Writing Takes Hard Work, Dedication, and the Right Parents?

 

Is your mom
or dad a bestselling author? If not, a study suggests you might want to put
your pen away and give up all hope. The Independent reports new research that
shows there may be “an inherited element to writing good fiction.” Fucksakes,
eh?



Yale
researchers and Moscow State University researchers launched a study to
determine whether science could explain why well-known writers often have
children who are also talented writers.



“There are
four generations of Waugh novelists – Arthur, sons Alec and Evelyn, Evelyn's
son Auberon, and Auberon's daughter Daisy; Kingsley Amis and his son Martin; H
G Wells and Rebecca West, and their son Anthony West.




"There
are also the three venerable Brontë sisters, Henry and William James
[brothers], the Cheevers [father, daughter and son], and the Ephrons [parents
were screenwriters, and four daughters are also writers]," say the
researchers.



And we all
know of more modern examples of such literary families.



Researchers
analyzed the writing of 511 children (8 to 17), and then looked at 489 of their
mothers and 326 fathers. The participants in the study all wrote about specific
themes. For example, the children had subjects like "were I an
elephant" and "were I invisible". Teens wrote on themes like, "a
time machine for an hour" and "visiting a witch" and the adults
wrote about "the world from an insect's point of view" and
"imagine who lives and what happens on a planet called Priumliava.” Jesus,
that one would be a tough assignment.



Researchers
rated the stories based on originality, plot, sophistication, and creative use
of prior knowledge. They also did “detailed intelligence tests” to analyze how
families functioned in the Russian households. After that, they took intelligence
and family background into account and calculated the inherited and the
environmental elements of creative writing.



But what did they find?!



This: “a
modest but statistically significant familiality and heritability element to
creative writing.”



That
sounds…what?



“These
findings constitute the tip of an interesting iceberg, indicating that there
may be some components of creative writing that are familial and heritable.”


The
researchers feel that it may be worthwhile to study whether or not creative
writers are born as well as made.




“When
writers capitalise on these inborn propensities and expose these propensities
to rich experiences, we, as readers, can enjoy books that not only form the
foundation of cultural life but also impact the biology of the human
brain."



Maybe in a
few years we’ll all have to stop saying that one isn’t born a writer. I don’t
know. Maybe we really are born writers. But if I believe talent is inherited,
then I have to admit I’m wondering where I got mine…or perhaps I don’t have
any. I have family members that are very creative, and in my very biased
opinion they are talented, but they’re not close relatives. Aunts, uncles,
cousins, but not mother, father or grandparents.



On the
other hand, my daughters are showing a natural ability to create fiction. My
oldest (now 14) writes with a skill I’d have killed for at that age (I’d kill
for it now), and it’s nothing she’s been taught. She just has always had a
knack for creating beautiful imagery and her word usage is always unexpected.
My youngest creates vivid characters, although at eight, she’s not yet penning
full stories. Instead she creates scenes to act out, and I have to say again,
I’m jealous that it’s all child’s play for her and not work.



Are these
things natural for every child, or are they inherited?



What do you
think? Are writers born or are they made?