Ten Things a Writer Should Have

Of the many things a writer should have, I find passion for writing is the most important. Even if you never want to get published, if you are going to write, you need to love your craft. That is the long and the short of it, but there are other things you will need, just in case you DO want to get published. Here's what I think you (read that as "I") need most:

1. Thick skin - without the ability to let things roll off your back, you're going to take critiques too harshly and give up too easily. So, hang in there, don't let the nay-sayers get to you, and keep writing.
2. Perseverence - this goes along with thick skin. You just have to hang in there.
3. Sense of humor - More laughing means less stress, and we all know what stress can do. Plus, not all literary agents are exactly geniuses. It's nice to laugh AT THEM once in a while.
4. A good computer - Let's face it, hand-writing a manuscript is only for personal enjoyment, not for getting published these days...but carpel-tunnel is!
5. A copy of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style - This is one of those truths we should all hold as self-evident.
6. An objective friend - this person does not have to be an editor, but you need someone to tell you when the story is just not working. No one needs people fawning over your story just to make you feel better. You need honesty.
7. A day job - At least until your last name is as familiar as King or Koontz.
8. Ability to recognize purple prose - Please, please no dark and stormy nights!
9. Ability to know when to say enough is enough - sometimes, a story will just never work, or maybe you need to put it on the shelf for a while (this could be years, as in The Dark Tower series by Stephen King).
10. Abilitily to cut and cut and cut, no matter how much it hurts - if it doesn't add to the story, it detracts from it. Remember that and be willing to cut parts that you might love. Don't worry though, save it and maybe you can use it in another tale in the future.

That's about all I think of off the top of my head (yes, I went back and changed the headline after I ran out of quick ideas). What? You didn't think I was actually putting THOUGHT into this, did you? For now, it's time to go over The Forgotten World one more time before working on The Pitch (actually, it's time to get back to work, but don't tell anyone and we'll just keep that between us).

Shaun