If you write, you're a writer. It doesn't matter what it is you write about or if it ever sees the light of day outside your journal. If you feel that unshakeable compulsion to document every sight, sound, and fleeting thought you have, it's proof you were born to write.
The takeaway for all writers is that we can improve, and we are not bound by an inborn, set level of writing talent. Good writers are not born. They are learned.
You can learn so much from your experiences and the people around you. Writing is taught and learned over time; writing is not a natural talent that is developed at birth. Writing is unique to everybody. Writing for school and writing for pleasure will have a different approach by the author.
Ultimately, written expression is a gift that needs to be encouraged. And it's a skill that can be practiced anywhere, by anyone, at any time. The thing to remember is that what links the two and makes for a truly successful writer is passion –the passion to hone writing as a skill, and then make it your very own!
Research indicates that handwriting is associated with intelligence and that it can predict reading and writing skills. A recent study indicated that: handwriting automaticity predicted writing quality and production concurrently and across time after accounting for gender and initial word-reading skills.
This study of professionally published novelists found the average age of first publication to be 36 years. Given that many novels take many years to perfect, it stands to reason that late twenties, early thirties are prime time for putting in those writing hours.
The brain and writing
German researchers observed scans of writers writing their stories and found that a network of brain regions work in unison to create fiction stories (1). The brain activity of regular writers was similar to that of people skilled in complex actions such as musicians or athletes.
Abstract. Empirical analysis based on a large sample of diverse creative artists (880 individuals among 11 occupations) suggests strongly that writers live significantly fewer years than do their peers in other creative professions.
Substantial genetic influence was found on two of the writing measures, Writing Samples and Handwriting Copy, and all of the language and reading measures.
Having a high IQ won't make you a good writer. It may be a good advantage, but it is the fine balance between intelligence and learning that can give you the craft to form a good poem or pen a beautiful story. Writing is about the ability to express the thoughts, feelings, and ideas that are in your head.
No, it isn't too late. That's the answer, no matter how old you are. Writing isn't only a talent; it's a craft you can master with practice just like anything else.
Intuitive personality types (58% agreeing) were by far the most likely to harbor dreams and ambitions of writing a book, agreeing at a rate 24% higher than their Observant counterparts.
Many writers have the tendency to procrastinate and overthink every detail of their article. They shy away from doing the actual work for longer than is necessary. Don't wait until you have that perfect idea before you write and publish.
Psychologists who study creative accomplishments throughout the life cycle generally find that creativity peaks between the ages of mid- to late 30s or early 40s. They tend to view creativity from the perspective of creative and innovative disciplines, rather than individual accomplishment.
Upping Our Odds. So only 5% of the tens of millions of people who desire to write will ever even take the notion seriously. This brings us to the millions. But of those millions, how many who start writing a book will actually FINISH that novel?
Bella J Dark, age 5, is the world's youngest female author | Guinness World Records.
There are some people we might describe as “Natural Writers.” They write facilely and prolifically. They don't suffer from writer's block. They don't make grammatical errors. They naturally use transitions and connectors.
It's hard because doing it well matters, because stories matter, and the details matter, and there are often a lot of details. Sometimes they take years to organize. The feelings and ideas and memories that we put into the writing also matter, and are layered, and we can't force an understanding of them.