Do your writing skills ever go away?
In the last six months or so, my writing has been dwindling. I find that more and more I am second guessing my writing. I write a lot less than I did even a year ago and lately it seems that maybe the chops have fallen to the wayside a bit. I’m a bit unsure about the way some of my sentences are structured and little grammar thingies that were no-brainers are now cause for pause.
This situation has got me thinking. I had always taken for granted the fact that you either have writing skills or you don’t. Now I’m not so sure that it is fact. It could be that the deterioration of skills is all in my head. It could be that maybe I’m just in a phase of uninspired writing. Or, it could be that like a lot of other things in life, writing is a “use it or lose it” game.
I’m not sure which of these possibilities are the most palatable. I guess I could do a little experiment and write like a fiend for a month and see if I’m in a better place. Of course the problem with that strategy is that you need to feel at least a little inspired. I don’t. I could go back to the roots of my blog and read through some of my early posts on inspired writing but I don’t really feel like it.
It is kind of interesting that as I’m writing my obligatory posts, I see a lot more red squiggly lines than I have in the past. Normally, my spelling is spot on and since I also edit as I type, those little red lines rarely show up. Maybe my fingers have just gotten too fat.
I do have one theory about my writing going away but I think it may be a bit far fetched. In November I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) where a writer signs up to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I did it. Finished 5 days early, even. What if I sicked up all my writing all at once? Suppose what I wrote was all I had in me and I’ve just been slowly dying a writer’s death? Do you ever feel that way about your writing? I wonder if the well ever really runs dry.
The title of this post asks a question. Usually when I pose a question as a post title, I know what the answer is (or at least I can argue one side of the question). This time I don’t really have an answer. I’m tossing this one to the readership. Do writing skills go away?
About the Author: A writer living in Alaska. A simple man with few passions: My daughter, writing, soccer and now and then a good cigar.
Allison | Jun 14, 2011 | Reply
Hi, I had to reply to this post because I think we all go through slump periods from time to time. If one happens to occur during a quiet period where you don’t have much client work coming in, it can feel even more pronounced.
I think they are just that though in most cases – periods, rather than a permanent change. If you’re a writer you know you can write. But we all have periods where we feel we can’t do it or we need to recharge our batteries a bit. I don’t believe your writing skills have gone away – perhaps they’ve just gone on vacation for a while! They’ll be back I’m sure.
tumblemoose | Jun 15, 2011 | Reply
Hi Allison,
Thanks for commenting. I think that there is some validity to the premise that there are slumps and that the muse will most likely return. That’s what I’m hoping for.
George
Sharon Hurley Hall | Jun 15, 2011 | Reply
Hi George, I agree with Allison. Sounds like you’re going through a slump or burnout. I’ve been through this a few times and there’s always more great writing on the other side. Hang in there!
Allena | Jun 15, 2011 | Reply
I believe (and I teach my students this) that there is no such thing as a good writer- only good writing. And that comes from the practice of writing, from DOING. A secondary practice is in reading. They connect within the brain, and reading good prose or poetry can scaffold writing good prose or poetry. So, no I don’t believe it’s a set of skills that you simply possess and keep at all times, no matter what. I think you can lose it, but the upside is that you can also gain it back by daily practice and immersion. That’s my two cents!
tumblemoose | Jun 17, 2011 | Reply
Cheers, Sharon. I’m hoping it’s just that. This is me, hangin’.
George
tumblemoose | Jun 17, 2011 | Reply
Hi Allena,
Good two cents. Hopefully I’ll feel like getting into practice soon!
George
AJ Best | Jun 17, 2011 | Reply
I do think that they go away, when your brain just has too much on it. But it does come back. Sometimes even writing things like journal entries help me. I’m in a heck of a funk myself right now. I hate it..
Mark | Jun 18, 2011 | Reply
Mate, this deserves a blog-length response, so watch out for my posting tomorrow. Take it easy.
tumblemoose | Jun 22, 2011 | Reply
Hi AJ. Thanks for the comment. I’m thinking of maybe writing in a journal to kick start me back into the writing arena.
George