The 4 things you need to be a great writer (I bet you already have them...)

 What do you need to be a great writer? That’s the question, isn’t it? And every aspiring writer wants the answer.

The truth is, all our combined Google searches cannot hope to answer that question.

Why not?

Because every writer is different. What works for someone else probably won’t work for you.

That’s not to say you can’t find a method that works for you by learning what other writers do, but even the best-sounding writing routine by your absolute favorite writer is probably not a good fit for you.

It might be a good place to start, though. If you’re really stuck, mired in worry about doing it wrong, then anywhere you begin is a good place.

You can’t do it wrong, by the way.

But that perfect routine you copied from someone else will only work for you if you're willing to be flexible. You’re going to develop your own routine through trial and error, and if you're stuck following someone else’s routine, you might not discover your own.

What don’t you need?

You don’t need a fancy laptop or a dedicated writing space. I’m writing this on a four year old laptop sitting in my reading chair. The laptop rests on a $15 lap desk I bought on Amazon. My wife is on the couch eight feet away from me watching TV, and the volume is loud enough that I can hear it clearly over my headphones.

I’ve written on my phone while waiting at the doctor’s office for an appointment. I’ve written on a piece of printer paper during my break at work. I’ve written poems on napkins in McDonalds.

And I wrote one novel on this laptop while sitting on the majestic deck of a rental house on top of a mountain in North Carolina. (That was a great week for me, and a terrible week for my wife. Sorry, babe.)

If you think you need a new computer, the perfect notebook, or a writing retreat to unlock your creativity, you’re procrastinating.

All of those things can be a nice addition to your writing practice, but they aren’t at all necessary.

So, what do you need?

1. Time to write.
2. Something to write with.
3. The willingness to sit down and write during that time on that thing.
4. Lot’s of practice.

That’s it!

Everything else is an excuse not to write.

So grab something to write with, pick a time, and get started!

And don’t stop, no matter what. Keep coming back day after day. It’s the only way to get better, and better is the path to great.

If you miss a day, that’s okay. But try not to miss two in a row. And definitely don’t miss three.

The longer you go without writing, the harder it is to get started again. So keep the momentum going as best you can with the time you have.

Stop worrying. Stop being afraid. And definitely stop waiting for inspiration.

Start writing right now, and let all the worry and fear go.

You want to know what it takes to be a great writer?

No, you don’t.

You want to know if you have what it takes.

Since you're reading this, I’m willing to bet the answer is yes.

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