A writer's needs…

What does a writer need most?

An idea, sure. A word processing program. The discipline to write it down. The caffeine to keep going. And?

Critique partners.

They are absolutely vital. I have a close group of writing girlfriends and I can not imagine surviving this business without them. We share each other's work, offer feedback at the right times and are all invested with making our novels the best they can be. Which means, we tell the truth. We pick chapters apart. We say, "It's not ready...