A job title by any other name
She inquired about my occupation. When I told her I was a writer, she seemed puzzled. “What else do you do?”
The New Oxford American Dictionary defines a writer as someone who writes books, stories, or articles as a job or occupation.
That’s a much-simplified version of reality.
Today’s corporate writer must have strong attention to detail, think logically, be independent and collaborative, understand different language styles, write industry-centric copy in the appropriate voice, write clear, concise and grammatically correct copy, write short-form and long-form content, write persuasively, write to inform, conduct background research and interviews, drive the creation of original concepts, be skilled at listening, strategizing, creating, and delivering, be able to self-edit and edit the work of others, be fluent in publishing and social media software, design and write content that will be delivered in a variety of formats, be able to empathize with a range of readers, be able to lift twenty-five pounds, manage and prioritize multiple projects, and meet tight deadlines.
So what is my job title if not writer?
I’m not a journalist. I’m not a novelist. I don’t write poetry or TV commercials. I’m not a medical or science writer. I’m a creative writer, but creativity is inherent in every writer. I write stories, but not of the fictional variety. I’m not an essayist. I used to be a technical writer, a job title that baffled my family.
The other day, I went home from the bookstore with a copy of Stephen King’s On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft.
On page 269, King defines writing:
“Writing…[is] about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.”
I like that.
