A sure way to destroy your chances of learning how to write skillfully is to believe that writing is a "natural gift" rather than a learned skill. People with such an attitude think that they are the only ones for whom writing is unbearably difficult. They feel that everyone else finds writing easy or at least tolerable. Such people often say, "I'm not any good at writing" or "English was not one of my good subjects." They imply that they simply do not have a talent for writing while others do. The result of this attitude is that these people try to avoid writing, and when they do write, they don't try their best. Their writing fails chiefly because they believe that they don't have the "natural talent" needed to write. Unless their attitude changes, they probably will not learn how to write effectively. A realistic attitude about writing must build on the idea that writing is a skill. It is a skill like driving, typing, or cooking; and, like any skill, it can be learned. If you have the determination to learn, you will develop your writing skills by practicing extensively. Many people find it difficult to do the active thinking that clear writing demands. It is frustrating to discover how much of a challenge it is to transfer thoughts and feelings from one's head onto a sheet of paper. But writing is not an automatic process: We will not get something for nothing -- and we should not expect to. For almost everyone, skillful writing comes from hard work -- from determination and sweat. The good news is that the skill of writing can be mastered, and if you are ready to work, you will learn what you need to know. Why do some people think writing is difficult?
They have no time to practice writing. They believe few people can write well. They have no good teachers to help them. They don't think writing can be learned.