Writers often task themselves with being “original”—as if originality were the primary metric of success. But in almost every other craft, excellence is the result of iteration, not intuition. Is it time to liberate ourselves from the myth of originality?
The Great Misunderstanding
I am continually shocked at how few people understand just how peripheral “originality” is to the craft of writing. Even more surprising is how many writers claim to understand this, yet still task themselves with being “original.”
We’ve all heard the saying,“Good artists borrow; great artists steal.” yet we treat it like a pithy saying—up there with “the early bird gets the worm”—rather than a simple and fundamental statement of fact.
The Nature of Craft
In which other craft, sport, or profession is excellence assumed to be the result of pure originality? Does an architect simply “feel” their way to a skyscraper? Does an engineer intuit the structural integrity of a bridge? Does a chef create a world-class entrée without a lifetime of training in established techniques?
Writing is deceptive because the barrier to entry is zero. Furthermore, when we read great prose, it feels effortless, spontaneous, and deeply personal. This leads us to the difficult conclusion that writing can be anything to anyone at any time—and that it therefore requires no blueprint.
Humility and Excellence
I’d argue that the ephemeral nature of writing makes it worthy of greater levels of study and practice, not less. Yes, we all bring a unique flair to our work. But so does everyone. Farmers bring a unique flair to farming. So do priests, mathematicians, and plumbers. None of them, however, are under the delusion that “personal flair” is a substitute for quality—much less excellence.
The exceptional skyscraper or bridge isn’t exceptional because the creator was “original.” It is exceptional because the creator humbled themselves enough to iterate on what came before them.
A Liberating Truth
There is something deeply liberating about being freed from the predatory myth of originality. Once you understand that your job is not to be original, but rather to bring your originality to the job, writing becomes an entirely different undertaking.
The writer’s job is to study the work of other writers, to incorporate it into their own practice, and to create work that no one else can create.
**This post is adapted from a video I made some time ago.