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In this article, we will explore the popular question – are writers born or made?

Author: Izuchukwu Ugwu            

Reviewer & Editor: Chinyere Nwosu

If this was a debate, I wonder who would win. Both writers and non-writers are on this question because they both ask the same question and wait for different results according to their conviction. Some who partake in answering this dilemmatic question have enormous points to buttress their reasons for whatever choice they’re defending. Either way, we are yet to find out in this article what writers are – made or born.

Some reasons which show that writers are made –

1. Someone who didn’t have a flair for writing during childhood suddenly finds out later in life that she loves writing because of the urge to express herself.

2. A boy falls in love and wants to profess his love, not just orally but through words scribbled on paper.

3. A supposed introverted fellow wants to scream out loud through the papers because of what he’s going through.

4. A lady wants to learn how to write, to earn a living.

The above points will convince you that writers are born and made. What about the ones who oppose these claims? Some insist that when writers are not born, they will never be good enough – at least not as good as the natural-born writers.

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Writing is for those who understand the vocabulary of a language. It isn’t for everyone. Established writers sometimes do not understand this – that not everyone can write. This is usually the backbone of this argument. Everyone is not a writer; constant practice may not work all the time. 

Just as in the classroom, everyone has his area of specialty. In different walks of life, it is not so different. Therefore, not everyone can write or become a good writer.

For one to become a writer, one has to put in some work. You may have the zeal to write but don’t know what and how to. Naturally, words flow through a talented writer more than others, yet, without practice, this skill withers. 

For one to be a good writer, reading is essential. Without reading, you may not have words to express what you have in your head. Vocabulary building is the essence of reading – this is for writers and writer-wannabes.

There are also typical skills to learn in writing, and appointed places to learn them from. 

Blog writing, non-fiction, and resume writings won’t fully enhance your writing glee. It can sharpen your wits. To have your creative writing skills skyrocket, you need to start reading novels. This is because novels will brighten your creative writing skills and make you see different writing styles. Some types of writing you will meet include – the argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive aspects.

The argumentative writing as displayed by writers shows the disagreement between characters, and resolution kicks in at the end of the story. Same as the expository, narrative, and descriptive writing types. You can only be find these in novels. Therefore without reading novels or similar works of different writers, according to the niche of the reader, he learns not his best – as his vocabulary, grammar placement, pronunciation, etc his writing would be mediocre at best. 

In addition, writers are made from what they experience and feel, which they feel the need to expand through writing. One can learn many writing techniques just from reading diverse authors. Gathering knowledge and writing techniques from these authors will emancipate your unique style and shape your tone – which in turn designs your niche. To make a good writer, one must be a great reader.

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In Conclusion

Writers have amazing gifts that make them different from other people. The creativity, interwoven words especially, for poets – the design and layout they give to their narrations, nature, beauty, and the universe, make some insist that writing is innate and not learned. But then again, great writers have been discovered, and their uniqueness noted down. These writers are a product of resilience, hard work, and consistency.

All writers have some uniqueness and style. Their diction separates one writer from another – it tells who wrote what. Using the arguement presented here as yardstick, we can conclude that a writer can be born and the gift innate, and a writer can also be made, with the gift acquired through hard work and persistence.