Everybody Can Write: Fact or Fiction?

Everyone can write, but we cannot all be good at it.

I started writing when I was in elementary. I was more on the "artistic" side then. My articles were posted in our school paper.

I'd write up my own stories and poems. It went on until high school.

I learned the technical stuff when I took up a Journalism subject in College.

I aced my grammar tests, easy peasy. I had my articles posted in the school paper, sure. I was a good writer... or so I thought.

Then, I experienced the real world... and search engine optimization. My background was a great pass to get in, but there were sooooo many things I needed to absorb... quickly.

While we can learn the technical stuff, let's accept the fact: not all of us were born to do it.

It isn't about the age either. My dad learned how to use Facebook at 58. My mom "independently" created her Instagram account at 56 (she asked me loads of questions in the process, but she did it on her own anyway).

Knowing SEO does not make you a good writer, too. I know a few that hires writers because they aren't good at it. Well, other than the fact that writing eats up so much of their time. But that's a different story,

I believe it's more on who's actually talented and patient to do it. I'm telling you: writing+SEO takes A LOT of talent and patience.

You can learn how to write, yes. It's a long road, but it is possible. But that does not make you a good one.

When do you say a writer is good? Can anyone really be a good writer? Share us your comments.

Fact actually.. anyone at all can write if they have voice to text, and 99.9% do with any computer these days.

In fact with voice to text 99% can be a very good writer as well.

Nice post!

I really think that you need specific characteristics to be a good writer. Everyone can become decent in it, but everyone really can't become great in it. And we get those characteristics with birth. If we didn't get them, can't really become a great writer.
Here is an example:
I was really lazy at school, just doing what needed to be done to get through. I had a friend who did the same. Young people, both say 15 or so and putting in exactly the same amount of effort.
We had an exam where we needed to write a long ass essay. He got MUCH better results than me as writing and expressing himself comes more naturally to him.
On the flipside, we had an exam where we needed to write a small essay + read a text and answer questions based on it (test on how easily you can grasp new information and navigate through it). I got MUCH better results in that than him.

Now I could study writing and become decent in it, but if he were to put in the same effort as me in studying, he would get much better results than me in it.

In conclusion, anyone definitely can't be a good writer.

When is a writer good - I think there is a lot of gray in that area and it is impossible to measure if a writer is good based on 1 metric.
Lets compare it to an adset. When is an adset good? Is it 10% CTR? Does that mean that an ad with 9.95% CTR is bad?

Allark said:

Nice post!

I really think that you need specific characteristics to be a good writer. Everyone can become decent in it, but everyone really can't become great in it. And we get those characteristics with birth. If we didn't get them, can't really become a great writer.
Here is an example:
I was really lazy at school, just doing what needed to be done to get through. I had a friend who did the same. Young people, both say 15 or so and putting in exactly the same amount of effort.
We had an exam where we needed to write a long ass essay. He got MUCH better results than me as writing and expressing himself comes more naturally to him.
On the flipside, we had an exam where we needed to write a small essay + read a text and answer questions based on it (test on how easily you can grasp new information and navigate through it). I got MUCH better results in that than him.

Now I could study writing and become decent in it, but if he were to put in the same effort as me in studying, he would get much better results than me in it.

In conclusion, anyone definitely can't be a good writer.

When is a writer good - I think there is a lot of gray in that area and it is impossible to measure if a writer is good based on 1 metric.
Lets compare it to an adset. When is an adset good? Is it 10% CTR? Does that mean that an ad with 9.95% CTR is bad?

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I can definitely agree with this. I think great writers are naturally better with topics that give them an opportunity to express themselves, but with some education, they can transfer their natural talent into anything.
Whether good writers may gain skills, but they will always (more or less) follow the guidelines in their head and not the natural flow.

We all have something we are passionate about.

I think the real skill is in regularly creating engaging and detailed content about topics we feel no attachment to.

i think it depends on how quickly you write or how slow you think.

i much prefer to talk and all the ideas that i want to write i forget about so sometimes i think quicker than i intend to write.

Flacko said:

We all have something we are passionate about.

I think the real skill is in regularly creating engaging and detailed content about topics we feel no attachment to.

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I agree. It's like acting, you become a totally different person once on stage.

jasonrat said:

i think it depends on how quickly you write or how slow you think.

i much prefer to talk and all the ideas that i want to write i forget about so sometimes i think quicker than i intend to write.

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Wow! That's a talent, too. I cannot talk without writing an outline of what I'm gonna say first.

