding of story structure. When you hear a lot of stories, you automatically start to see patterns. If you can apply these patterns because they come to you instinctively, you're lucky. If not, you can conciously study the patterns of story structure and use them conciously.
"Talent" simply gives you a bit of a head start in learning how to apply story structure, but it's an advantage that matters less and less the more you practice and learn.

I don't believe anyone really starts with talent though. Some us of have a natural affinity that can be ignored and surpassed by someone who puts in more work. If that makes sense.

 

[skip.knox]

I do believe there's such a thing as talent. It's readily apparent in music and in drawing, less so in writing (less apparent, not less present).

That said, I get and appreciate your point that too often the whole rhetoric around this word results in people believing they lack talent and therefore shouldn't even try. That's the unfortunate part--tragic, sometimes. Much can be accomplished through study and hard work and persistence, so there really is no excuse for not trying.

I wonder what is the writing equivalent of being tone deaf or having no sense of rhythm.

 

[Chessie2]

That makes a lot of sense! Those who think they are talented rely on that natural affinity as opposed to hard work. Thanks for commenting.

 

[Chessie2]

I do believe there's such a thing as talent. It's readily apparent in music and in drawing, less so in writing (less apparent, not less present).

That said, I get and appreciate your point that too often the whole rhetoric around this word results in people believing they lack talent and therefore shouldn't even try. That's the unfortunate part--tragic, sometimes. Much can be accomplished through study and hard work and persistence, so there really is no excuse for not trying.

I wonder what is the writing equivalent of being tone deaf or having no sense of rhythm.

But can talent= they have just put in the effort to be skilled? Instead of being born already knowing how to do something, people who have a passion for the arts and continuously pursue in the learning of their desired craft will reach a level of skill that others consider to be talent...when in fact it's that the work has been hidden from view. Just a thought.

 

[X Equestris]

I wonder what is the writing equivalent of being tone deaf or having no sense of rhythm.

An inability to understand the rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, perhaps? If people can't read it, it doesn't matter how good the story itself is. Or maybe a lack of imagination? Writing fiction is a fairly multifaceted venture, and all those facets have to come together. Being absolutely awful at one could be crippling.

Overall, though, I'd agree with the article. People often get hung up on talent when hard work and experience see to be what really makes the difference. I mean, I'm sure there's some amount of innate talent involved, but it's not going to effortlessly catapult someone to the top of the business.

Looking back at some of my early stuff, like the very first story I got published, it's pretty meh. Experience and persistently working at it (including critical reading) noticeably improved my writing.

 

[skip.knox]

Talent, or the putative lack of it, can be an easy dodge. If the real variables are hard work and persistence, then the fault clearly lies with me. If the real variable is talent, then the fault lies in our stars. Which would be a great book title: The Real Variable. <gdr>

 

[Malik]

Talent is nothing without toughness. It takes psychological toughness to put up with the unbelievable load of insufferable bullshit that you have to endure as an author and still have something worth saying when you sit down to the keyboard. It takes physical toughness to stay at the keyboard when you're exhausted and you've had a rotten day. It takes emotional toughness to read angry emails from readers who think the book "would of (sic) been so much better if only . . ." without turning to drugs or booze or porn or donuts or any of a hundred other destructive coping mechanisms. It takes spiritual toughness to swat away bad reviews, and rejections, and conversations with your agent that involve the word "frankly." Toughness keeps the wolves on the other side of the hill instead of at your door.

Edit: By "toughness" here, I'm not talking bluster, swagger, or IBWS (Inner Bruce Willis Syndrome; the belief resident in every man that in a crisis he will automatically become Bruce Willis). I'm talking about resilience. Bounce-backitude. In boxing, we call it having a "chin."

Toughness keeps your nose in your books when you're learning your mechanics, and toughness keeps you writing late into the night honing the craft. Toughness gets you standing up to that asshole professor who assures the class that fantasy and science fiction isn't "real writing." Toughness sits your ass in the writing chair when you want to be sitting on the couch drinking and mooncalfing about being a bestselling author someday. Toughness gets you through years of crap jobs and failed novels until you finally hit your stride and learn to actually write in your own voice. Toughness gets you out of the chair and doing pushups with your feet on your desk every couple of hours because Sweet Jesus, this gig is hell on your back.

Toughness without talent will get you a long way; it might even be enough. It might. Toughness will break the shell and let what talent you have come through, even if you think you have none. But talent, without heart, is just so much sad bullshit. Talent without toughness is the realm of also-rans, wannabes, and drunks who regale you with stories of That Time I Could Have.

