Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Worth Reading: Steve Lovelady on writing and editing

I really, really am behind in some areas and just have gotten to some back reading of Roy Peter Clark's writing column for Poynter.

In the course, I came across his tribute to Steve Lovelady, a tribute that includes a reprint of Lovelady's speech about writing and editing (or teaching), and how they interact (or at least should, for as he points out, we too often fall short in that) -- and the niceties of grammar, language, etc.

It's worth bookmarking and coming back to from time to time. I'll give you just a taste to, I hope, entice you to follow the link:
My belief has always been, and remains, that good writing cannot be taught, but it can be nurtured and cultivated and encouraged. I’ve become convinced that there are a fair number of people who are, by all accounts, intelligent and pleasant folks who can never learn to write. 
There is a gift of some kind. One must kiss the Blarney Stone or some such. But by “nurtured,” I mean that a writer can be in an environment where good writing is given praise, like the right newspaper where there are people whose praise can serve to inspire and offer help.

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1 Comments:

At 12/31/10, 11:07 AM, Blogger Doreen Lombardo said...

My writing professors always told me the same thing. One must have a talent, which can be nurtured, but just as with musical ability, it's something you are born to excel in. My grandfather could pick up any instrument and just play it. Yes, he was nurtured, so he excelled, but he had the talent to work with. I wholeheartedly agree with this theory.

 

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