Someone said I’m not a writer… and of course, I had to write about it! Here’s my take on who gets to call themselves a writer and what the internet says.
I do like your definition. You can tell a story with a grocery list as long as you do it with intention (I know, I've done it, got an A on that assignment, lol).
For some reason, it is very hard to call yourself "a writer". If you want to be a writer, you could gradually start referring to yourself as one. Change your Linkedin profile. Mention it in conversations. Introduce yourself as a writer to someone new. Slowly ease into it, until it feels right. That's what I did :))
It's always been simple for me. If you write, you are a writer.
But now you've made me question such a simple definition. Yes, you can write a shopping list or a work email - but are you a "writer"? These are intentional - I don't want to forget what I need to buy therefore I must intentionally write a shopping list - so I'm not sure adding "intentional" to the definition would work. There is a different intentionality in writing a book. Perhaps an unconscious recognition of *that* intentionality makes the difference.
The intention of this article was to give people more freedom to call themselves writers.
I would say this is where the improvement part comes in! I don't think a lot of people want to get better at doing grocery shopping lists. But I've met very talented writers that get better and better at crafting emails to resonate with their audiences.
This is just my take but intention for me has to include communication, choices, and improvement :)
I’d have to add “effort” and “desire” (which also falls under intention) to the definition. You can write a shopping list with intention but with not much effort or desire. You write the list and throw it away once you’re done. A story on the other hand you can want to share it or have it for yourself. You work and work on it, putting just about everything into it. You “craft” it. You want to write the story, poem, script, etc. You aren’t doing it just because it’s an assignment or on your to do list.
I think your definition is insightful and spot on. Publishing a book didn’t make me a writer. Intentionally choosing to create something with written words made me a writer.
I'm sorry you had to deal with that in your comments. That person was nasty (not to mention nonsensical) for no reason, but it's great how you were polite, and you wrote a great article off of it.
I had a hard time calling myself a writer for a while, even though I knew that's what I was, but now I go ahead and say it. Just because someone hasn't published a book yet doesn't make them any less of a writer. And someone who writes without intending to publish is no less of a writer either.
Thanks Li! I think they were just trying to be the mean unbothered type. They've also let other comments on some other notes trying to invite arguments.
And 👏👏to what you said. A book doesn't make you a writer. That's a label that you choose for yourself!
I have a prospective on the writer/author piece. I’ve put a lot of thought into this as someone who’s working towards art-ing with words as a career choice, so this is solely from the making money with it point of view.
To me being a writer is someone who writes paid pieces for hire and an author is someone who writes what they want to on their own terms.
From an entire money-making point, I think I heard someone said that you become a professional writer when you're paid to write and an author when you publish something.
I also don't know if it's wrong but just adding to your comment!
I love this post! You got on so many point about writing and even what writing means in a time when just about everyone writes.
I love that quote from Zinssers book. It indirectly addresses the AI issue in that even if you're using AI to in your writing, you are writing.
Funny till I saw this post I never gave much thought to what a writer is, because to me a writer is more a concept than a title. When I think of a writer I think of people like Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, William Gibson and Richard Stark.
But I also think of people like Frank Miller, Matt Kind, Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan.
It is funny! I never gave it much thought either until this faithful comment. I've also met talented writers that don't consider themselves that. They just say things like "I write sometimes, I like it" and then they have like a lot of short stories and notebooks filled with their writing.
I have seen a lot of definitions for "writer" from narrow (you must be published) to broad (I write letters to family). Broad has always been the correct one. The only way it can correctly be narrowed is by adding adjectives to it like "fantasy writer" or "technical writer" or "published writer".
I had a “lurker” make a random comment trying to goad me into an argument about politics on a post that had absolutely nothing to do with politics. I tactfully shooed them away, and after further digging, I was 99% sure the “lurker” was bot. This isn’t related to your overall point of what makes someone a writer. I’m just wondering if your lurker could be a bot as well. They are here, on Substack, programmed to spread hate, fear, and discontent.
I also did some digging and checked their account (just out of curiosity). It did look like it could've been a bot, but then they actually had a book on Amazon, so I'm not sure.
often I am talking TO them but my messages are more for the silent watchers. AntiAI people are scaring people who want to try out these tools but don't want to deal with their funny little wrathful comments. everyone can stand under my umbrella
I love this article because I’ve been in these same conversations. The part where you talk about your friend discussing when something becomes art and when it’s trash was interesting because it made me think of the movie, The Menu. The entire time I watched it I was completely blown away by how awful the dishes were. The chef cooked with intention, but the intention was to make a joke out of the people consuming it. And that’s a completely different style.
