Having natural talent helps when you want to be a writer. Reading, studying, learning about the craft—that helps too. Practicing is the absolute best thing you can do to improve your skill level. You also need self-mastery. If you can’t get yourself to sit down to write, you can’t write anything! But is getting into the chair really enough?
I’ve spent more time in my writer’s chair than I care to admit doodling, daydreaming, making to-do lists, and having my mind wander around topics that had nothing to do with what I was supposed to be writing. It took time and effort to build my ability to focus on each story. I also had to figure out what I needed to support that level of concentration while writing.
