The 7 virtues every writer needs to succeed

This is a post by Novel Publicity President, Emlyn Chand/ What makes a good writer?  Is it a talent for seamlessly styling prose?  A working knowledge of proper grammatical techniques?  The simple ability to write productively?

Technical skills are important, it’s true, but much more important in defining a good writer is virtue.  It cannot be denied that there are a certain number of personal traits that come in handy when the going-gets-tough, and let’s not deny it, the going is tough most of the time.

So here they are, my seven virtues of writing success.  These may look a bit familiar:

1. Reverence—The would-be writer must have a profound respect for the craft.  She must look upon the written word as something that is sacred, something that is vested with the enormous, all-important power of both entertaining and enlightening.

2. Knowledge—To be a writer, one must write.  To write, one must know how, at least to some level.  It is not for others to pass judgment on how well you understand the craft (that part comes a bit later in the process).

3. Wisdom—Beyond this basic knowledge, the writer must possess wisdom.  She must know when her writing is ready to be sent to agents and when it is not.  She must know which rearrangement of her daily routine is the most conducive to productive writing, and then she must ensure that she follows this itinerary—to not only know how to write, but also know how to make the most of her writing.  If she has this wisdom but chooses to ignore it, then she is a fool.

4. Understanding—The true writer understands that she must lose sleep, lose friends, and lose her sanity, and that even then she has no guarantee of ever being recognized as a writer.  She must understand, yet she must not dwell.  She must keep her feet firmly rooted on the ground as she allows her hopeful head to drift towards the heavens.

5. Courage—To write is to bear the soul.  It is to relay the intimate details of our inner minds, hearts, and sometimes even our bodies.  The artist of words paints her soul onto a billboard-sized canvas.  She publicizes and celebrates her own life’s secrets.  The writer must be brave and work steadfastly toward her goals.  She who can submit her soul’s work to the scrutiny of others and continue to smile, continue to believe in the value of her contributions, even upon repeatedly being told “sorry, this isn’t for us” is very courageous indeed.

6. Counsel—The wise writer takes up counsel.  She must become intimate friends with the characters she creates—for if she does not believe than to be real then who else will?  She must engage with others who understand her plight and are able to offer her support when the enormity of her task sometimes overwhelms her.  The intelligent writer will also take up the company of other writers, walking hand-in-hand with them toward their own literary lights.  The savvy writer knows that if one can succeed than others may too.  Plus, the path of karmic retribution is strong for we who write.

7. Wonder—Throughout all of the toil, the heartbreak, and the internet-induced procrastination, the writer must maintain a sense of wonder for her craft.  She must every day be overjoyed that today she had the opportunity to set pen to page and, in some small way, join the ranks of Shakespeare, Joyce, and Rowling.  The true writer will never turn her back on the craft.  She will always derive pleasure from reading a good book, from writing a snappy line of dialogue, and from sipping a steaming cup of coffee.

The writer who possesses these virtues is not far from success.  She must be steadfast in her self-belief and continue to aspire toward her dream.  For if she believes in herself, it’s only a matter of time before someone else will too.

Emlyn Chand was born with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). Novel Publicity's mascot is a Sun Conure, thanks to her obsession with birds–and she gets to decide anyway since she is the company's founder and president. Although her first novel Farsighted won the prestigious Writer's Digest Self-Published Novel of the Year award in 2012 for the YA category, she now writes most of her fiction under her “real” name, Melissa Storm. Learn more or connect with her (or her Sun Conure, Ducky!) on either of her author websites:  www.emlynchand.com or www.melstorm.com. You can also friend her on Facebook, tweet with her @novelpublicity, or send her an email via [email protected].