Reblogged from Mae Clair at Story Empire:

Hello, SEers! Mae here with you today as we enter a new month. Happy first day of July!

In June, I raised the question “are writers born or made?” Today, I want to follow up with another question: can the writing gene be inherited?

Think about the Bronte sisters. Neither parent was a writer, though both were said to be extremely literate. All three sisters, plus their brother, played games of imagination as children, possibly cultivating their creative side while dreaming up fanciful places. My earlier post, Are Writers Born or Made, would point to this as their “trigger” moment—assuming the desire to write was dormant inside.

We also have brothers Alex and Evelyn Waugh, known for Islands in the Sun and Brideshead Revisited, respectively. Their father, Arthur Waugh was a biographer (Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning), as well as a literary critic. Evelyn’s son, Auberon went on to become a writer, followed by his grandson, Alexander—a literary dynasty!

H.G. Wells’ illegitimate son, Anthony West, became a critically acclaimed author. West’s mother, Rebecca, was also an author.

Today, Stephen King is building his own writing dynasty through sons, Joe Hill and Owen King, both successful authors. King’s wife, Tabitha, is also a popular novelist.

It’s easy to look at the family trees above and believe children inherited the writing gene from their parents. Is it possible?

Science says yes—and no.

Consider abnormal behavior. Once thought to be the result of environment and trauma, genetics are now viewed as a primary influence. Certainly environment and life experiences are still factors, but do they unleash something already dormant inside?

Continue reading at Story Empire