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I haven't read any but the two above me in this thread.
If one writes at all one is a writer. Schedules, productivity, rituals are all personal traits and pecadillos that have nothing to do with the act of writing in general. Journaling, venting, sending a letter etcetera are all writing. If you are putting your thoughts and feelings down on paper or into a word processor you are writing.
Whether or not one gets paid for their efforts is a different animal altogether.
Restricting the definition of writing to specific types or styles is something that should be laid out in the premise.
I haven't read any but the two above me in this thread.
If one writes at all one is a writer. Schedules, productivity, rituals are all personal traits and pecadillos that have nothing to do with the act of writing in general. Journaling, venting, sending a letter etcetera are all writing. If you are putting your thoughts and feelings down on paper or into a word processor you are writing.
Whether or not one gets paid for their efforts is a different animal altogether.
Restricting the definition of writing to specific types or styles is something that should be laid out in the premise.
Well, I think that's a good point. To me, writing is an act of creative communication that relays your thoughts to another party. Unless one's work is read and responded to, then it's really a different act entirely, more tied up in the realm of therapy or chronicling one's own life. What's more, the point of the thread is to spur on the aspirational writer who isn't content with scribbling out some thoughts and shoving them into a desk drawer, for most writers will not gain satisfaction just from the words they write, but from the input they receive. Not sharing one's thoughts and claiming oneself a writer, in that sense, is akin to calling oneself a bridge builder, but only completing one side of the span.
On a side note, I have attended probably a dozen writers' conferences around the country over the years. All of them are careful to market themselves as helpful for those wanting to be published with critiques, meetings with agents, submission guidelines and the whatnot. Yet, every time, there's always one person who gets up and says, "Why I just want to write for myself." Most memorably, the last time that happened, it was at a "Prepare Your Manuscript For Agents" lecture. Some woman got up and said that, to which one of the agents said, "Then why are you here?"
well, I started out as a contributing writer for local newspapers, then got hired on staff; wrote 2 novels, one which was accepted for representation by a literary agency, but I turned down the contract, lost both manuscripts plus a non-fiction I was working on in the process of moving; gave up writing because I had a family to support, & started back into it a couple of years ago- I'm an independent contractor, working for a research writing company for the last 2+ years, and since I don't have the time to deal with submissions I've taken the self-publishing route for the books I've written during the last couple of years. 4 should be available through retail booksellers by the end of the summer, and the others will continue to be available online.
well, I started out as a contributing writer for local newspapers, then got hired on staff; wrote 2 novels, one which was accepted for representation by a literary agency, but I turned down the contract, lost both manuscripts plus a non-fiction I was working on in the process of moving; gave up writing because I had a family to support, & started back into it a couple of years ago- I'm an independent contractor, working for a research writing company for the last 2+ years, and since I don't have the time to deal with submissions I've taken the self-publishing route for the books I've written during the last couple of years. 4 should be available through retail booksellers by the end of the summer, and the others will continue to be available online.
I'm a wanna-be. There, I said it. I have probably 30 books on writing, none of which I've read cover to cover. I joined a writers club for about six months, but then let my membership lapse. Although I did complete a novel (and I use that term loosely!) for National Novel Writing Month a few years ago, everything else is half-finished.
The marketing aspect scares me. Having to deal with rejection scares me. Pretty much everything that would make me even halfway successful at this is terrifying. Because this is a dream and not a calling, I've let it sit there on the back burner. I've tried to tell myself I don't really want to be a writer, but if that were true I would have gotten rid of my writing books when I moved. That was two months ago, though, and I have to yet to either crack open one of those books or to actually write anything.
Do I write at all? I used to keep a diary, but not so much anymore. I post on message boards, obviously, for whatever that's worth. I haven't written anything that would take me closer to making my dream a reality in a long, long time.
CPG, everything you've said is correct. I recognize myself in your first post. Thank you for stating it like it is. I am procrastinating, big time.
4 novels completed, actively pursuing publication, one contest win, agent requests for a full, editor requests for a full and a partial, pitched twice, queried dozens of times, a few writing books, on-line craft lessons, two writing chapter memberships, one national membership, one national conference, attending a regional conference, wrote a first draft in a week, have a fifth novel started, 4th in first revision, in-house published when working outside the home, blog contributor to writing chapter blog, daily writing schedule when working on MS, and only go on City-data between projects.
Must not type proudmommy--actually super stoked cause I am a finalist in a major writing competition and still waiting on some edits from my critique partners for two submission requests. All is so well in my world! Tomorrow I will be--gone....
Location: Everybody is going to hurt you, you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for-B Marley
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpg35223
Okay. This is a thread that is not about snobbery. It's not a thread that's trying to divide working writers from the wannabes. However, it is a kick in the pants, a bit of tough love if you will.
Snobbery calls them wannabes. I prefer to call them aspiring writers. And there's nothing wrong with studying the Writer's Market, much like there's nothing wrong with studying the job market's decline and in-demand list before deciding on a new career. I disagree with a lot of this post. Just about every aspiring writer starts out a little too gungho just as just about every medical student starts out wanting to save the world. It's akin to and a sign of our infancy of the craft. No big deal. We live, learn, and hopefully, grow--at our own rate.
Snobbery calls them wannabes. I prefer to call them aspiring writers. And there's nothing wrong with studying the Writer's Market, much like there's nothing wrong with studying the job market's decline and in-demand list before deciding on a new career. I disagree with a lot of this post. Just about every aspiring writer starts out a little too gungho just as just about every medical student starts out wanting to save the world. It's akin to and a sign of our infancy of the craft. No big deal. We live, learn, and hopefully, grow--at our own rate.
Wannabes is probably an unfortunate word choice. By that, I don't mean the people who are actively working at their craft, but rather the people who talk about being writers, but don't actually write.
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I have probably 30 books on writing, none of which I've read cover to cover. I joined a writers club for about six months, but then let my membership lapse. Although I did complete a novel (and I use that term loosely!) for National Novel Writing Month a few years ago, everything else is half-finished. 
I haven't written anything that would take me closer to making my dream a reality in a long, long time.
Thank you for stating it like it is. I am procrastinating, big time.
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