I am not gonna point out grammar errors in your post.

But, I do disagree with this. I don't think you have to some special kind of innate talent or patience to unlock your writing unicorn. Its more about expressing ourselves and everyone has different form and style of expression. Writing in its core was developed to express and store information and anyone can do it. And, with a tiny bit of effort, anyone can be good at it.

The best kind of writing is the one that sounds like talking rather than the one manufactured with formula. Mark Manson, one of my favourite writers does the majority of his writing with his iPhone and TTS (Text To Speech), and it feels like he is talking to you reading his writing.
In fact, you don't even what to ace any grammar test to write, you just need to have something good to say. You can worry about that stuff later. In fact, there is a whole industry that revolves around helping you write without worrying about grammar.

On the SEO, I think SEO has nothing to do with writing; none whatsoever. Speaking from someone who is learning/working with data/machine learning, SEO writing is very different from what you write for human and doesn't feel engaging or fun to read at all. That's why I strong feeling for tons content on the interweb these days, it feels cold, calculated and written for and by something that is not humane. I would love to see some sort of alliance (balance) between these two factions to make content more enjoyable for writers/machines alike.

I think people like us, who love reading and writing words shouldn't discourage anyone saying writing is some sort of mystical talent only given out to few. We need to welcome and embrace new writers by becoming less judgmental and unforgiving.

I heard this long ago - a good writer is one whose writing makes the reader understand exactly what his thoughts are.

I don't know if everyone can be a good writer though.

Flacko said:

We all have something we are passionate about.

I think the real skill is in regularly creating engaging and detailed content about topics we feel no attachment to.

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It's also easier to write/recant something you have a genuine experience or interest in.

My partner lectures online to her degree students, she never uses a text book or anything, she is able to talk as she goes and uses supporting slides on PP. It's a pleasure to listen to her lecture, as she knows her subject matter inside and out, she enjoys it and the feedback from her students and also from assessors who monitor from time to time is excellent.

MisterF said:

It's also easier to write/recant something you have a genuine experience or interest in.

My partner lectures online to her degree students, she never uses a text book or anything, she is able to talk as she goes and uses supporting slides on PP. It's a pleasure to listen to her lecture, as she knows her subject matter inside and out, she enjoys it and the feedback from her students and also from assessors who monitor from time to time is excellent.

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Yes even in my day to day interactions, I love hearing anyone speak about a topic they are passionate about. I might not have interest in it myself, but I love when someone is so knowledgable and genuinely interested in the topic in they discuss. It makes such a huge noticeable difference.

I agree that with voice to text anyone can become a good writer. A good writer is just simply someone who can write like they are talking to you.

In my opinion, everybody can learn to write well — with some practice and perseverance. However, not everyone has the necessary will to keep learning and improving.

TimelordHarry said:

I am not gonna point out grammar errors in your post.

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Thank you. Won't point yours, too.

ContentWriter said:

Thank you. Won't point yours, too.

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Please do. I would love to learn my mistakes and correct them, and learn from someone who has been in this business for a very long time.

TimelordHarry said:

Please do. I would love to learn my mistakes and correct them, and learn from someone who has been in this business for a very long time.

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That's okay. We can discuss this outside this thread because it isn't related to it. Or you may use a grammar checker, that'd be faster.

Even with voice to text, the majority of people still can't produce content worth consuming. Listen to all the absolute trash people utter. Who would want to read their content?

At this point I'd say that one must be born with a talent to write. I mean, since I started my niche website, it's been so difficult not only to come up with what to write about, but write readable and engaging content as well. Not being a native speaker doesn't help either.

I'm not sure how much practice it takes to get good at it, but I assume years and years.

Wooten said:

At this point I'd say that one must be born with a talent to write. I mean, since I started my niche website, it's been so difficult not only to come up with what to write about, but write readable and engaging content as well. Not being a native speaker doesn't help either.

I'm not sure how much practice it takes to get good at it, but I assume years and years.

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Ayn Rand was born in Russia. Her native tongue was Russian; yet, she produced some of the best works English literature has ever seen.
It does not matter, if you are a native or not. What matters most (other factors count, of course, but, what matters most) is in-born talent. If you have it, you can write in any language. If you don't have it, you are doomed, to at best, mediocrity.

BassTrackerBoats said:

Fact actually.. anyone at all can write if they have voice to text, and 99.9% do with any computer these days.

In fact with voice to text 99% can be a very good writer as well.

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Like you Greg