OK... Where Do I Start?

To all you wannabe-writers and bloggers; have you ever tried your hardest to squeeze creative juices from your mind, but to no avail? Do you feel like a giant blank canvas screaming for ideas, but nothing's scribbling? If you've experienced this type of mental block before ( and I'm sure ALL of you have), then show me some sympathy, 'cause that's exactly what I'm wracking my brain for - I'm stumped. I'm tongue-tied ( or brain-tied ). I'm coming up empty. As I twiddle my thumbs in this futile effort to come up with words, an age old question popped up in my mind; is writing innate or learned? Are some people just naturally better at churning up ideas and putting them in words? And are others, like me, can't seem to write to save my life?

I've always thought that some skills are purely born-of-your-talent. Singing is one of them. So is athleticism. So is anything artistic. No matter how much an average person practices singing, shooting hoops, or whipping up an artwork, they can only improve somewhat, but will never be great. Heck, they won't ever be good. These are innate skills - either passed down in the DNA, or something that you have a natural disposition for. Then there are skills that can be learned; Choreographed dancing ( just watch Dancing with the Stars). Foreign language. Chess. These don't need innate skills, and anyone can become decently good at them, as long as they have the aptitude to learn.

So where is writing placed in this nature vs nurture spectrum? After Google-searching and reading numerous articles on this topic, I've come to draw my own not-so-scientific conclusion: it's somewhere in the middle. People don't drop out of the womb as natural writers, however some people may naturally have more creative flare than others. That creative flare, when properly honed, can smoothly transition into literary talent - which explains why some people have easier time with word craft.

So for those who don't have that starting point, here are some tips on how they can develop their writing skills, albeit slowly and gradually.

1. Become an avid reader. Read anything and everything - newspaper, crime novels, advertisements, blogs, even something silly as the Daily Mail. There is power in absorbing written materials - the more you read, the more your brain picks up on words, sentences, expressions, and ideas.

2. Listen to spoken media outlets. It could be TED talks. It could be a podcast. It could be a heated debate on CNN. Simply put it, fill your mind with dialogue. Similar to #1, doing this fuels your mind with literary creativity.

3. Learn a new word, phrase, or an expression everyday and write them down. You will be amazed how many literary devices you can amass in your quest to become a better writer.

4. Practice writing everyday. There's no secret formula to this - you just gotta practice churning out words! Think of a random topic, and come up with at least 200 words ( or whatever your target may be). If you are stuck on topics, think of something you may be interested or are knowledgeable on. You'll have a much easier time writing on stuff you are familiar with, as a starting point.

So there you have it; writing, just like any skill - takes practice. There's no secret formula to getting better except consistently churning out ideas and putting them into words, no matter how basic your writing may sound (hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?). You may not become the next Stephen King or Shakespeare, but with enough practice, you can create your own blog, become a copywriter, or even come up with your own novel! So go ahead, turn on the TV, open that book, or tune into that catty debate on Youtube. Immerse yourself with words, ideas, and dialogue through various channels of medium, and slowly bring out the writer in you (heck, mine's been hiding in the closet for way too long!).

And as I conclude this post, I am amazed that my mind - which started off as a giant blank canvas - was able to pump out 5 solid paragraphs and 675 words.