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Are writers born, or made? You could ask the same question about hockey players, pianists, and good marriages. Talent, drive, and commitment interact with the opportunities life offers all of us.

The first stage of becoming a writer is infatuation. We are in love with the whole idea of writing. Ideas flow faster than we can possibly write them down. We scribble at every possible moment, and dream about writing the perfect piece of deathless literature. However wild and unrealistic these dreams may turn out to be, they are necessary to provide the fuel for inspiration and growth.

Sooner or later, we figure out that our gift has limitations. Others are not automatically enraptured by our work. While some people may be enthusiastic and encouraging, others shrug us off and tell us that we're wasting our time. Some will presume to criticize. If we get back to one of our pieces after a cooling-off period, we notice flaws. At this point, we have the choice of giving up in disgust, or making a concerted effort to learn our craft.

The second stage endures a lifetime. We dedicate ourselves to the task of doing better. We learn all the nitty-gritty of grammar, format, style, pacing, voice, and readability. We write and write and write. We experiment. We become willing to fail in order to learn valuable lessons. We go to workshops, read instructional books, and pore over the work of others to understand how they produced their results. Sometimes we get tired and quit. We may get angry and yell, "Never again!" But we're hooked and we will be back.

The third stage is optional. We enter the wonderful world of marketing and self-promotion. This requires us to become adept at editing, public relations, negotiation, business organization, and sales. These activities require new skill sets which must be learned. No matter how good our work is, it will not be read unless it is displayed where people have the opportunity to read it, and are motivated to do so.

We may choose to skip this stage, and write for ourselves and a few close friends. But if we want a larger audience and possibly earn some cash, we have to start thinking like business owners selling a product. If we get really good at this, we may be able to afford to hire an agent to do the promotional work for us, freeing us up to do more writing. Alternately, if we discover that we like this aspect of the writing life, we can become professional editors, agents and promoters ourselves.

Writing is both an art and a craft. We can choose to do it as a hobby, as a business, or as a consuming passion. The Muse of Literature will gobble up time, effort, and devotion. She will often be a demanding and capricious goddess. However, if we persist, she will shower us with her gifts in due time.

Learn more about this author, Christine G..
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