In an interview, a lighting designer described three “tudes” necessary for the job: attitude, aptitude, fortitude. I added five more for the eight tudes essential to being a writer. In alphabetical order (they are of equal importance, albeit at different stages of the creative process): Attitude (thinking of yourself as a writer) // Aptitude (knowing your craft) // Beatitude (the blessing of a creative mind) // Certitude (confidence in the worth of your idea) // Exactitude (seeking the precise word or phrase) // Fortitude (butt-to-the-chair persistence in the face of rejection) // Gratitude (for the gift of writing in your life) // Latitude (to write “shitty first [or more] drafts”). (See REFLECTIONS for more thoughts about writing.)
