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| Effort | 39% | 674 votes | Total: 1738 votes | |
| Insight | 61% | 1064 votes |
Effort
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Add to FavoritesInitially, my thought was that an equal amounts of insight and effort go into becoming a great writer. However, as I gave the subject more thought, I came to the conclusion that a great deal of one's insight comes as a product of effort. For those who believe that we enter the world "Tabula Rosa," education and observation are what lead us to the tree of insight. The fruits from this tree are fertilized, in large part, by years of effort and learning.
Insight, by definition, is "the power or act of seeing into a situation." Those who enjoy the novels of Louis L'Amour (for example) know that his insight regarding the old west was second to none. Many would question his place in the literary canon one-hundred years from now, but I would venture to say that L'Amour's insight rivals Charles Dickens's ability to spin a yarn about the squalid back alleys of Victorian London. How did he get it?
L'Amour spent hundreds of hours doing research for every novel he wrote. He toiled in libraries near his locations and spent years walking in the footsteps of his characters. L'Amour often worked on several books at one time and could switch from one to another as quickly as an inspiration came to him. Yes, he had insight, but it came from many years of compiling copious notes. Call it what you want, but I call it insight accumulated by effort and the sheer will to succeed.
I hardly consider myself to be a great writer, but I can attest to how much effort it takes to become even a decent writer. A friend and I have been collaborating on a children's novel for well over a year. Granted, we both have full-time jobs, but countless hours have gone into the process. After a few chapters, we thought we knew where the book was going, and I decided to write the last two chapters in advance. Somewhere along the way, our two main characters decided that our novel would end some other way, and these chapters were virtually scrapped. My insight went awry, and it took a good deal of effort to get things back on the right track.
FINALLY, our book is "almost" completed. We have been in the process of sorting out grammatical errors and indiscrepancies for about two weeks. We learned to virtually become the major characters somewhere along the way, but, in the end, it has taken increasingly more effort to clean up their messes.
In conclusion, a great writer needs equal parts of insight and effort. It's true that insight is outside the grasp of many potential writers, but those fortunate enough to have insight come by it after years and years of work. Sometime in the next few months, I'll see if my labor has led me to the tree of insight.
Learn more about this author, T.C Leonard.
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Insight
Insight and effort go hand in hand! Without insight guiding a writer through the sometimes difficult business of writing, how could anything of value be written? Okay, maybe if someone is compiling a grocery list, but great writing that really communicates? Don't think so.
Harnessing insight for a writer is like getting the maximum amount of speed out of a race car for a professional driver. Without a deep understanding of the subject coupled with pure insight, a writer is just spinning the wheels of wordsmithing. Great writing equals great insight.
An example of a great writer, whether one has read him or not, is Isaac Asimov. Astoundingly prolific, Isaac Asimov has written and published thousands of articles and books over his celebrated lifetime. Most of his subjects have dealt with Science, and hard Science at that. He has written tons of non-fiction, as well as fiction and most in the unwieldy vein of Science. But as far as communicating some of the most difficult areas of Science such as Astronomy, biology, and computer science, it seems there aren't much better at reaching the layperson than him. He always made his subjects real, fascinating, and easier to understand.
Talk about mastering insight with tough subjects! How does one make interesting a subject such as internal temperatures of distant stars? Without great use of analogies and personal insight, this is a tall order indeed. How about making Robots appear human? Read his inventive book I, Robot. The movie doesn't do justice to the book.
Isaac Asimov is one of many great writers to have captured insight and made it work for him. If he were to rely on lists and statistics, especially dealing with difficult subjects, not too many people would know his name. Pick up his tomes on the planets in our solar system, and even though somewhat dated, some of his ideas are absolutely riveting. For instance, there are two moons orbiting Mars, Phobos and Deimos. Phobos is the larger of the two, yet Deimos is just as interesting according to Asimov as it's larger brother. In one of his works he sets out to wonder how the two moons would look like from the surface of Mars. Granted, this is not the most awe-inspiring thing in the universe, but it goes to show his love of our solar system and the uniqueness of it.
Whether reading science fact or science fiction, both of which he handled with masterful aplomb, one cannot but appreciate his deep love of the subjects and his logical, clear and concise knowledge of them. His work is just one example of how insight glows under the handling of a genius. He will be missed...
Learn more about this author, Anthony Megna.
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