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I was having a conversation with my mother in law and her friend (Denise) yesterday and they were asking what I was working on currently? So I told them and Denise asked 'What is it like to be a writer?'
I answered 'I don't really know as I write part-time I don't do it for a living.' - that was my automatic response but she said, 'but if you've had things published, you're a writer.'
That got me wondering. A friend of my wife's has a hubby who's a programmer but disappears for a month every summer to 'work on his novel' at a writers retreat, he calls himself a writer and yet has never had anything published, so I suppose it's whatever you think inside your head.
I suppose I sometimes feel embarrassed talking about my writing as invariably people don't really understand what it's about and say stuff like, 'I've got a great idea for a book you can write...' Or ' I bet you wish you'd written 50 shades of grey...or I could write a great book if I had the time...or So when will it be on the best seller lists and dozens of other similar comments that make you want to run out of the room screaming!!
Comments
Looks like she has...
I have had hundreds of stories and poems published but I only ever call myself a writer apologetically because I've hardly done any recently and I only do it when I feel like it. However, it's what I put on forms under occupation as I have nothing else to say and I am registered as self-employed with the taxman!
I am published, but don't generally describe myself as a writer to people. I usually just say that 'I write a bit'. Then, when pressed I explain that I'm a published travel writer and have had a some short fiction published.
I'm often asked what books I've written. For some reason people seem to think that you can only call yourself a writer if you've written a novel. I find that very irritating - as if my articles and short stories are somehow inferior.
I have said 'I write' but I can't say 'I am a writer/author (even more pretentious)'.
Those words very difficult to say aloud!
Modesty might prevent us from announcing our status to the world, but that doesn't change what we are.
'I like to...' suggests it's a hobby.
You may not necessarily do these things for a living, but you have the professional skills to do so. I think that's essential. Many people believe themselves to be writers at a deep personal, emotional and intellectual level . . . but they don't have the proficiency of a pro.
I've made a living from writing for the last few years. But when I say I'm a writer, I don't mean the published novels and non-fiction because I've never been able to live on those. I mean the journalism and corporate writing. They are my excuse.
If I made enough money from books, I'd call myself an author.
Sorry if that was a bit rambling.
Peter Cook: So what do you do?
Man: I'm writing a novel.
Peter Cook: Yes, neither am I.
"Nar," I said, "I guess I'm a writer." In the context of that conversation, I guess I was.
I also worked for two years as a freelance writer, producing articles for a London-based management training company. This was my main source of income for that period, so I suppose I could lay legitemate claim to the title for that period. You may remember me coming on here, stressed to bits because despite having had a whole month to write my articles, usually about fifteen, I only really got stuck into my workload over the last ten days or so. I remember one night tearing my hair out to beat my deadline and finish an article on 'how to beat procrastination'