Natural Talent, Hard Work, and AI: My Journey with Writing

We often hear stories of those blessed with natural writing ability – people who seem to effortlessly craft engaging prose that captivates readers. Recently, while listening to Patrick McKenzie on this episode of his Complex Systems podcast, I was struck by one such story. Before he even started his blogging journey, his teachers were already encouraging him to submit his writing to journals. His talent was evident from the start.

The world of natural writing talent extends beyond McKenzie. Take Scott Alexander of Astral Codex Ten, for instance. Here’s someone who won writing prizes in school despite claiming to put minimal effort into his work (and wrote beautifully about it). Such natural talent can seem almost unfair to those of us who labor over every paragraph.

This got me thinking about my own relationship with writing. Unlike these gifted writers, my early attempts were far from publishable. I apologize to my teachers for subjecting them to such horrible writing. While some students received praise and encouragement for their writing, I struggled with every assignment.

This isn’t my first attempt at blogging – I’ve tried multiple times before, each attempt feeling like pushing a boulder uphill. The challenge has always been creating content that others would actually want to read.

Over time, my writing has improved through practice and persistence. Yet now, I find myself at an interesting crossroads. With the emergence of Large Language Models (LLMs), I’m cautiously optimistic. They might serve as a bridge between our ideas and their clear expression, helping to close the gap between natural talent and acquired skill.

The journey continues, and while I may never match the natural fluency of born writers like McKenzie or Alexander, I’m excited to explore how new technology might help me better express the ideas and stories I want to share. Patrick McKenzie said it’s better to write something than nothing. Maybe with an LLM’s help, someone will find it worth reading.