"Writers are Made, Not Born"

Not sure where this quote came from, but it's so true. Even though a writer can be gifted with a God-given talent, it is one of those skills that must be continually fine-tuned. I tell my students that even though I've been writing essentially my whole life, from myriad of journals, short stories, and diaries I kept as a child to the thousands of articles I've written for publications and books, I still must hone my craft. I must have a teachable spirit and not take it personally when there are mistakes that need to be edited or rewrites that I must undertake. In order for any of us to improve as writers, we need to be writing a wide variety of things. If students only do key word outlines and rewrite paragraphs that have already been written, they will not be able to tackle various other assignments and situations that come along. Try writing an opinion to an editorial, a detailed letter, an elaborate tale, a journalistic style article, a blog, a short fictional story, entries in a journal, a Bible study, and a speech. There are endless ways to stretch and flex the writing mind. My hope is that as an aging woman, I will continue to feel that my writing can always be improved upon. Write on!