by Shandra Lorne

Created on: May 02, 2008

The idea that good writers are just born is a fallacy. Perhaps there is a certain affinity for writing that can be inherited, but the actual skills and processes must be honed over time using methods that cannot be put down into a simple list of steps. All people have the potential to become talented writers if only they can discover which steps for unlocking that potential are right for them.

Freewriting is helpful for many people. Freewriting is more productive than simply brainstorming topics because it doesn't necessarily guide one's thoughts the way brainstorming or webbing can. When one simply sits down with pen in hand (computers are fine but do not allow for a completely honest flow of thought since the backspace key is so handy) and jots down notes about whatever may be in one's mind, relationships between thoughts are actually visible on the page, and possible subjects begin to flow like water.

A writing professor of mine also suggested brainstorming titles. Simply write down one hundred titles as quickly as possible, anything at all to keep writing and fill the hundred slots. Sometimes the most unlikely of titles will suggest a subject that would be rewarding.

When one has chosen a topic, getting the first page down quickly is essential. I believe that if a person waits long enough for "the muse" to appear, sometimes it becomes apparent that the creature has simply stood him. Sometimes inspiration will come, and sometimes not. Meanwhile, the topic and one's thoughts are fading from memory. It is better to get the words out and hope that the muse deigns to visit during the revision or something.

This brings me to another point: revision is a fact of writing life, and it is a friendly god, not a vindictive one! Many people I know hate writing because they write something quickly, dislike the results, and try to avoid writing in order to not have to face again their apparent lack of talent. In my experience, the real flavor of a piece doesn't even begin to show itself until the second or third draft. Getting the ideas down quickly is important, but playing around with them later is the greater joy.

The last thing I will say about bringing out the writer in everyone is that no matter what kind of writing is at stake, the author's own voice must come through, or no one is going to read it. But what if it's a school assignment, you protest. I'm glad you brought that up, actually. Well, the professor may be forced to read your stuff, but how can you expect him to give you the best grade your time and effort deserve when he was bored to tears while reading it? Many people seem to think that only creative writing can contain the author's voice; I firmly believe-and have heard many university English instructors agree with me-that almost any form of writing needs voice, from analytical essays to short stories to research projects. Voice, simply put, is the "flavor" of a particular author's style. It is often the attribute that makes famous authors famous. Let me illustrate: if a horror-lover was given ten or twenty anonymous pieces to read, it would be very likely that he or she could pick out which one was written by Stephen King. All of his novels include his distinctive phrasing, wit, structure, and pacing that keep him on the bestseller list.

All people have good writers somewhere inside them, but they must give those writers a chance to develop and emerge. Freewriting, title brainstorming, revision, and voice are the tips I find most valuable to unlock that inner potential.

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