Born with it?

I think a talent for the learning or facile use of languages is somewhat inherent, just as a talent for manipulating numbers, producing music or art, or designing buildings or bridges is.
The more opportunity for practice you have will help you develop whatever talent or skill you possess to it's fullest potential though. So I think both the inherent ability and exposure to good language are important.

I have to say though - when someone is not naturally good at something, it's very hard to teach them to be, because it's difficult to instill enough desire or motivation in them to stick with it so that they can be.
People tend to like to do what they're good at. I know I have had several people say that they could teach me to draw, but I have so little confidence in my abilities in that area, that I haven't even tried. I just don't "believe" that I could do it. And that's a huge stumbling block in terms of me ever finding out that maybe I could.

Almost every child gains some command of language before adulthood, but only children who are listened to and talked to and exposed to books and ideas develop their full verbal ability.

So, you think that a child who is talked to alot, and also get to talk a great deal him/herself will later develope a language fit for good writing?
I myself remember when I was a child/teenager I had a form of epilepsy where you "disappear" in your head, very scary. Anyway, no time to explain, but at first we had no idea what it was, I thought I was going mad and was really depressed. And, me and my darling mom used to talk about it all the time, how I felt etc from that I was about 6 years old. She let me express myself alot.
And I'm thinking that time in my childhood might have something to do with my writing today, when what I do is praised.
But I guess what I'm really interested in is if we are born with talents in general, which might not be a discussion for this particular section.



Ps, in case you didn't already know, I'm swedish, so don't judge by my ENGLISH writing :wink:

I'm sure there is a genetic component to verbal flair.

I think it might be a combination. Personally I've been praised for my writing abilities all my life. I love it. I'm good at it. My mother was a good writer and so was my grandmother and her mother before that. My sister's a good writer... essentially every woman on my mother's side of the family has some talent for writing. However, that doesn't mean it's always easy. Despite a natural ability I still put a lot of effort and time into my writing.
So I do think genetics can play a large part in writing ability. But I also think that if you really want to write well you will be able to as long as you work at it. If you work at editing, trying new vocabulary, observing your surroundings and reading often so that you can learn to re-read your own writing and know if it's good then you still have a good chance at producing some decent writing. If you have the genes you have a chance and if you work hard at it you have a chance. Some people have both, but I think as long as you have one you at least have a chance.

My family doesn't really even understand when I tell them "I write".

I have no genetic proof of good english skills or family adept in the art of speaking one's voice in the fashion of a storyteller.

I also have no friends who are even slightly interested in writing. Now you know why I'm here....


Not sure about being born with some skill, other than genetically speaking. But, you can be born with a profession and still not have a desire to do it. Childhood influence I would imagine could be the strongest stuff to move you into something like expressing yourself.

Environment big factor in writing. Hope I stayed on topic...