I was on New York’s Craiglist for writing gigs and I came across a couple of postings that got me thinking (and I suppose boiling at one point). Anyone who has visited Craigslist for writing jobs (and anything else I suppose) is bound to know that there are many opposing forces there. I mean there are a lot of people in there that have differing opinions. That’s a great thing indeed.
I’m not sure how long the postings will stay there so I will paraphrase them. One posting complained about someone posting a job where they wanted free scripts, how writers have to pay to become writers sometimes and so on. Another posting refuting this first one stated that to be a writer you don’t pay to become a writer, you just are if you are a good writer.
It said if you have to train or learn to become a writer that you aren’t a writer.
Now, this gets to me because, sure you can be a great writer. But even great writers need to train their skills whether by paying for a class or just writing it. I believe you CAN train someone to be a writer. What is a writer then? I always thought it was just someone who writes. Said plainly, someone who writes is a writer.
Now a good writer hones their skills and does anything to get there including paying someone to teach them more. I suppose you do have to have a bit of creativity. But again, I believe everyone has a built in creativity bar. You just have to learn to fill that bar to get to the next level (it’s the gamer in me. Sorry).
I wasn’t born a writer. But I had the potential. We all do. I had to just find that potential and turn it into something I could manage.
Now would that commenter have said that about a young pianist who was clearly talented at playing the piano, but had never taken a lesson? Sometimes with talent, there goes a necessary bit of technique to learn. It is the talent and the technique together that make the young pianist a virtuoso. So, too, it is with writers and their craft.
Sometimes people think that just because they can string words together that this somehow qualifies them to teach a writing class or to give critical advice to writing artists. However, you and I, and every other true writer out there sweating blood at 4am to find just the right words, know that people like the Craigslist commenter are perhaps better left ignored.
--DL
And crying all the while? There have been times I have sworn I was going to punch the computer like it was its fault for not letting the right words come out. But eventually (hopefully by 6 am) the words do come out, SOMETIMES at least.
