David Debord
Author of the Absent Gods Fantasy Series
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American Idol and Following Dreams: Is Writing a Gift or a Learned Skill?
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January is an exciting month in my family. I look forward to bowl games, NFL playoffs, and the Superbowl. My children look forward to American Idol. They actually prefer the audition shows to the actual competition, and I will confess to having a bit of sometimes unkind fun laughing at the audacity of people who have somehow convinced themselves that they are God's gift to singing. I find myself wondering how they got to this point, imagining they have probably always been told by family and friends how great they are, and always come back to the same question:
Where is the line between someone following their dreams and simply deluding her/himself? Is there a line at all? Imagine you are the parent of a child whose dream is to be a singer, but by age twenty or so (if not earlier), it has become apparent that your child will be, at best, a very nice complementary singer in a church choir. What do you tell that child? There are a myriad of possible answers:
"Don't let anyone tell you you can't do it! Keep on reaching for your dream!"
"Perhaps it's time to make singing a hobby, but not a life path."
"Those who can't, teach!"
"It's just not meant to be."
And many others.
I've sometimes felt this way about "wannabe" authors. Some people have a great vocabulary and can craft a lovely sentence, but can't create a memorable character or craft an entertaining plot. Others might have great ideas, but can't put them to paper in a coherent manner. I always give the same advice:
Join a writing workshop or critique group.
Read! (And always reflect on what you are reading and have read.)
Write!
I believe everyone who truly desires to improve can do so. Without question, one can improve her or his technical skill. I wonder, though, if anyone can truly learn to be a storyteller? One can learn the "tricks of the trade" as it were, but is there an innate ability to tell a story, or craft a character? Are some people gifted with that ability in the same way that some are gifted with a great singing voice? I'd love to hear the thoughts of others on the subject.
Oh, and Ryan Seacrest trying to high-five the visually-impaired guy was hilarious.
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I spend a lot of time telling people that they can tell a story and that they should try it some time. This is usually after someone says that they could never write a novel like I did. My response is that everyone creates. There's not a person alive -- so far as I know -- who doesn't daydream. If you daydream and you know how to read and write, then you can write a story.
Now this is a far cry from successfully writing a story that anyone else wants to read or that a publisher will choose to publish. That's the problem of course. We all like our daydreams and the little stories we tell ourselves. For many people who watch TV or regularly screen films, these are often fan-fic tales, based on someone else's universe. As far as I'm concerned, whatever floats your boat. If you enjoy writing whatever it is and you're content to read it yourself or maybe post it on a website, then you should do so.
On the other hand, trying to become a professional author is a hugely time-consuming and frustrating enterprise. Many excellent authors never make it, so it shouldn't be a surprise when other people with no training have their personal version of the great American novel turned down. Unfortunately, for many people, it -is- a surprise.
Worse, for many would-be novelists, they assume that they don't need input in order to better their work. I have reviewed stories, chapters & whole novels -- at two online websites and in a face-to-face local writers group. Many people, especially in the first two groups, simply won't change anything based on suggestions. That's "won't change -anything-".
People who long for a career in singing or playing an instrument may sometimes have an easier route today -- hard as this is to believe. There are a lot of groups out there who are showmen (show women?) more than they are good singers, guitarists, etc. I think it's sad -- though too true -- that many people make it in the entertainment industry because of their good looks and maybe because of their connections, rather than their talent. In the meantime, I'd guess that better singers and musicians can't even get a local gig because they aren't attractive looking and -- guessing here -- aren't good at networking, relating to an audience between numbers, etc.
Just an aside from this re perfect pitch vs a good voice. I suffer from perfect pitch. It's ironic. I never learned how to read music but I can tell immediately if something is off-key. It's excruciating. On the other hand, while I can sing fairly well & have the range of a contralto (so I'm told), I have tiny gaps in the scale where I simply cannot produce the required note. I know this because I can hear it. I could spend an hour -- or a day -- trying to produce the correct sound and it simply will not come out of my mouth.
Tone deafness astounds me. It's like color blindness for the ears. Nothing against people who are tone deaf. They didn't ask for it. There's no gentle way to tell them that they are always and every time singing off key when they join in with everyone else on a chorus or sing enthusiastically in church. Nonetheless, it -is- winceable. Here's a case, when I believe a parent should figure out a way to gently break the bad news to a child who mature enough to understand the problem. If it were up to me I would make a comparison to color blindness when explaining the situation. It isn't the person's fault but it's probably a good idea for them to know about their problem.
I once knew someone who was the equivalent of tone-deaf or colorblind when it came to relating the plot of a film or TV show. She was a smart woman who worked in my office and always did a fine job with her responsibilities. However, she simply could not give a lucid account of a book or a film's plot. Obviously, she was one of a minority who would be better off writing for their own amusement, but who would never know that unless someone found a gentle way to tell her. I never said anything to this woman, since she never expressed any interest in writing. I suppose to this day she still gives long cryptic descriptions of movie plots, while listeners' eyes glaze over.
Don't know if any of this is what you were looking for but it's what I got. ;-P
SherryT
"Scribblings" http://tree-lady.livejournal.com/
""Love Laws" Jessie and Shanty has been friends all their lives and shared most everything, at least that's what Jessie thought until she discovers things about Shanty she never knew. Wanting to be successfull Jessie embarks on a longtime dream of her grandfathers and takes it in another form to the worst part of her home towns neighborhood. Being under the watchfull eyse of Dustin and Russell Jessie finds herself up to her throat in "Love Laws"."
In all fairness, it is possible that English is not this author's first language. I hope.
