Aspiring writers often wonder, “How can I be a writer? What do I have to do? Do I have to have a degree or take a class?” Well, I’ve got the answer and it might not be what you expect:
WRITE.
That’s it. If you write, if you express yourself by using words, if you string those words together to create something you love, you are a Writer. It can be a short story, a novel, or poetry. You can type on a laptop or write by hand on the back of a grocery list. Just write.
My friend and fellow author, Kay Kauffman says it best in this post: The Writer’s Identity. I’ve returned to this post time and again. Not because I’m a creepy stalker, but because it gives me confidence and helps me re-focus my efforts as a Writer. When I’m riddled with self-doubt, when I’m wondering if I’ll ever complete another novel, when I’m struggling with my identity, I visit Kay’s blog and everything is okay.
You don’t have to be a published author to be a Writer. You don’t have to have an agent, a website, or even a blog. If your novel isn’t finished yet, that’s okay. You’re still a Writer. Why? Because you write.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working on a new novel. What are you writing?
* Leave a comment and tell me about your writing projects. If you want to leave me a link to your website or blog, that’s great. Or, you can leave me a poem, joke, or an excerpt from something you’ve written. Or you can just say, “My name is _____ and I’m a Writer.”
Aww, Tricia, you're too kind! I read this last night just before I went to sleep and I was all kinds of flattered. I'm so glad that my post has meant so much to you.
I think it really is all about the journey, like I said in my Griffin's Quill post yesterday. And I've made some great friends, like you, along this journey. I've learned a lot and come a long way, and I know that I'll learn much, much more before I'm through. But I have to say, I wouldn't be disappointed if one of the stops along this amazing journey included publication of one of my books (preferably more than one).
December 1, 2012 4:16 PM
My name is Gregory A. Hart and I'm a writer.
You know, that's the whole secret – write. And then maybe consider writing even more.