Are You A Writer?

Question: When are you allowed to call yourself a writer?

When you’ve had a book published?

When you’ve finished a novel?

When you’ve written something through choice, for your own pleasure?

When you’ve written over ten thousand words?

I think we all have our own definition of what constitutes a writer, but there’s something about that term that we associate with grandeur and elitism. It’s no wonder, then, that writers, unpublished and published alike, have trouble awarding themselves with that title.

The reality is that no one gets to decide if you are a writer accept you. An idea might be to start seeing your writing as a calling, rather than a job title or status. When we look at it like that, a different set of criteria come to mind that has nothing to do with publishing contracts, best seller lists or dazzling book prizes. Consider the following questions…

Do you think of the book your writing or possible storylines when you’re in the shower, at work or stuck in queue?

Do you make scribbled notes on napkins, receipts, the back of your hand – unwilling to let a strike of inspiration go to waste?

Do you want to make a little squeal of joy every time you nail the perfect sentence?

Do you feel the world around you melt away when you are in the writing zone?

Do you want to move people? Even if you make only one person smile or cry or scream with your writing, will that mean the world to you?

Does writing keep you balanced and happy to the point you couldn’t imagine life without it?

Do you write even when you don’t want to, even finding time to up your word count on Christmas Day?

Do you know for sure that for every rejection, criticism and bad review you ever get you will continue to write?

If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then, I think it’s safe to say… you are a writer.