A Writer’s Toolkit

A writer’s toolkit is a mess of things every writer needs to be the best writer they can be. I’m not sure, but I think Stephen King might have coined the term. At any rate, here are the things I consider to be the most important tools:

• Paper and a writing instrument. Yeah, computers are groovy, but there’s really nothing like the feeling of scratching out a story by hand and watching the paper stack up as you near completion. Writing by hand is healthy, intellectually, emotionally, and creatively. Look it up if you don’t believe me. And get yourself a good pen, will you? I prefer fountain pens because of how smooth they write and also it makes me feel like Jane Austen or something.
• Books. Not books about writing. You need books to read. The King has said many times, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time (or the tools) to write.” Seriously, people, you need to read. Books need to be your hobby as writing is your profession. Start collecting a library. Over the years I’ve lost so many books, probably hundreds during moves or whatever, and I still have three bookcases overflowing with novels and biographies and histories and poetry, and piles and piles besides that just littering the bedroom. My wife loves it. (sarcasm)
• A place to write. We writers are solitary beings, but that doesn’t mean you should hole up in your attic or basement. There’s a reason no one goes there. Your place needs to be away from the bustle of the house, but still comfortable and well-lit. Keep it clean and organized, and decorate it with things that reflect your personality. At the moment, my desk is covered in loose papers and random books and bottles of fountain pen ink and a pack of replacement typewriter spools…but do as I say, not as I do.
• Passion. I’m gonna hit you with a hard truth: writing fiction makes little to no money. The average novel sells around 2,000 copies in its LIFETIME. Like, altogether. That means, if you publish one novel, and it does well enough for Barnes and Noble to buy it and put it on their shelves and it does DECENT (not bad, but not Harry Potter-levels), then you can expect to sell maybe 1,500 - 2,000 copies before you die. And let’s say you get 5% of those sales, and each book is $15. That novel just made you $1,500. Dang, bro. Can I come over to your mansion sometime and swim in your dollar-sign-shaped pool? My point is this: if you don’t love to write, if you can see yourself doing anything else, if not writing doesn't make you want to die, then don’t try to become a writer. This is one of those “do I be rich and miserable or poor and happy” situations.

And there it is. Of course, there’s more than just this list that you could get for yourself, but for me these are the basic necessities. If you’re looking for some recommendations on books for writing help, I suggest starting with On Writing by Stephen King, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, and Story Genius by Lisa Cron.