One of the first things we talk about in my Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction classes are two short lists:
What You Need
and
What You Should Have
These lists are meant for students who show up to a classroom every week for eight weeks, but looking at these lists again as I began teaching the class for this new term, it struck me that this is pretty good advice for any would-be author.
This is what I believe is absolutely required and what you really need to think about having if you want to do any sort of creative writing, not just science fiction or fantasy. Let’s start with the basic requirements:
What You Need
Creativity
Desire
Paper and pencil (or pen)
Respect
Patience
What’s interesting about this list is how little this will actually cost you in real dollars. The only thing on this list that’s actually a tangible commodity is paper and pencil/pen, and you may well be able to gather that stuff up for free…
Read the rest in…
Editor and author Philip Athans offers hands on advice for authors of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and fiction in general in this collection of 58 revised and expanded essays from the first five years of his long-running weekly blog, Fantasy Author’s Handbook.
—Philip Athans
Follow me on Twitter @PhilAthans…
Link up with me on LinkedIn…
Friend me on GoodReads…
Find me at PublishersMarketplace…
Or contact me for editing, coaching, ghostwriting, and more at Athans & Associates Creative Consulting.
Fantasy Author's Handbook 
Love every word you write! Brilliant blog… The only one i follow! Never stop writing Mr Athans.
Thank you–I won’t!
Good solid advice.
I think is the desire one is the only one you truly “need”, Obviously pen and paper is essential(if you don’t have a pc) but without the desire I can’t see how any of the other stuff matters.
an extra is crept in there for some reason
Pingback: THE JOY OF WRITING BY HAND | Fantasy Author's Handbook