People often glorify the writing life. But few people realize that writing is challenging and often frustrating. And inspiration, the muse, or whatever you call it, is often overrated. Although reading a lot is touted as essential by most writers, what other characteristics do successful writers share?

Attention to detail

The value of this observational skill is two-fold. Firstly, observing people, their interactions, and their environment can provide endless material for fiction writers. It can help writers develop characters and plot, dialogue, and setting scenes in their novels.

Secondly, attention to detail is a critical skill for editing. It enables writers to take a step back, look critically at their writing to spot mistakes, weak sentences, and see where they can improve the narrative regarding plot, characterization, setting, etc. 

Patience and persistence

Writing a book has many steps. To be a successful writer, you can't wait for inspiration but must sit down and write consistently. And once you have finished the first draft, you must re-evaluate your writing and revise, rewrite, and edit to make your book the best it can be.

Writers need patience during the writing process, revision, and editing, and they often face countless rejections from publishers. To succeed, they need to continue sending out query letters until a publisher accepts their book.

And for self-publishers, digital marketing is a long-term game, and they need to persist in building their online presence, engaging with their followers, and eventually seeing their sales increase.

Creativity

A big part of creativity is connecting the dots between often non-related things. This skill helps writers let their novels come alive by creating unique characters, settings, and unexpected plot twists. 

Thinking outside the box helps writers tap into their imagination's power and create whole new worlds and characters. An adaptable writer finds innovative ways to use feedback from readers, reviews, editors, and proofreaders to improve their writing. 

Clarity

Your goal as a writer is to make your content easy to read and understand. There are many tools that the writer can use to accomplish this, like finding the best words to express your ideas and thoughts. It often means using simpler words, but it depends on your ideal reader. 

Ruthless editing is vital for clear writing. It means removing unnecessary words and clichés, using shorter sentences, and writing in the active voice. It is also better to choose strong verbs instead of adverbs that reduce clarity. For example, Betty chatters instead of saying she talks a lot. 

Skilled writers will use the grammar rules to help them write clearly, but they also know when to break these rules to improve their writing. 

Although some of these skills, like attention to detail, patience, and persistence, are stronger in some people, you can improve them through hard work. And you can learn and improve vital skills for writing like creativity, writing clearly, and editing. Regular reading will help you develop a strong vocabulary and more options to choose from in your writing. 

Are you an aspiring writer? Test yourself against these characteristics to see if you have what it takes to soar as a writer.

Sources

6 Characteristics Every Great Writer Has in Common

https://www.inc.com/kaleigh-moore/the-6-most-important-qualities-of-an-effective-writer.html

The 10 Essential Characteristics of a Good Writer

https://www.addall.com/reviews/characteristics-of-a-good-writer/

9 Must Have Characteristics Of A Writer

https://writersxp.com/characteristics-of-writer/

What Makes a Good Writer? 6 Unique Traits

https://copyblogger.com/remarkable-writing/

How To Achieve Clarity In Writing

https://jerichowriters.com/clarity-in-writing/