In his book, On Writing, Stephen King says he has two theses.

“The first is that good writing consists of mastering the fundamentals (vocabulary, grammar, the elements of style) and then filling the third level of your toolbox with the right instruments,

The second is that while it is impossible to make a competent writier out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one.”

King cautions, however, “I’m afraid this idea is rejected by lots of critics and plenty of writing teachers as well…men and women who teach their classes that writing ability is fixed and immutable; once a hack, always a hack.

Source: Stephen King On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft. Scribner, New York, 2000

_ Dennis Mellersh