I can't write!

Anyone can write but there are some basic requirements:

A desire to communicate

Do you want to say something? Anything? Perhaps you want to explain why you were late for work.

Something to communicate

There needs to be something to say, even if it's only the story of how you overslept and got to work late. Then again that might be very interesting...

An ability to think in a sequence

You've come across kids who can't get the story out in order, either because they're embarrassed or excited. Of course, you can tell the tale in flashback: "I'm sorry I'm late but, you see, last night..." but you still have a concept of a sequence.

Adequate knowledge of words

Okay, maybe that might seem a bit too obvious, but people often think they aren't clever enough to write because they have a big vocabulary. In fact if you think that then you're probably okay. Being able to realise that there might be more to learn is a huge step. A huge vocabulary is not a requirement, an adequate vocabulary is. Spelling is not something you need to worry about initially but the final result does need to have correct spelling.

Adequate knowledge of grammar

Incoherent story telling is not going to work. You do need to know how to put one word after another to make sensible sentences. An academic understanding of grammar is not needed, just a knowledge that is adequate to get your message across. Again, grammar is not something you need to get spot-on first time, you can go back and check it.

Ability to start

It's possible to mess around (planning, researching, doing courses) pretending to be a writer without ever writing anything. You do have to start.

Ability to continue

Keep at it in a sustained way. Writing a long piece of work takes a lot of persistence and stick-to-it-ivity. It doesn't matter if you do 10 minutes a day, two hours a week, or write full-time, you have to keep doing it until...

Ability to stop

At some point you have to say "this is finished". Maybe you find that strange but, in truth, this can be one of the hardest things for some writers. You have to be able to write "The End".

Ability to be objective

When you read your work you have to take a different viewpoint (in fact, several). You're no longer the writer: you might be the proof-reader checking for mistakes in spelling and grammar; you might be the editor seeing how things could be improved in a more general way; and then you might be the reader, just trying to enjoy the work with no other connection with it. This can be hard and that is why many writers use external proof-readers and editors.

And that's it, that's all you need. Everyone of these things can be practiced or learnt in one way or another by anybody.

Steve Turnbull