What Unique Attributes Do The World’s Best Authors Possess?

Being talented is definitely a plus, and having an English degree might be desirable, too, but of those authors who have achieved global fame and worldwide success, there are certain attributes they possess that help them use their talent and their teachings, to write a book that people want to pay to read.

Some of the best authors of all time possess the following unique attributes:

• Belief in themselves

So many authors write books that never make it to bookstore shelves, let alone to the cutting floor of an editor’s suite, and if you thought about that for too long as an aspiring author, you’d probably give up there and then. But, with the belief in your own worth, your own talent, and your own ability to write something other people will want to pay to read, you can get all the motivation you need to keep writing, even when the odds are stacked against you.

Self-belief is a powerful tool for writers, but at the same time, it mustn’t distract you from the reality of the bigger picture, which is that getting published is tough, really tough.

• An ability to grow and learn

Being able to understand the fact that you’re not writing for yourself, but are instead writing for an audience, can help you learn ways to give them what they want. By being open to the idea of learning things and expanding upon your current knowledge base and skillset, you can avoid some of the pitfalls experienced by failed authors, and be a success. You might do this by signing up for a writing course, carrying out some of your own research, or reading publications on how to write a successful book.

• An ability to pay attention

It’s a widely known fact that writers spend a lot of their time reading, and also observing the way humans act in a range of different circumstances. By doing both of these things, they are opening themselves up to curiosity, which in turn, enhances the way in which they write about characters and weave storylines. Advice that is commonly given to aspiring authors is that: ‘much of your best material is closer than you think.’

• Perseverance

Writing when you don’t want to is something all aspiring authors must grapple with, and having a routine for doing so, can be helpful. Whether you make sure that you write at a certain time of day, or write a certain amount of words each day, you must create a strict plan for achieving your goal of finishing the book, otherwise you might never do it.

An obsessive nature

A bad book can be written easily, but one that is destined to be a success, takes time and effort, and an intense obsession over even the minutest of details. Aspiring authors should care deeply about what they are creating, and believe that every word and every detail they include, deserves to be in the book; if it doesn’t, either change it or get rid of it. Perfection should be the goal, no matter how long it takes you to achieve it. 

To see your own name in a list of world renowned writers is absolutely achievable, but only once you’ve assessed your existing skillsets and attributes, and worked on them where necessary. Few bestselling authors simply pick up a pen (or tap at a keyboard) and write a book that millions will want to read; instead, they work hard, are intensely critical of every word they write, and above all else, never give up.