By Deb Boyken
Question: When did you start thinking of yourself as a writer?
It’s not as easy a question as it seems. Clearly, if you make all of your money by writing, it’s easy to say, “I’m a writer.” A journalist. A novelist. A pro-blogger. A freelancer. All of these people can stand up at a class reunion with a nice, crisp answer to the “What do you do?” question.
But how about all the other people who write, but not as their primary means of income? Or for no income at all? The person with an unpublished novel sitting in their desk, or a journal filled with poems jotted down in spare moments. The occasional article in a local paper. A blog that brings in a few dollars a month.
What do you think? Are the people in this second group writers?
It’s not like there is a definitive answer, after all. You can’t define a writer by saying, “If X spends Y percent of their time writing,” or “If X earns $Y by writing,” or “If X has written Y number of articles/poems/novels,” because “Writer” is an indefinite definition. A person can write all day and all night with nary a break for food or rest, but still not be published, and therefore not a “writer” in the eyes of the world. A person could throw together a short telling of some Big Event they’d been involved in–a hurricane, a disaster–and poof, they’re a writer. A celebrity teams up with a ghost-writer and poof, they’re a writer now, too. While meanwhile, back at the ranch, the poor schmuck who’s slogging away at his ground-breaking novel isn’t considered a writer because nobody has ever even glimpsed his manuscript.
My personal feeling is that, yes, if you take the time to put words on paper
in an orderly fashion, with the intent to inform, entertain, or enlighten,
then yes, you are a writer, regardless of whether any body has seen fit to
pay you for it. Sure, it can get awkward if you’re in a crowd and you answer
the famous question with, “I’m a writer,” and get the immediate follow-up.
“Oh, what have you written?” If you can only say, “Well, I have a
blog/unpublished novel,” or “I wrote an article for Smalltown Gazette last
month,” I can tell you now, it’s going to be awkward. Uncomfortable silences
galore.
But, that’s okay. It’s not how the world views you that’s important. It’s
how you see yourself. Stand up straight and tall and say, “I’m a Writer.”
And, if you wanted to plan ahead, start thinking now about a snappy comeback
for that follow-up…
Today’s guest post is from Deb Boyken. Deb is a writer who knows how to make grammar interesting. Deb Blogs at Punctuality Rules!
14 responses so far ↓
1 Punctuality Rules! » Blog Archive » Guesting // Mar 18, 2008 at
[…] you haven’t seen it, I’ve got a guest-post over at Laura’s Writing Thoughts […]
2 Matt Keegan // Mar 18, 2008 at
Unlike most other professions, there isn’t really a way to license writers. I kind of like that. After all, if the industry was regulated, then people would be able to control what we have to say.
Control beats the whole purpose of writing — if someone makes big bucks from writing, then good for them. If they are still broke, but love what they do, good for them too.
Writing is a passion — catch it if you can!
3 Solomon // Mar 18, 2008 at
Hi Deb!
Great Post! I had faced severe criticism when I first started writing ad copy. However, I believed deeply that I wanted to pursue it, irrespective of the criticism. I read one quote recently in this blog that ” no one can stop you being a writer, except yourself” , which has touched me immensely.
I’m now earning my livelihood after 12 yrs. of struggle. And the big bonus is doing what I like most: reading and writing and deriving immense satisfaction out of it.
It matters most if established writers like you say these wonderful words to encourage those who wish to make it to the league.
4 Amy // Mar 18, 2008 at
Great post. It’s a debate I’ve gotten into more than once. We’re not all great writers; some are better than others. We all do different things, touch people in different ways. Sometimes it’s a job, other times a passion — sometimes both. But I agree with you, that it’s how we see ourselves that matters.
5 Dawn // Mar 18, 2008 at
I recently attended a talk by Bobby Moresco, the screenwriter of “Crash” and “Million Dollar Baby”. He never graduated from the ninth grade and spent years working as a bartender, but all the while writing and hoping for his big break, which happily came (finally). What he said about writing was this, “No one can stop you from writing. They just can stop you from getting paid.”
6 Melissa Donovan // Mar 18, 2008 at
Oh, I love this post. It put a huge smile on my face. There are so many different kinds of writers – different levels of experience, expertise, different fields and genres, but we’re all pretty much in it together under that magical act of putting words on paper (or on the screen, as the case may be).
7 --Deb // Mar 18, 2008 at
It’s funny–I still have to remind myself that I am a writer. I’m not making my living at it, mind you, but it doesn’t matter. I write. That’s all that counts.
Sometimes, though, it’s a hard thing to remember.
8 Vivienne Quek // Mar 19, 2008 at
This is really interesting because I can resonate with what Deb said. Until I started my own blog, I rarely write. Matt said, writing is a passion and I’m catching it now.
9 The Word Wrangler // Mar 19, 2008 at
Of course, anyone who writes is a writer. They may not be a professional writer, but they can call themselves writers if they wish. I used to play hockey in an amateur league. Could I technically call myself a hockey player? Sure, but it wasn’t my profession. My point is that there is a difference between being a pro writer and one who does it for the pleasure.
10 Bob Younce // Mar 19, 2008 at
I especially like this question:
“When did you start thinking of yourself as a writer?”
I started out calling myself a “freelance writer,” but that caused a lot of people to ask “what’s freelance?”
I switched to calling myself a “writer,” and people started asking, “couldn’t you get a job?”
Now I just say that I “write for a living.” That seems to work for now.
11 Laura // Mar 24, 2008 at
Hi Matt, Solomon, Amy, Dawn, Melissa, Deb, Vivienne, Word Wrangler and Bob!
Wow, this has been a good discussion. I think this is something we all struggle with – especially since writing is a “creative” pursuit. Thanks for the interesting discussion.
12 Chris Hutcherson // Sep 29, 2008 at
You’re absolutely right – say it with conviction: I’m a writer. People can smell that wiff of indecision in your response, be prepared to say it boldly. The journey of being a writer means you weather the storms of criticism when people try to define you differently. Just like: I’m a hockey player.
13 Writing for money? // Nov 12, 2008 at
I believe that when a person writes for money, he is least oriented toward promoting his writing business. Making money is only possible if you are very passionate about whatever you do.
14 maya // Jul 22, 2011 at
Goodness, I’m no writer and yet I write. I belong to the second group.