If you want to become a writer, the first thing you will want to do is clear a space somewhere to use as a desk and fill it with everything that novel writers need - pens, paper, the latest computer, reference books, the works.
Deciding to be a writer is a big decision, so why not treat yourself?
But before you rush off to the stationery store and turn the house upside down, take some time to consider what you really do need.
Filling your desk with everything money can buy isn't so much a fast route to becoming a successful novelist as a fast route to becoming distracted.
Unlike most things in life, it is remarkably cheap to write fiction for a hobby (and a hobby is exactly what writing a novel is until you get paid for it).
A stubby pencil and the backs of some envelopes will get you started. But as a bare minimum, I would recommend the following...
Okay, so a chair and desk of some description, and a place to put that chair and desk, isn't exactly a "tool of the trade," but it is probably one of the most important things you need.
Distractions are the enemy of the creative process. You simply won't be able to write your novel in the living room with the dog whining to be walked and the kids fighting over the TV zapper.
You need a room of your own with a good solid door, and preferably no telephone.
Try facing your chair away from the window, too - you'd be amazed how counting leaves blowing off an oak tree is more demanding of your attention than a blank computer screen.
If you find that writing is impossible in the hustle and bustle of the home, you will have to work in the library, or park the car along a deserted road, or find anywhere that is comfortable and noise free.
Another solution is to stay at home but work early in the morning before anyone else is up. Your mind will be at its sharpest then, too.
"For years I have looked for the perfect pencil. I have found very good ones but never the perfect one. And all the time it was not the pencils but me. A pencil that is all right some days is no good another day."
- John Steinbeck
Yes, I know we're living in the twenty-first century, but I think more writers than not find it easier to write in longhand in the first instance. I'm not sure why this is...
Personally, when I decided to become a writer, I bought exercise books and 2B pencils and a good armchair to write in (discomfort is another enemy of the creative process). And that is the way I still write.
You might think that drafting in longhand is a wasted process, given that you then have to type it up, but I find that typing is an opportunity to tidy up the initial draft and make it a little less clunky.
But as with all the suggestions here, whatever works for you is what is best.
Computers, of course, are pretty much essential to write fiction nowadays.
I dare say it is possible to bang out your manuscript on an old manual typewriter, but then it's also possible to row across the Atlantic in a bathtub instead of taking the plane.
It begs the question: why would you want to?
Also, of course, without a computer you won't have access to the Internet, and this will be your most valuable writing research tool. (How did we cope before we could "Google" things?)
You don't need a fancy word processor. Microsoft Word is great for adding special effects to your documents, but I don't know of many novel manuscripts that need graphics or pie charts or three-column layouts.
When you write fiction, you simply put black text on white paper - and for that, the standard "Microsoft Works" Word Processor is fine (or whatever the equivalent is on a Mac).
Still on the subject of computers, whether or not to use novel writing software to help you write fiction is very much a personal choice. Some folks swear by it, others remain unimpressed.
What you must be clear about is that software is not designed to write your novel for you (where would be the fun if it did?) What it can do - and do rather well - is help you to stay organized.
People wrote fiction long before such things were invented, and it is perfectly possible to become a successful writer today without software. But if you think you might be interested, you can find out more in the Writer's Software section on the website.
If you are serious about becoming a writer, a good dictionary is a must. The spell checker in your word processor has its uses, but it is fatal to rely on it. (According too a computer, their is nothing wrong with these sentence.)
A thesaurus is an option, but to be honest you can become a writer without one. If you are looking for a better word, ones you can't readily bring to mind will probably be too long-winded, too "literary", too pretentious for the purposes of good novel writing.
Or to put it another way: if you find a word in a thesaurus and then have to check its exact meaning in a dictionary, your writing is in trouble.
A guide to grammar and punctuation isn't a bad idea. I mean, we all have blind spots. Me, I can never remember when to use which and when to use that. I've given up trying now and just use the one which (that?) comes naturally.
(By the way, if spell checkers have their limitations, don't even get me started on grammar checkers. I've disabled mine. Permanently.)
Easy this one...
We all need help to master the art and craft of novel writing. If you think of writing a novel like building a boat, you basically need a good thick manual sitting in your workshop. Relying on your instincts alone just isn't going to cut it.
When I was learning to become a writer, I was addicted to these books on how to write novels and devoured them by the dozen. (I still do, come to think of it.)
But the good news for you is that you won't have to read dozens of writing guides, because you will find everything I have learned over the years on this website and, in even more detail, in my Downloadable Writing Guide.
Problem solved!
Next Step: Keep reading to discover How to Write Fiction the Smart Way...