Is
Writing a
Skill, Craft, or Gift?
Whenever you gather writers together they talk about
writing. There are many different
types of writers. Those who prefer to compose in long-hand or can only write on an old-fashioned manual typewriter. Those who write to music, demand complete silence, or create best surrounded by noise. You have the writers who must plan and outline before they can begin and those who find even talking about a project before it is drafted can stifle their creativity. But one
of the most controversial divisions among writers is about whether
writing is a
skill, craft, or gift.
I admit that I like to stir the fire a bit because I can argue all three points and depending on how my own
writing is going at the moment I may find that one viewpoint carries more weight for me personally.
I know as a teacher
of writing that
writing is a
skill. I have taken people, young and old, who loathed
writing and believed they would never be able to write — and provided them with basic tips and tools to become good basic writers. I have taken good basic writers and given them the support and direction they’ve needed to become
skilled writers. I’ve watched
skilled writers with practice and determination become pr
oficient writers. I have seen this in the classroom, at
writing conferences, and in newsrooms. I have witnessed this transformation enough to know that
writing is a
skill that can be taught and a
skill that can be learned.
