The “talented” writer

A friend of mine recently complimented me on my writing. I've known him for many years, we were at secondary school together. We've stayed in touch, and his compliment was in reference to the newsletter that I sent out over the weekend. We spoke about all sorts, as we always do. With my book recently being released, he congratulated on that feat and kindly said to me something along the lines of "Your writing is really impressive, mate." I took the compliment as graciously as I could (I think), and I think in the moment I said something along the lines of I had a natural affinity for writing, and that I'd been writing as an adult for about 7 years now - so practise also helps. I'm not sure if I believe in the notion of the "talented" writer, so to speak. I think (or, perhaps, I choose to believe) that practise and perseverance are they key to one's becoming the accomplished version of the writer they are supposed to be. One book in particular that has helped me frame it like this is Angela Duckworth's book, Grit; or, to quote its full title: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. I like to think of my writing as something I am continuing to cultivate over time, becoming a little more of the writer I am supposed to be. I'm not sure I will ever, or will want to, think of myself as "talented". Of course, though, compliments on my writing are gratefully received and acknowledged. So thank you, Dan. I appreciate your words. — Jas Hothi is a writing coach, blogger & author of The Indie Author. READ HIS BLOG or SIGN UP FOR HIS NEWSLETTER to receive a free copy of his book, The Indie Author.