Writing: Can It Be Taught?

(http://www.linwilder.com/)"Writing is something you do alone. It’s a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it." I love this quote by John Greene, an author I’ve not read but is the best- selling New York Times author of The Fault in Our Stars.

Yes and No. The ‘yes’ part of the question is short.

• The technical aspects of writing can most definitely be learned.
• Wordiness- sentences which are too long, too many adjectives.
• Grammar and the rules of sentence structure.

All invaluable. And when ignored, the results are disastrous. In this age when any and allcan publish, incoherence is all too evident.

Back in my days of writing non-fiction, I used to tell friends that writing was easy: Just stare at the blank page until drops of blood appear on your forehead. And that phrase did describe accurately the ‘dance’ with the editors of the peer-reviewed journals where I once published. But fiction is different.

Where with non-fiction, we aim to clarify a complicated concept like cardiac physiology, in fiction we tell a story. Worth repeating, that: Tell a story.

Here is where the longer ‘no’ comes in. We cannot be taught to tell our story. With all due credit to English and Creative Writing teachers, I think writing, like any sophisticatedcraft, cannot be learned in classrooms or by reading books. Or by attending conferences. Or by listening to other writers.

Why?

Because if our story is to draw in our reader, it must be so compelling that it captivates. Our characters must be so real that it feels as if we have met them...or would like to. Provide a reason for someone to give up hours of their lives reading our novel.

It’s funny. People who don’t write, have never wanted to publish anything tend to assume that writers will quite naturally be drawn to other authors. To writer’s clubs and conferences. Makes sense, intuitively. People with similar interests tend to be attracted to one another. There are many types of craft and hobby groups. I understand that the attendees get all kinds of tips from one another when they share their quilts or other crafts.

But my advice to people who want to write is simple. Write. Don’t talk about writing, write.

The Fragrance Shed by a Violet, the sequel Do You Solemnly Swear? and the third in her series, A Price for Genius. The story of the return to faith, Finding the Narrow Road was an unplanned surprise. In her free time, Lin Wilder enjoys hiking, listening to beautiful music, gardening and last but certainly not least, reading. Lin is married to a former Marine and psychologist with 25 years of experience counseling ex- combat veterans. They reside in Nevada with their two dogs.



Lin Weeks-Wilder has published dozens of articles, wrote a textbook, and has written four self-help books. Lin has written three medical thrillers situated in Houston, Texas where Lin worked for over 23 years. For More Information Visit http://www.linwilder.com/