Writing: Inspiration or Perspiration?

A good friend recently read a story of mine, and commented that I am a gifted writer, and while I know this was meant as a compliment, there is a big part of me that disagrees, because the comment belies how much work went into that piece.

Thomas Edison famously said success is 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration. Einstein said Genius is 1% talent 99% hard work.

There are those who say creativity can not be taught, and that we can only work with our innate skills. You're either born to be a writer or not. Then there are the millennials who think that just wanting it badly enough is sufficient to achieve your goal.

So who is right? As is so often the case with conflicting viewpoints, often weighing them in a balance, and taking some truth from each is where we find a balanced view.

I think that to be a writer, there does need to be a predisposition /God Given talent or innate skill that provide a starting point. Equally, there has to be the desire to write, which need to be strong enough to see you through the piles of rejection slips. Finally, there is so much to learn, and if you want to make it as a writer, you need to develop your skills, work hard and make your story as good as it can be, to take time to tweak it, improve it, allow it to form and grow.

Writing well is hard work, but it is so worth the effort.