Is Writing a Natural Gift?

I love stories.

I listen to them. I watch them on TV, videos, or movies. I read them.

And I write them.

I’ve written almost every kind of story there is. Mystery, romance, confession, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, horror, and every other kind I can think of and garnered a couple prizes and ‘best-selling’ author designations along the way.

I’ve written short stories, novellas, and novels.

In the process I’ve learned that my favorite stories are science fiction and paranormal. Preferably the two combined.

My stories are always clean, they are always either contemporary or near future, they always have at least a slight romantic element, and they always end happily. Always. Guaaranteed. (Okay, two short stories, ‘The River Boy’ and ‘Down From The Mountain’ have endings that might not be considered completely happy. Maybe just somewhat happy. You decide.)

Check out the covers below and see what you think. And have a happy, happy day.

MOST RECENT: PUBLISHED OR WILL BE PUBLISHED SOON

Is Writing a Natural Gift?

I’ve been asked if writing is a natural gift or if it can be acquired or learned.

Of course it always helps to have a bit of natural skill but that’s true of everything, not just writing. People born with the skill needed to throw a ball toss it with more ease than those who had to practice. But both can do it well. The same thing applies to writing.

With this one caveat:

Even if you are a born storyteller, styles change. The kind of stories people enjoyed reading a hundred years ago may not be the kind most people enjoy reading today. Life is now faster and stories had better not take too long to get to the point or readers will stop reading.

So even if you were born with the gift of storytelling, craft is important and so is practice. And more practice. And still more practice.