The great part about this is that most people who undertake writing have a talent for it already. Most do, make no mistake. And while talent is never enough, toughness comes with practice. Marry talent to toughness, and watch the world tremble.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

I would say talent exists. It’s when talent, hard work, and determination/toughness coexist that you move beyond success to a level of being a great author.

You can be a crap writer and succeed if you are a great story-teller. You can be a great writer and a crap story-teller and succeed. You might be okay at both and succeed. You might also be a great writer and great story-teller and fail because of a lack of determination/toughness. There might even be other factors in there... a talent for marketing or smoozing the right people, for instance, LOL.

I’ve been told I was a story-telling since I was five or six. My dad and uncle were both gifted story-tellers, but they never wrote a word of them down and they sure never really worked at it. Their writing would’ve been iffy at best, LOL, but they could spin a yarn if pressed to it. That was something innate, they didn’t read piles of books nor watch tv and movies hardly at all, they just had it. My mom would’ve been the natural writer, but not so much the story-teller.

If one is absolutely driven to be a writer, it’s likely they can work hard enough to find some success in this new world of self-pub. It’s very likely that anyone driven that hard to be a writer already has some modicum of talent that drives them in that direction. But, I suppose there could be a Florence Foster Jenkins of the world out there trying to write, LOL.

 

[ThehornedGoddess]

I have fallen into the talent trap before, especially hearing others throughout high school and even through adult education and it added unnecessary pressure to a practice, passion and profession that I dedicate to with consistency [ when I am consistent] I found my joy was in writing in whatever form it was, as often as I could and learning as I go as much from the writing itself as others.
I find the lessons in commitment and dedication are the bedrocks of what keeps writers growing. When I look at the manuscripts I wrote at 13 compared to the ones I have at 23, and onwards you can see where writing and never giving up is what built that skill set, and fed the passion. So rather than focus on when people want to speak to talent, I focus now on whether that story challenged them, changed them, excited them, moved them, inspired them, disgusted them – I seek to evoke emotive response and readership and community, because at the heart that is what our characters are searching for too.

 

[Chessie2]

I have fallen into the talent trap before, especially hearing others throughout high school and even through adult education and it added unnecessary pressure to a practice, passion and profession that I dedicate to with consistency [ when I am consistent] I found my joy was in writing in whatever form it was, as often as I could and learning as I go as much from the writing itself as others.
I find the lessons in commitment and dedication are the bedrocks of what keeps writers growing. When I look at the manuscripts I wrote at 13 compared to the ones I have at 23, and onwards you can see where writing and never giving up is what built that skill set, and fed the passion. So rather than focus on when people want to speak to talent, I focus now on whether that story challenged them, changed them, excited them, moved them, inspired them, disgusted them – I seek to evoke emotive response and readership and community, because at the heart that is what our characters are searching for too.

Evoking emotion is the key to everything when it comes to writing books. It won't happen for every reader but if your general idea is to move them then you're well on the way to developing a strong craft. Thank you for your comment. I especially like that you have seen the growth in your manuscripts over the course of time. Best wishes to you in your writing endeavors!

 

[Chessie2]

I would say talent exists. It’s when talent, hard work, and determination/toughness coexist that you move beyond success to a level of being a great author.

You can be a crap writer and succeed if you are a great story-teller. You can be a great writer and a crap story-teller and succeed. You might be okay at both and succeed. You might also be a great writer and great story-teller and fail because of a lack of determination/toughness. There might even be other factors in there... a talent for marketing or smoozing the right people, for instance, LOL.

I’ve been told I was a story-telling since I was five or six. My dad and uncle were both gifted story-tellers, but they never wrote a word of them down and they sure never really worked at it. Their writing would’ve been iffy at best, LOL, but they could spin a yarn if pressed to it. That was something innate, they didn’t read piles of books nor watch tv and movies hardly at all, they just had it. My mom would’ve been the natural writer, but not so much the story-teller.

If one is absolutely driven to be a writer, it’s likely they can work hard enough to find some success in this new world of self-pub. It’s very likely that anyone driven that hard to be a writer already has some modicum of talent that drives them in that direction. But, I suppose there could be a Florence Foster Jenkins of the world out there trying to write, LOL.

Well said, Des! It's true that either you can be a good writer and not storyteller or the other way around but, the point is, hard work is the only thing that will help you learn and grow in the areas of weakness in your craft and strengthen the ones that come naturally easier. It's also possible to remain stagnant in those areas that you thought were easy for you: every writer is different. Some find it easier to write beginnings and not so much endings, some need an improvement in grammar but have the roller coaster of plot and emotion down because they absorbed it from reading lots of books or watching movies, and so on. So at best we keep ourselves from growing without continuing to practice and hone our craft. Thank you for posting!

