A question here for any writers?

Question

Firstly. do you think that a natural story-telling ability neccessarily means a natural writing ability- or do the two not always go hand in hand?

Secondly, do you think a writer (aspiring or accomplished) should experiment with the other modes of artwork to boraden their inspirations and gather valuable experience of self-expression and inspiration?

Thanks!

Feel free to visit my fledgling 360 page and have a browse- criticism of my style (what's there) appreciated!

Answer 1

Natural story telling ability does not translate to good writing. Good story tellers can be good writers and vice-versa, but good writers are students. Developing into a good writer means study and practice. Good writers do two things on a regular basis: read and write. Writing is just like any other discipline; practice and training are vital, but not guarantees of success.

Answer 2

To the first, not at all.

It is working with two entirely different mediums. A good story-teller has to be vocally engaging. It isn't enough to merely have an interesting plot, the story-teller must be able to make it come alive. They are, in a sense, a performer as much as any musician or actor is a performer. Just because someone has the ability to write well does not necessarily mean that it will translate successfully into a spoken story.

Which brings me to my next point. Good writing does not necessarily make for a good story. For instance, I'm a fairly large fan of Vladimir Nabokov. Now, I'm not sure if you've read any of his works, but half of the beauty of his writing is in the prose style, not the story itself. Similarly, the way a story is written can contribute a lot to how the story is read -- literary devices such as repetition and onomatopoeia can contribute to the overall feel of a story. Even lyrical prose or particularly choppy prose can give out a certain mood. This, however, doesn't really make a good transition into a verbally spoken story. Of course, when I say "verbally spoken story" I think of epic ballads and ghost stories told around the campfire.

Also, just because something is a good story doesn't necessarily mean it will be interesting written down on paper. Just because someone can tell a good story doesn't necessarily mean that they can write. I've seen plenty of interesting premises for a story die because the person attempting to tell the story cannot write engagingly worth beans.

And there is a difference between writing engagingly and speaking engagingly. A speaker can (and is often expected to) cater their performance audience by audience and is allowed to improvise to change the story if audience reaction is negative or displeasing. A writer, on the other hand, must do the opposite as they are speaking to a larger audience. They must be able to articulate their point so that a general amount of people can comprehend it.

And, yes to the second question.

At the same time, I don't believe it's necessary for a writer to be good at these various modes of self-expression. Still, it helps view the world in a different light, and can at times be inspiring.

Personally, although writing is my first passion, I also study viola and piano (and I'm handy with a pencil sketch). Music, of course, is great for expressing those broad emotions that really don't translate well into words, and doodling can help you get a handle on character expressions and personalities and stuff.

I'd encourage you to try out different mediums if you haven't already. Good luck!

Answer 3

A good storyteller interacts with his audience on a very immediate basis. As he speaks, the audience reacts, and so he can judge where to expand, what to explain further, and how to pace his story.

A good writer, on the other hand, interacts with her audience on a distant basis. She doesn't get to see the reactions of her audience until well after she's done telling the story, and can't alter the story to fit the audience's needs.

A person can be both a good writer and a good storyteller, but they do not necessarily go together. They take different - though related - skills and talents.

To your second question, I think it all depends on the writer. Experimenting is fine, but I do not think that a writer with no talent in, say, painting should stress out because he or she can't paint. If someone has multiple interests, by all means try them! But if there's no desire to work with the other arts, I don't see why someone should feel obligated to try it.

Answer 4

There is some truth in that a writer needs to experience what they write about,but unfortunately sometimes that isn't possible,inspiration comes naturally to a lot of writers and therefore other forms of artwork can complicate matters. I feel the good writers have a natural story-telling ability,that transcribes well to paper.

Answer 5

No, a natural story telling ability is measured more in terms of vocal intuition, writers are generally quiet personalities (??), hence a natural writing ability as in on the page is more an experiment done up quietly in the head. No to the second question, but that's just my personal opinion, once writers enjoy their written work, with cautious self criticism they don't jump easily onto art or photography etc to express their opinions or thoughts.

Answer 6

No you do not have to be a good story teller to be a good writer. Some people may not be able to vocally express something, yet can use writing to express themselves very well.

I think it is good to experiment with other areas. I don't know if you mean if it is good for a writer to also try painting or acting or whatever, but I think that would be beneficial; however personally I think it is better to write in categories you usually don't. For instance if you tend to write sci-fi, trying writing a western or even a romance story. Even if you only write five pages, your writing skills will develop more broadly and when you start writing in your own little notch, you will be able to bring more flavor to it.

Answer 7

Don't think the two have to go hand-in-hand all the time. I believe that each artist has their individual perspective and opinion. The answer to your first question only you can truly answer, are you able to take what's inside your head and put it on paper? For some of us it's easier to take a picture in our mind and then take a variety of words to make that picture come to life on paper some of us don't but I don't think that should stop anyone from trying it.

Secondly, I think that any artist or individual seeking self expression or inspiration should try different modes of artwork to expose themselves to their true passion. Good luck

Answer 8

Sorry i didn't understand the question before

A good story teller doesn't always have to be a good writer only a good reader.

I think that yes an artist should experiment and only experiment until you ready to show the public your brilliance

Answer 9

A good story teller is NOT necessarily a good writer, and vice versa. Of course, broadening one's horizons always makes for not only a well-rounded writer, but a well-rounded individual.

Answer 10

1st:

Not always. Having a natural ability to TELL a story, doesn't always MEAN you'll be able to do the same on paper.

2nd:

ABSOLUTELY, MOST INDUBITABLY...."YES!!!"

Why do you think I write so many hybrid novels?

Sticking to just one genre sucks majorly anyways.