So You’re a Writer?

You say or think you are a writer, but what does that mean? I came across this article earlier this week on Facebook. It gives a list of things that show or prove someone is a writer. But what does being a writer mean? Isn’t everyone, to some degree, a writer? Is someone that sends an email or writes an essay for a class, a writer? What about someone that produces or manipulates content? If so, what kind of content?

So what makes a writer a writer? Ultimately, who decides who is writer and what makes them a writer? I think it’s fair to say that everyone that considers themselves a writer, has their own reason for saying this. Writer, as a label for someone, covers such a large range of ideas and professions. For me, I think of a writer according to what they write. I would say I am a writer because I write fiction. According to this, I consider myself an author. On the other hand, I also write what would be considered content, such as this essay, or articles/essays about other things I am passionate about. In this sense, I would consider myself a content creator.

The article also talks about books and reading. The second item on the list determining if you are a writer, is buying a lot of books, even if you will never read them. The third item follows by saying this makes you a book hoarder. I found this to be interesting since we have discussed in class about how closely related reading and writing are. Several people in our class say they do not like to read, so it’s likely that they do not have stacks of books like the article implies. I only partly agree with this. Yes, I’ve bought books that I will probably never read, but I would not say I am a book hoarder and I think it’s safe to say, I probably never will be.

No person or list can determine who is writer. Only a writer can determine if they are a writer by their own ideas and expectations on who a writer is and what they do.