This is the literary equivalent of the classic question: ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’
There are two groups of people: those who believe writing cannot be learned or taught, and those who believe it can.
Before I reveal which camp I belong to, let me tell you a bit about my writing journey.
A Bookworm in Childhood…with a Naughty-Nice Twist
I was the classic bookworm as a child. But before you dismiss me off as another nerd, let me inform you that looks can be deceptive.
My initiation into reading at the age of 5 years was an Archie Comics, and I was hooked onto it ever since. But it is what pulled me into the reading habit. I don’t think my father realised it was a young adult comic about dating in the American mainstream culture. Here I was a 5-year old child who did her elementary school in a quaint town in Kerala, and moved to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. But the whole glamourised college scene in America with pretty boys and girls excited me to no end.
I then moved onto the good old English classic book while continuing to read the latest issues of Archies Comics. I also went onto excel in the language at school both in her academics and extra-curricular activities.
I started reading Sidney Sheldon way before the prescribed age upon accidental discovery. Since then, she’s read every Sheldon book. There was no ban culture in our house. And surprise, I didn’t grow to be a bad fruit either. On the contrary, I was the epitome of a good girl.
When I Put Away the Books on the Shelf
I was a voracious reader until school. Then, I got distracted and weaned away from reading for pleasure for decades. I used to write actively in my early teen years but I put off writing as well once I left school.
I wish I didn’t stay away from reading and writing for so long. I would get distracted each time I tried to get back to the habit with other shiny baubles.
I dabbled into remote freelance writing right after I gave birth to my daughter. More work with international clients started pouring in. I didn’t even have to try hard at excelling at my job. It was a cakewalk while I was grappling with the pressures of being a newborn’s mother.
A few years later, I started writing for other major platforms, and was recognised with rewards and awards. It was writing that got me back into the corporate world after a huge sabbatical.
Born with It?
I don’t think I’m a gifted writer at all. I have no qualms in saying i’m still learning. The sky is the limit when it comes to learning.
I know if it had not been my voracious reading habit from childhood coupled with writing for joy in my early teens, writing effortlessly for a wide range of clientele across geographies wouldn’t magically happen. To add to it, my parents gave me the best education in good academic institutions. We had fabulous school teachers back then unlike today.
I also know for a fact that writing can be learned and taught. As an accidental entrepreneur and writing mentor in mid-2018, I’ve seen children who flunked at English in their school exams improve drastically in creative writing with patient guidance. This is not a one-off incident but a consistent trend I’ve seen in my students.
Writing is a skill that can be learned and taught to anyone. Give me the weakest, least creative child, and I’ll show you how it can be done.Do you feel strongly otherwise? I would love to hear your take.
This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026.
