The Four Kinds of Writers
There are four kinds of writers: Good, Average, Inspired, and Bad.
Stories written by Good Writers come from within themselves. These stories hatch in their minds and evolve in their hearts, although, like rare pearls, they take time to cultivate. Like oysters create pearls by exuding mother-of-pearl layers to cover a grain of sand that has entered their bodies, Good Writers cover their vision with a patina of excellent description and grammar, thus producing a shining, well-rounded story. Yet, finding such gems demands a commitment most literary agents and publishers find hard to fulfil. Therefore, as excellent as they might be, most Good Writers and their stories lay unknown in the depths of the publishing industry's sea. Still, driven by their passion, Good Writers persist until their work shines so bright that even the lazy publisher feels compelled to look down and grab that manuscript and find the pearl.
Stories written by Average Writers come through them. Their stories don't hatch in their minds and evolve in their hearts but come from their memories, experiences, and what they hear, witness, or read about their subject. Similarly, like pearl-producing oysters, Average Writers react to the incentive but cannot coat their stories with brilliance and perfection. And so, when the low tide comes, the work of these writers lies like empty, broken shells, forgotten in the abandoned beaches of the publishing industry or dusty bookshelves of forgotten bookstores.
Stories written by Inspired Writers result from a connection with the unknown. They write on the impulse of a strange force or stimulus, which translates into a channelled message. Inspired Writers develop stories on arcane subjects or out-of-this-world tales as if they had been in those worlds, in that ancient past or far-away future they describe. Inspired Writers' stories don't hatch in their minds and evolve in their hearts, but an inner voice dictates them, which the Inspired Writer cannot explain nor ignore but obey. And yes, there are pearls there, too, waiting to be found by the sensible pearl-catcher publisher, literary agent, and readers.
Stories written by Bad Writers are hard to read. Instead of going out or within in search of ideas, they just sit in front of their computer, staring at a blank page and thinking what to write about. They seek inspiration. And so, they write whatever comes to them and then blame it all on the muse. Bad Writers will not be producing any pearly manuscripts soon. The pearl-oyster analogy does not apply to them. Bad Writers are like unprepared students during their final test. Not knowing the answers, they glance sideways, hoping to get a clue from one of their schoolmates. Curiously, some Bad Writers have become rich and famous, and that's only because of sheer luck, but I'm not going into those depths today.
Please, don't take Bad Writers as an example of good writing only because they are rich and famous.
