If you don't sit there and put in the hours, write all those
words down and go over them again and again and again, being talented doesn't
count for anything.
If you spend more time telling people you're a writer and
indulging in some romantic ideal of being a writer than you do actually
writing, you're not going to get anywhere.
The person who doesn't naturally have an affinity for words
but who spends ten thousand hours working at it is going to learn more and
likely become better than someone who has a natural ear for a sentence but
spends their time staring wistfully out rain-streaked windows and imagining
being interviewed about how much of a literary genius they are.
(I have no idea what 'has a natural ear for a sentence'
means. People say weird things like that. Sometimes people say weird things
like that to me. It counts for nothing unless you put a lot of sentences
together.)
Just put in the time. Create a product. Whether that's a
novel or a short story or an album or a painting, I don't think it matters. At
the very least, create a hundred almost-products and learn all you can from
them. This goes for anything.
If you want to be published, and you want to make a living as
a writer - which is a valid goal, just as valid as wanting to write just for
yourself, just to creatively express - you can.
Things that help: perseverance, single-mindedness,
motivation, inspiration, passion, a little bit of madness. Just a touch.
Talent? Affinity? Genius? Doesn't really matter. If your
brain is wired for writing it's not any use unless you actually write. If
you're really shockingly bad at writing? That doesn't matter either. Writing,
and writing, and continuing to write, and writing a bit more after that? That
does. That's pretty much all that does. (Okay, not including reading, editing,
ability to accept critique, ability to deal with rejection, shh, shh, I'm
trying to keep it simple.)
Persistence counts for more than talent. That shouldn't be a
depressing thought. Things aren't just handed to you. That's good. It's much
more fulfilling to become good at something through a lot of hard work. You'll
never really 'make it'. You'll always be improving; you will always need to
persist. Talent can be a good nudge - if something comes easily to you it might
seem a waste not to pursue it - but it won't take you far unless you put in the
time and effort.
You got it? I'm twenty now. I've got all the answers.*
*Maybe an overstatement. Maybe.
