Do you think good writers are born, or learn how to write through courses in writing?

Question

I believe good/great writers are born with an innate ability to write well, tell a story.

Answer 1

I would have to say they are born with a certain amount of creativity and sensitivity to see the world in a certain way. With that inborn talent, they can be nurtured to get better but if you got it, you got it. I know there are writers that never took a writing class in their life and they have written the classics - Hemingway, Chaucer, Collins...they just know how to tell a story and somehow they connect with people in such a way that it's almost mystical.

Answer 2

The learning part is about putting grammatically sentences together the real part of a writer is in what is in his / her mind. Creativity cannot be learned you either have it or you do not. The lessons only teach you how to present what you have to say. Do I think some have an innate ability to process those words into a viable story or novel yes. The question is does that person have the fortitude to go through with it?

Answer 3

Good writers are born with or develop a measure of curiosity and capacities to process a wide variety of information. This is a by-product of high intelligence.

As they grow they develop a further capacity to process language and communicate. This begins with verbal and subverbal information processing. Simply stated, it is the ability to put thoughts into words.

These are the foundations upon which good writing can be built. Writing skills entail a mastery of grammar, spelling, and composition, all of which can be and are learned in the process of becoming educated as a writer.

Good writing skills are also formed through practice--a lot of writing and more than a little reading. Most good writers I know don't spend the majority of their hours watching television. They may watch some, but reading is their dominant means of receiving information.

Answer 4

I think your born with it, i have been writing and reading since i was a small child
Great writers have to have a intrest in writing/reading to write a good book, or tell a good story
Great writers can choose the best words and spin them to make a story
not a lot of people can do this, and it often drives me crazy when i'm trying to write
But good writer can become great writer if she/he take writing courses

Answer 5

I think good writers are made by writing. Some start writing early and are self taught - we say they have an innate talent. Others begin to write as they are educated in writing courses and become proficient. However, ether way, I believe that anyone who writes a lot and works at it will become a good writer.

Answer 6

I agree that some people are naturally more talented than others at certain tasks etc, but I also believe that many of us have these skills that simply are unawakened. I think that more than birth-experience and life chances are what give us the ability to exploit and nurture ANY skill.
I think of the time i began playing guitar 4 years ago-well after a time I should have begun to gain any kind of skill fast, but i picked it up well enough and now play in a moderately successful band! Writing is similar-maybe not through courses, but they can help! I'd develop my own style, then write what I like, THEN head to a class or two just to structure what is essentially YOUR skill!
Hope this helps!
Shane

Answer 7

My experience and study of this question tells me you're correct.

Certain abilities such as physical strength, speed, throwing ability or vision on a basketball court are much stronger in some than others, but still need to be worked on if one is to reach full potential. Mental qualities such as strategic vision, a good 'ear" for sounds and nuances, ability with concepts and the ability to tell a story, todescribe a scene, or a person, or use dialog can of course be worked on; but good ability has to be present in a latent form from the outset.

It is an old truism of human beings--the stronger the quality or potential, the harder one has to work to obtain and then maintain full use of that quality. The physical weakling does not have to learn to control strength as the strongman does; the powerful mind has a good deal more work to do to make full use of literary or scientific powers than does the ordinary-level mind.

Answer 8

It's a bit of each - I believe that everyone is born with a bit of potential, and some people have more potential than others. But the only way to truly become a great author is to write - you could have all the potential in the world, but, unless you were interested in writing, it would be worthless.

Answer 9

Delilah,
I feel that a good writer is equipped with writing skills naturally. If they are able to pursue writing classes, that will better enable them to only hone their skills. I took some writing classes at college, then I tutored writing, then I've written some short stories,,,, mostly comedy. Humor is, after all, the best form of medicine.

Answer 10

Many countries, like India, adopt your view.

I think great writers are developed, though. While it's true that some people have a natural knack for, say, storytelling, the art and craft of writing takes lots of lots of practice with real readers, like writing teachers.