Qualities of a Writer

What are the qualities of a writer?

I guess it might depend on what you write.

No matter what genre you write in, I think a writer needs to want to write. You need to have that passion inside you that compels you to keep writing.

I also think every writer must possess some writing talent. You must have a flair for writing or a gift of words.  I do not think you have to have many years of education, but if you have the passion and want to continue to write, you need to learn the basics (and a little more) of writing right! You need to learn good grammar, how to write active, how to write dialog, how to use those 'ly' words sparingly, how to draw your reader in at the beginning of your story, and many other things.  So to be a good writer you must . . .

Have the willingness and the ability to learn. You must be able to take criticism, comments, suggestions, and help from others. You shouldn't have an attitude that you already know everything. Even if you know everything (or most everything), there is always room to grow.

 If you want to get published, and I think deep down all of us do, you need patience and persistence. Unless you are very lucky, or have a publisher or agent as a friend or relative, it is going to take time to get published. A good manuscript is not written overnight. It takes time to write it, to edit it and to perfect it. We need to slow down and take the time our writing needs to become a good manuscript.

You also need an imagination and a good attitude.

I am sure there are many I have left out. What can you add to my list?

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Creative Writing in the Blackberry Patch.