The Writer's Wilderness Survival Kit

QTN: What are the qualities an aspiring writer should have?

ANS: I suspect that the qualities useful to an aspiring writer are very similar to those considered desirable in a writer who is already successful. Namely, the personality traits that are useful to a writer in the early stages of his or her writing journey are likely to be just as useful to the same writer further down the line.

Of course, the list of desirable qualities is likely to be as varied as the number of successful writers out there. There is no "one size fits all" approach, and it's hard, if not downright impossible, to come up with a surefire recipe for success. Indeed, it is somewhat like the famous quote from Somerset Maugham, on the subject of the novel: "There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are"!

But it is probably true to say that some attitudes are more likely to lead to a positive outcome than others. For example, there is no getting away from the fact that writing requires a certain amount of discipline. Having said that, I don't belong to the school of thought which says that writing is like any other profession. There are those who believe that if you are an architect or a bricklayer, your job is to show up and do the work every day, and the same is true if you are a writer. I feel that where creative pursuits are concerned, it's rarely that simple. 

As an architect or a bricklayer you can follow a certain set of steps to a certain outcome. As a writer, you may attempt a similar series of actions, but the outcomes are rarely guaranteed. In fact, I think it is true to say that there is something inherent in the creative process that does not lend itself easily to guaranteed outcomes. Nevertheless, hard work is an unavoidable part of a productive writing life.

Now to a second consideration. Some degree of talent is undoubtedly required to become a good writer. However, talent by itself should be considered a necessary but not sufficient precondition for success. A natural gift for writing needs to be harnessed and developed through the discipline of regular writing, and the continuous process of improvement that takes place through revising and re-writing (unglamorous as that may sound!) In my experience, writing a good story requires more re-writing than any sane individual is willing to commit to. But for any writer who wants to produce the best work she is capable of, this part of the process is not optional. 

Finally, one of the most important things that any aspiring writer has to prepare for is rejection. In most cases, this is abundant in the writerly life. And it almost always hurts. So resilience, and the willingness to carry on are both essential qualities for survival. Only the very lucky and very successful manage to avoid rejection in some form. And there is no guarantee against it. 

I recently had a story (which had earlier won an award) rejected by a magazine, because it didn't make the grade. On the plus side, the editor concerned gave me some very useful feedback, which I plan to incorporate into the next version of the story that I publish. Interestingly, two days after I received that rejection, the same story was accepted with enthusiasm by another journal in the US. So a writer's life is, if not always a roller-coaster ride, then at least a bit of a merry-go-round! And whatever the outcome, the best strategy is to try and enjoy the ride…

Queries on writing may be sent to Farah Ghuznavi at DSLitEditor@gmail.com