What Does It Mean To Be a Writer?

Old fashioned Typewriter still goes well

Writers are looked upon as some sort of great thinkers.  While we might like to think this is what it means to be a writer, it isn’t.

Writers are looked upon as the people many want to be- or the ones who create the movies we want to see.  There is no doubt that Stephen King, or J.K. Rowling make a lot of money, but they are still writing.

They might not expand on what they write, but it it because they enjoy the process of being a writer.  They have a passion for the art of writing, and they know their audience well.  If people don’t read their books it really doesn’t matter much because they are well known in the writing community.

They are passionate about writing, and they all seem passionate about the characters or the art of writing itself.

What does it mean to me to be a writer?

For my own personal happiness I have to love the process writing has taken me, but also I can explore the ideas of creativity because it is about using as many parts of your mind as you can to be a writer.

Accept the challenge.

I almost want to simply sit back and enjoy the process of writing, but actions, a published book is much more important to me- I have to prove this to myself and to others.  I have to love what I do and be a passionate writer, but also be logical about my writing.  At some point I will need to create and earn income.

It’s as important in writing to be passionate about what you write as to whom you are writing to.  There is a lot of work to be done when you are a writer and what it means to be a writer is to think about the work and then you.  This is one of the reasons people talk about their blogs and their writing like it is one and the same.  It is.

The one piece of advice I did receive is to write for an audience- and build from there. The joy of writing means I can build my life as a writer, and learn to be quiet and think.  It’s about observing what others have to say and what I do as a writer.

It matters.  As a writer, I matter, and I matter to my readers.

There is more to writing than passion or the The First Five Pages, but at the same time the first five pages are important as well.  It means as a writer you care about the people you are writing to, and not about the money you want.  Money will come, but you have to balance time and commitments to so this.

Failure is not an option, but failing is something that every writer will face.  It’s how you deal with failure that will define you.