5 Skills Every Writer Should Have

So, although I only started publishing books in 2020, I’ve been writing my whole life. However, I’m a bit of an unconventional writer, in the sense that I don’t read a lot of other people’s work, I don’t plot out what I’m going to write before I write it, and I have a degree in Spanish, not in English or Creative Writing or something similar. Therefore, my list of essential skills for writers is probably different from others you’ve seen.

If you’re looking for conventional writing tips, I’m not the one. But if you’re looking for a different perspective, one from an amateur (in the “doing what you love” sense as well as the “inexperienced” sense) author, here you go.

What skills do I, a self-published indie author, believe you, presumably also a writer, should have?

1. Empathy

If you’re going to write about someone other than yourself, be it a character or a real person, you should be able to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as they say. Being able to empathize with people, understanding why they are the way they are and why they do the things they do, will make you a better writer. This is something I’m still working on, myself, by the way.

It’s hard to imagine being someone else, with different experiences and different motives. But ya gotta! Try consuming content made by - or, better yet, talking to - someone who’s different than you. This is a good practice in life in general, but especially if you plan to write about a character with different experiences than yours.

2. Experience

They say to “write what you know” and I 100% agree. That’s why all my protagonists are queer and many of them are nonbinary. That’s because these identities are my lived experience. I like being uniquely qualified to tell the stories I tell and offering perspectives that not everyone can relate to. I can usually tell when a nonbinary character is written by someone who either isn’t nonbinary themselves, or hasn’t consulted any nonbinary people (like me!) It makes me cringe every time.

I’ve also written extensively about things I’ve done and things that have happened to me, and I think having experienced those things helped me create a more realistic portrayal. For example, if you want to write about a character going to a concert, you should probably go to one first. If you want to write about a character getting drunk, you should probably try it for yourself. At the very least, ask someone about their experiences before you attempt to describe them in a piece of writing! Otherwise, your lack of experience will doubtlessly shine through. 

3. Communication

I originally had “spelling and grammar” here, but now that I’m thinking about it, I actually don’t think those skills are as essential as the ability to communicate. You can play around with spelling and grammar all you want to as long as what you’re writing is understandable. 

(Source: I almost never capitalize my words and rarely use punctuation when texting my friends, yet they still understand what I’m going for. Usually.)

The ability to communicate what you’re trying to communicate is a skill you can gain through practice and feedback. If people typically understand what you’re trying to say, that’s a good sign you have communication skills. If, on the other hand, people tend to be confused and need to ask clarifying questions after reading your writing, just keep working on it. You’ll get there.

This is also a matter of preference. I value direct communication in writing and in interpersonal relationships. If you prefer to write something more ambiguous, more open to interpretation, that’s obviously also fine. Not everyone likes my writing style, just like not everyone will like yours, but try not to let that discourage you. Keep working at communicating in the way you want to, however it is!

4. Accepting feedback or criticism

The hardest thing about being a writer is the mortifying ordeal of receiving criticism. It’s something that used to plague me, something I used to avoid like the plague. But, unlike the plague, feedback is something you will inevitably catch, and, unlike the plague, it’s a good thing to get feedback. (Alright, comparing feedback to the plague isn’t exactly helping my point, is it?)

What I mean is, the ability to accept feedback - or critique - is crucial to growing as a writer. It’s also just the beginning. You also have to be able to sort through the feedback, figure out what’s valid and what’s just a matter of style, and then implement the applicable feedback you’ve received. Discerning the difference between valuable feedback and personal preference is also a learned skill.

Being told your work isn’t perfect is tough. Hell, it’s brutal. But being able to accept and work with feedback is absolutely essential to being a good writer. If nobody is telling you what you’re “doing wrong,” you’ll never be able to do it right.

5. Your limits

Everyone has limits, and knowing yours doesn’t make you weak. Quite the opposite!

My personal limit is that my ability to focus on a story I’m writing only lasts, like, a week max. I’m aware of this limit and that’s why everything I publish is relatively short and not overly complicated. Everything I’ve published started as a first draft that took me, like, five days of intense focus. During those days, I wasn’t doing literally anything else. Knowing this about myself, and acting accordingly, is the only reason I’ve accomplished anything.

So, what are your limits and how can you make them work for you? Figure that out and you’ll go far.

Well, that’s it for today’s blog post. I appreciate you reading this far!

I love you all. Have an incredible day and let me know what you think in the comments!

Your friend,

Janvier Olszon