“Unveiling the Secret: Is Writing Talent a Myth or Mastery Waiting to Be Unleashed?”
Have you ever found yourself staring blankly at a blank page, plagued by the question, “Am I talented enough?” I know I have—too many times, in fact. This nagging doubt doesn’t just haunt wannabe writers; it can feel like a shadow following anyone trying to carve out their niche in any creative field. We often believe that talent is the golden ticket that sets the successful apart from the strugglers. But here’s the kicker: this thinking can keep us stuck in a loop of self-doubt, believing we can’t improve our craft without some elusive innate ability. In this enlightening article, we’ll dive into why this mindset might be the wrong approach and explore the real factors that can help you flourish as a writer. So let’s flip the script and consider a new perspective that could lead to genuine growth.
“Am I talented enough?” is the wrong question to ask
Writers often ask me, “What if I’m not talented enough?”
I asked myself the same question for years. We ask it because we believe (mistakenly) that talent alone is what separates successful writers from unsuccessful or not-as-successful ones.
Wrapped up in that belief is another that says we can’t learn to be better writers.
We may discover how to polish things up a bit, but we’ll never go from being individuals who write to being “real” writers — let alone great, successful writers — if we don’t have a certain level of talent.
There’s no outside force that can tell you if you have the talent to write. Nevertheless, for most writers, it’s a never-ending quest to find out. We mistakenly think that once we get someone — a teacher, mentor, editor, and/or agent — to confirm our talent, we’ll gain the clarity we need to be able to make “the decision” and move forward as legitimate writers.
Talent versus ability versus desire
Talent is defined as having a natural aptitude or skill for something, though I prefer Angela Duckworth’s way of describing it. She’s a professor from the University of Pennsylvania…