 

[Chessie2]

Talent is nothing without toughness. It takes psychological toughness to put up with the unbelievable load of insufferable bullshit that you have to endure as an author and still have something worth saying when you sit down to the keyboard. It takes physical toughness to stay at the keyboard when you're exhausted and you've had a rotten day. It takes emotional toughness to read angry emails from readers who think the book "would of (sic) been so much better if only . . ." without turning to drugs or booze or porn or donuts or any of a hundred other destructive coping mechanisms. It takes spiritual toughness to swat away bad reviews, and rejections, and conversations with your agent that involve the word "frankly." Toughness keeps the wolves on the other side of the hill instead of at your door.

Edit: By "toughness" here, I'm not talking bluster, swagger, or IBWS (Inner Bruce Willis Syndrome; the belief resident in every man that in a crisis he will automatically become Bruce Willis). I'm talking about resilience. Bounce-backitude. In boxing, we call it having a "chin."

Toughness keeps your nose in your books when you're learning your mechanics, and toughness keeps you writing late into the night honing the craft. Toughness gets you standing up to that asshole professor who assures the class that fantasy and science fiction isn't "real writing." Toughness sits your ass in the writing chair when you want to be sitting on the couch drinking and mooncalfing about being a bestselling author someday. Toughness gets you through years of crap jobs and failed novels until you finally hit your stride and learn to actually write in your own voice. Toughness gets you out of the chair and doing pushups with your feet on your desk every couple of hours because Sweet Jesus, this gig is hell on your back.

Toughness without talent will get you a long way; it might even be enough. It might. Toughness will break the shell and let what talent you have come through, even if you think you have none. But talent, without heart, is just so much sad bullshit. Talent without toughness is the realm of also-rans, wannabes, and drunks who regale you with stories of That Time I Could Have.

The great part about this is that most people who undertake writing have a talent for it already. Most do, make no mistake. And while talent is never enough, toughness comes with practice. Marry talent to toughness, and watch the world tremble.

YES! Toughness, grit, endurance will stand the test of time. It's already so tough writing a book. Every writer who finishes that first book is already leagues ahead because most won't get there. Writing the second book becomes easier but it's still hard, and on it goes. This is a different topic entirely but--this is why I argue that tinkering with one book for ages really doesn't help a writer build the toughness you speak of. Starting &amp; finishing one book is an experience all on its own. But it's with every book thereafter that we build discipline, truly learn how to start and finish and be *challenged* with different plots, characters, settings, and themes. If publication is the end goal, toughness has to be a real thing to even survive that part. Writing books is not for the faint of heart! Awesome comment, by the way. You describe very well what it's like to be in this game for the long haul. Shall we call is 'masochism'?

 

[Chessie2]

Talent, or the putative lack of it, can be an easy dodge. If the real variables are hard work and persistence, then the fault clearly lies with me. If the real variable is talent, then the fault lies in our stars. Which would be a great book title: The Real Variable. <gdr>

And that's the tough pill to swallow, isn't it? Improving in our craft requires time, discipline, and a good deal of self-sacrifice if not all of it. Wouldn't it be nice to be aligned with the stars though? Heh.

 

[Chessie2]

I wonder what is the writing equivalent of being tone deaf or having no sense of rhythm.

An inability to understand the rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, perhaps? If people can't read it, it doesn't matter how good the story itself is. Or maybe a lack of imagination? Writing fiction is a fairly multifaceted venture, and all those facets have to come together. Being absolutely awful at one could be crippling.

Overall, though, I'd agree with the article. People often get hung up on talent when hard work and experience see to be what really makes the difference. I mean, I'm sure there's some amount of innate talent involved, but it's not going to effortlessly catapult someone to the top of the business.

Looking back at some of my early stuff, like the very first story I got published, it's pretty meh. Experience and persistently working at it (including critical reading) noticeably improved my writing.

Hey, X Equestris, thanks for the comment. I agree that no amount of easy effort is going to catapult someone to the forefront. Writing a book that resonates with its audience is a difficult endeavor. I'm glad that you have stuck with your craft long enough to see it bear the fruit of dedication.

 

[Chessie2]

And the beautiful thing too is that writing can be picked up again at any age. Many of the authors in my historical romance author group are either retired or close to it, which goes to show that it's an artform that, with hard work and dedication, can be enjoyable to anyone who loves writing. Thanks for your comment!

 

[Chessie2]

I agree people are born with a natural passion for certain artforms or interests, and that practice is what will continue honing our skills AND keep us in the game. If we stop practicing we lose interest and then that natural desire means nothing. Thanks for participating.