(Re-posted from August 2009 but originally written 4-6-06)
Am I an author? What a presumptuous thought. To claim such a thing seems almost arrogant – even if it were true. And if it’s not true, well, then it’s just silly.
What is an author anyway? Wonder what Webster would say. The implication of having been published seems inherent in the title, although it may not technically be a requirement. In a broader sense, an author is a creator, the one who has conceived of something and/or the one who has brought it to life.
So, an author I am not – except for some small promotional and educational pieces that I have produced. But a writer… Ah. Maybe I could be a writer. I would not yet claim to be one, even thought I’ve done some writing. If I were Webster, I would not feel that “having written” makes one a writer. Rather the regular, intentional practice of writing may qualify one to be called a writer.
I guess I can choose to be a writer whether or not I ever get anything published. However, it pretty well goes without saying that I’ll never be an author (certainly not a published one) unless I am first a writer.
Do I really want to be a writer? Do I have what it takes? If, as Carolyn See says, a writer should write 1000 words a day… Yikes. Oh, but Anne Lamotte suggests 300 words a day; that’s not so bad. And now I’ve just learned about the Club 100 – where you write at least 100 words a day. Even easier, huh?
Do I want to be a writer? Why? Why not?
-I like the idea, the concept. Seems so cool to be a writer.
-To actually transform thoughts and ideas into words and sentences that might benefit others would be awesome.
-To force myself to write on a regular, deliberate basis may provide the needed nudge to process and articulate some of my swirling thoughts.
-Similarly, becoming a writer may pave the way for finally organizing my resources into a functional format.
So yes, some days I want to be a writer. On good days I even enjoy the work of the actual writing. Will I succeed? Will I persist? Is this just another new start that will end up fizzling? I guess we’ll just have to watch and see.
But for now, today, I wrote. Today, this week, I am a writer.
Am I an author? What a presumptuous thought. To claim such a thing seems almost arrogant – even if it were true. And if it’s not true, well, then it’s just silly.
What is an author anyway? Wonder what Webster would say. The implication of having been published seems inherent in the title, although it may not technically be a requirement. In a broader sense, an author is a creator, the one who has conceived of something and/or the one who has brought it to life.
So, an author I am not – except for some small promotional and educational pieces that I have produced. But a writer… Ah. Maybe I could be a writer. I would not yet claim to be one, even thought I’ve done some writing. If I were Webster, I would not feel that “having written” makes one a writer. Rather the regular, intentional practice of writing may qualify one to be called a writer.
I guess I can choose to be a writer whether or not I ever get anything published. However, it pretty well goes without saying that I’ll never be an author (certainly not a published one) unless I am first a writer.
Do I really want to be a writer? Do I have what it takes? If, as Carolyn See says, a writer should write 1000 words a day… Yikes. Oh, but Anne Lamotte suggests 300 words a day; that’s not so bad. And now I’ve just learned about the Club 100 – where you write at least 100 words a day. Even easier, huh?
Do I want to be a writer? Why? Why not?
-I like the idea, the concept. Seems so cool to be a writer.
-To actually transform thoughts and ideas into words and sentences that might benefit others would be awesome.
-To force myself to write on a regular, deliberate basis may provide the needed nudge to process and articulate some of my swirling thoughts.
-Similarly, becoming a writer may pave the way for finally organizing my resources into a functional format.
So yes, some days I want to be a writer. On good days I even enjoy the work of the actual writing. Will I succeed? Will I persist? Is this just another new start that will end up fizzling? I guess we’ll just have to watch and see.
But for now, today, I wrote. Today, this week, I am a writer.
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