5 Common Writing Misconceptions

Jake Alexander

When people get together they often focus on their need to share information. Along with the need to share comes the perverse tendency to exaggerate. And with exaggeration, especially if the mood is negative, comes fear. Fear and negativity can create myths and misconceptions. Over the years misconceptions have permeated the field of writing, and often serve to ward off would-be writers who might otherwise enjoy writing and all the benefits it entails.

Five common writing misconceptions are:

1 - Writing comes easily to good authors. Not true. It only comes easily to writers who don't care about their writing or about their readers. Professional writers that care about their work and about their audiences all agree that writing is hard work. Regardless of their age or experience, or income all agree that the need to write, critique, edit and rewrite can be frustrating while the process is taking place, and doesn't become rewarding until it's finished. The good news is that experience and practice can make many writing tasks easier, especially once you have developed a method or process.

2 - Writing takes talent. While it is true that talent can help and that talent can be the difference between being a great writer and being a good writer, it is not absolutely necessary. Moreover, talent by itself is not enough to make a great writer or even a good writer. Writing is a discipline that is learned, developed and honed. It's a craft -- some where between art and science -- that must be practiced to be developed. When you study and practice your craft, when you study and learn more about the writing of others, and when you ask for and accept guidance and suggestions, then your writing will improve and your ability will grow. Discipline combined with talent can create amazing results but of the two, discipline will take you farther.

3 - Writing isn't a useful skill. Also not true. Many have made a good living as a writer, but even if you don't intend to make a living with words you still need this critical skill. Virtually every profession involves writing in one way or another. People write to inform, to teach, to request, to influence, and to change their circumstances. As a professional, you need the ability to persuade and bring about change. There is no better way than through skillful writing. Your writing ability will affect your ability to land a job or to advance in your career. Writing is critical to success in both professional and personal relationships.

4 - It's hard to make a living as a writer. Not true. The need for information is everywhere and growing rapidly. As we go forward, the ability to express ideas in writing will become more and more important. Not only are plenty of jobs available that are purely based on writing, but the majority of good, professional jobs require writing ability for success. The information age is making this a mandatory skill for every modern day job seeker. The ability to put ideas together to create content is a skill that will give you a competitive advantage in nearly any arena.

5 - Writer's block will make most people fail. Not true. To be sure, writer's block is a real issue that many writers will need to deal with from time-to-time. But it isn't the giant obstacle that most people think it is. In the first place, writer's block is often self-imposed -- by the writer's own lack of discipline and understanding about the writing process. You can easily get past writer's block by requiring yourself to write. If you can't think of anything to write about the subject at hand, then write about something else and come back to it later. But keep writing. When writer's block is not self-imposed, it is most often an indication that the particular idea is not yet fully developed in the mind of the writer. In this case, writing is stalled, not blocked. There are techniques for helping the mind explore the idea and finish its development. Sometimes it's just a matter of more time. And, again, writing about something else can help by letting the mind work on the idea subconsciously. Sometimes the time can be spent doing more research and more planning. When the idea is ready, the thoughts will come and the writing will start to pour out once again.

As you progress in your writing, try to avoid falling victim to the common writing misconceptions. Just practice your craft, give yourself time to formulate your ideas and let the writing flow.