What do you need to be a writer?

I'm tempted to say, nothing really. And that might work for some people like my grandmother, although she had the kitchen table, scraps of paper and whatever pen was lying around. But most of all, she had a desire to write her story.

• A desire to write. If you're not self-motivated, writing will be very painful. Even when you are self-motivated, some days writing can be difficult. That's okay. Remind yourself of why you want to write.
• Grit. Madame Spagnol, my French high school teacher in Montréal, used to say that writing is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Unless you're writing while running on a treadmill, or from a tropical paradise somewhere, I can assure you that there's not much literal perspiration going on. On the contrary, writers tend to forget they should move away from their computers or notebooks to stretch. Dr. Angela Duckworth defines grit as persevering despite adversity to achieve long-term goals (Duckworth et al., 2007). I used to think my first draft was the final, publishable version of my work. Nope. Only a lot of writing, re-writing, deleting, re-organizing, thesaurus consulting, and editing will yield a finished product. Just keep your eyes on the prize, whatever you decide that prize should be.
• A space to write. Anywhere you feel comfortable and inspired. Personally, I need peace and quiet, a good chair and desk, and my laptop. But I know many who write curled up in an armchair with a pen and notebook or sit in a busy coffee shop. Find what works best for you.
• Tools. You wouldn't believe the discussions out there about pens and paper. I prefer writing with a fountain pen, but they can be messy. I recently got Moleskin notebooks that are thin and fit in any bag. I love the paper, very smooth, but most of the time when I'm working on my novel, I write on my laptop (and backup my work regularly, as in every two minutes!).
• Goals. Letting your thoughts flow in your journal is an effective way to get your creative juices going. But without measurable goals, a writing project may never get done. Most writers set word count goals each day or week. Establish goals that are realistic and keep you motivated. And a small reward for achieving them helps!
• A community. Although not necessary, sharing your work in progress with a community of like-minded people is very helpful. They keep you accountable and provide valuable feedback. Find your peeps!
• What about talent? Most dictionaries define talent as a natural ability or aptitude. Certainly, talent helps make the writer's journey less arduous? Maybe, I don't know. Without grit and goals, talent might be wasted.

Desire, grit and goals are my top three "essentials". The rest are mechanics. Writing can be a profession, a mindset, and a calling. It takes a lot to be a writer. At the same time, it takes very little.

What else do you need? Please share your insights!

References:

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087-1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087.

Dr. Angela Duckworth's website: https://angeladuckworth.com