It would be ideal if writing skill and talent were the only attributes a writer of novels or screenplays needs. However, in the real world some additional skills are vital. Some of these may strike you as unusual, but bear with me.
AN AUTHENTIC SMILE
(I did warn you these might strike you as unusual..) Part of success as a writer is making connections with agents, publishers, influential bloggers, etc. Many of these links are forged online, but it's also common to make such connections in pitch meetings, at conferences and conventions, and other live events.
Research has shown that people make up their minds about you within the first few seconds, and that a genuine smile has a strong positive influence. It's sometimes called the "Duchene smile," one that involves upturned lips and crinkly eyes (fake smiles don't involve the eyes).
How do you create such a smile if looking at the agent or publisher doesn't genuinely fill you with positive emotions? Method acting. You think about something or someone you love and would smile at if they were in front of you. Or in your imagination you put the head of a baby or your favorite dog or cat on the body of the person you're meeting. Better not to burst out laughing, though.
Check out the two stock photos below. At a quick glance, which one strikes you as more genuine?
The one on the left passes the crinkly eyes test, the one on the right doesn't.
