How do you become a good writerHow did pynchon or mccarthy do it?Do you just need to be born with a high iq? Cuz my iq is low 80s
>>24764092You need to be autistic.
>>24764092Wisdom and greatness is to a large degree genetic. So yeah.
>>24764108Idk if I'm autistic but I am retarded. Is that enough?>>24764111What can I do if I can't write? Should I just write garbage or kill myself?
>>24764092Start writing and never stop. We find out later if you're one of them.
The world unironically needs more low 80 IQ writers instead of all these try hard faggots. I am not kidding
>>24764246I like outsider / retard-written / insane literature also, and I think I'll try and lean into that with my work, but I also want to try my best
>>24764092>>24764298>>24764129Being born with a high IQ doesn't mean shit because if you're physically fucked, can't manage relationships with people, or lack an interest in the arts/academics, then a high IQ is worthless. When I used to work in retail, there were a surprising amount of high IQ people who didn't read because they found it boring or just refused to go to college.>Read lots of books. Write a lot. You don't get anywhere in life without caring about your output and input, especially when it comes to your hobbies or interests.Your IQ doesn't matter, at least not in the way you think it does. IQ is a measurement for general problem-solving skills, and while it does generally dictate your mental aptitude as a whole, it doesn't define you, nor should you see it as a barrier. You can develop your IQ and become brighter if you put in the work.All you need to do is:>exercise daily, meditate>eat healthy (avoid sugar, excess carbs, and processed foods) and get your vitamins and probiotics>drink plenty of water>pick up a musical instrument, learn to draw, try your hand at singing, etc>read as often as you can (don't be afraid to challenge yourself)>be kind to yourself
>>24764298You should definitely try your best.Just write about whatever you like and see what happens.Think of it as something to do for fun / a skill to improve upon and just enjoy yourself.It doesn’t matter how good you are, someone will always talk bad, just look at this board.People are often negative, especially online
>good writer>mccarthy
>>24764365Which of his stuff did you read and why didn't you like it?
>>24764420The Road, Blood Meridian, Sunset LimitedAbsolutely fucking dogshit and more proof if it be needed that American "literature" is a joke
>>24764520The part where they're making the gunpowder is kinoThe road was too depressing for me, I'll admit itHaven't read sunset limitedBut i mean come on>The jagged mountains were pure blue in the dawn and everywhere birds twittered and the sun when it rose caught the moon in the west so that they lay opposed to each other across the earth, the sun whitehot and the moon a pale replica, as if they were the ends of a common bore beyond whose terminals burned worlds past all reckoning.How can you not like that?
>>24764311Sincere post and trve
>>24764311gay post and false
The older I get the more I realize most or all success is genetic, down to your propensity for motivation.I had a professor once in undergrad, who would always shout at our class about how he tested 95 on an IQ test, and if he could do it we all could, but he had a godly amount of motivation, and came from a rich family in Iran before immigrating (not that immigrating is an easy job).But I do wonder, yes environment can impact you, but can one big motivational speech really carry you through writing an entire novel? I'm not so sure, especially given the correlations I've seen (correlations mind you) between IQ and life achievement and life satisfaction. I'm not saying it's impossible to succeed if you are not smart, but you need to have very strong intrinsic motivation, and I'm not so sure that can be taught.Do keep in mind I am also very stupid, probably the stupidest person in my current school, so what do I know.
Read a lot and write a lot.
>>24764996What was he professor of?
>>24765029Civil Engineering, he taught an ethics class.
>>24764092
>>24765147Interesting. I have heard of sub 100 doctors that just work insanely hard
>>24764092I doubt McCarthy had a high IQ, as I doubt many great writers did. Writing and storytelling are a craft. And like all crafts, you need to keep at it until you get better. Some writers are great for their ideas, some are great for their linguistic ability. Read a lot and understand what styles you gravitate towards, and try to write a short story a fortnight (don't worry about their quality, don't feel the need to share them, just get in actual practice). Overtime you will see your ability growing. And if you don't, then you probably shouldn't be a writer.
Just write, I'd say start with the emotions you feel, it doesn't have to be good, just has to get the points across mainly, build from there.
>>24765301Mccarthy undoubtedly had a high IQ. His philosophic westerns show that he is the most serious thinker the novel has had since Dostoevsky. Otoh, jamming obscure references in your text has no correlation with IQ. You don't need a high IQ to read largely inaccessible texts.
>>24764092They never had to ask anyone. They just did. You want to be a writer. That's your problem. They just were writers. You desire the aesthetic of it.
>>24764092Reading Pynchon's early short stories in Slow Learner shows the learning process, you're not born a great writer. It's a skill you learn through practice like any other skill.
>>24764092First off, read a lot until you find out what you truly enjoy. Don't read to become a good writer but to develop your ability to enjoy reading for its own sake.Then, one thing Pynchon actually did when young, and which many other writers do, is write parodies in the style of authors you admire. Robert Louis Stevenson called this the equivalent of practising musical scales.
>>24765435I don't think that's high IQ. By definition it isn't since IQ only tests for fast pattern recognition.Mccarthy is introspective, he probably spent a lot of time just thinking about stuff. That's not high or low IQ, it's having an inquisitive mind and dedicating time to just processing stuff. A lot of generally stupid people have that.You do need to spend time in silence mulling over ideas instead of filling each second of your time with scrolling, posting and listening to stuff.
>>24765435>You don't need a high IQ to read largely inaccessible textsNot high IQ per se but there is definitely a specific cognitive function required to parse dense and largely inaccessible texts otherwise they wouldn’t be inaccessible
>>24764311>be kind to yourself
>>24764996The other day I was thinking about Carlos Sainz Sr. and how the hell he stays motivated at his age. He's rich and a legend, but he keeps running. The same thing happens with many writers, good and bad, who keep writing and writing. I want that motivation (not necessarily to be a writer). I want to stop changing interests all the time. I want to be obsessed for life, not just for a couple of weeks, and sometimes less, like an idiot.
