Qualities required for the future of a writer

I could begin with the basics; with the assets we are taught in Primary School will either make or break our future career paths. To earn any respectable job, we are told we must be resilient, observant, determined and disciplined. From a young age we are trained to become patient, persistent and industrious individuals.

But I don’t believe these qualities will make me a writer.

Undoubtedly, these are beneficial characteristics to develop as they are the traits employers will seek when hiring workers. However, this is a broad criterion that is needed in any occupation, so these skills alone won’t allow me to flourish in a world of fiction.

So, I ask myself: what will?

Passion and creativity.

Maybe these are the easiest answers to provide, but they are easy due to the fact they’re truthful.
As writers, we tend to be independent, described as ‘bookworms’ for the majority of adolescence. We find no discomfort in limiting ourselves to empty rooms with paper, pens and coffee, then scrawling words onto pages until ink is staining our skin. But independence is both a blessing and a burden.
It is beautiful because we are liberated. When we write, we never feel the necessity to discuss our plots or portrayals with others, instead simply composing what we as individuals crave to create. We are free to design facades and conduct essays without rules or regulations.

But sometimes independence is a writer’s enemy.

We are free to render our own decisions, which may essentially sound wonderful. However, we are the ones that decide when to put pen to paper, or fingertips to keys. If a person lacks enthusiasm, they simply won’t write, meaning passion is vital in ensuring a budding writer’s career. Passion acts as a catalyst for motivation, encouraging us to express art in the form of words and phrases. Without passion, we are just individuals with good ideas.

Secondly, creativity is a dominant feature.

As children, we are made aware that our imagination will inevitably be our best friend and the creator of indescribable stories that we feel the need to describe. Being imaginative and creative plays a significant role for all writers, remembering that our favourite novels started as random thoughts.

Often, we can be disheartened because it may seem all worthy plots have already been published, and our own ideas may not appear original or innovative. Yet, creativity allows us to take inspiration from mundane experiences and manipulate them to vivid tales or poems. Creativity originates from an open mind that is able to see an ordinary object and allow it to stimulate the senses.

Amelia Jones
15 years old
Olchfa Comprehensive, Swansea