Thanks Marlin 🤘. In those conversations is usually difficult to get to an answer. And that's a great observation, I also remember that the dishes in the movie where your standard aesthetic dishes...
I do like your definition. You can tell a story with a grocery list as long as you do it with intention (I know, I've done it, got an A on that assignment, lol).
Thanks! But please tell me you have the grocery list story somewhere 😂
For some reason, it is very hard to call yourself "a writer". If you want to be a writer, you could gradually start referring to yourself as one. Change your Linkedin profile. Mention it in conversations. Introduce yourself as a writer to someone new. Slowly ease into it, until it feels right. That's what I did :))
Exposure therapy with the “writer” label 🤘
This is great advice. Sometimes the label starts feeling earned when you use it a couple times.
It's always been simple for me. If you write, you are a writer.
But now you've made me question such a simple definition. Yes, you can write a shopping list or a work email - but are you a "writer"? These are intentional - I don't want to forget what I need to buy therefore I must intentionally write a shopping list - so I'm not sure adding "intentional" to the definition would work. There is a different intentionality in writing a book. Perhaps an unconscious recognition of *that* intentionality makes the difference.
Sorry I made you doubt it 😂
The intention of this article was to give people more freedom to call themselves writers.
I would say this is where the improvement part comes in! I don't think a lot of people want to get better at doing grocery shopping lists. But I've met very talented writers that get better and better at crafting emails to resonate with their audiences.
This is just my take but intention for me has to include communication, choices, and improvement :)
And yet, I think sometimes some words don't really need to be define so much as understood. Felt internally, perhaps.
I’d have to add “effort” and “desire” (which also falls under intention) to the definition. You can write a shopping list with intention but with not much effort or desire. You write the list and throw it away once you’re done. A story on the other hand you can want to share it or have it for yourself. You work and work on it, putting just about everything into it. You “craft” it. You want to write the story, poem, script, etc. You aren’t doing it just because it’s an assignment or on your to do list.
Intention is what differentiates art and craft from mundanity and slop.
Yesss💪
I think your definition is insightful and spot on. Publishing a book didn’t make me a writer. Intentionally choosing to create something with written words made me a writer.
Thanks, Mckade🤘. This means a lot coming from you (who's actually published). I like the distinction between identity and credentials.
I’m flattered that you address me directly in your emails.
🫶
I'm sorry you had to deal with that in your comments. That person was nasty (not to mention nonsensical) for no reason, but it's great how you were polite, and you wrote a great article off of it.
I had a hard time calling myself a writer for a while, even though I knew that's what I was, but now I go ahead and say it. Just because someone hasn't published a book yet doesn't make them any less of a writer. And someone who writes without intending to publish is no less of a writer either.
Thanks Li! I think they were just trying to be the mean unbothered type. They've also let other comments on some other notes trying to invite arguments.
And 👏👏to what you said. A book doesn't make you a writer. That's a label that you choose for yourself!
Ugh!
And thanks!
I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm glad you are able to make something of it that isn't sadness.
PS. Commenter jail! ˃ ᵕ ˂ LOL!!!
Thanks Alley! I try to spin things in a positive way. And well, this ine gave me some material.
(Yeah, I had to block them 😬, they were commenting on my stuff, I think trying to drag me into an argument)
I have a prospective on the writer/author piece. I’ve put a lot of thought into this as someone who’s working towards art-ing with words as a career choice, so this is solely from the making money with it point of view.
To me being a writer is someone who writes paid pieces for hire and an author is someone who writes what they want to on their own terms.
This is probably wrong but my brain likes it 😂
If the brain likes it, it likes it 😂
From an entire money-making point, I think I heard someone said that you become a professional writer when you're paid to write and an author when you publish something.
I also don't know if it's wrong but just adding to your comment!
What do we call someone who gets paid for what they published ?🧐
Uh, you got me there 🤔
Professional published writer 😬
I love this post! You got on so many point about writing and even what writing means in a time when just about everyone writes.
I love that quote from Zinssers book. It indirectly addresses the AI issue in that even if you're using AI to in your writing, you are writing.
Funny till I saw this post I never gave much thought to what a writer is, because to me a writer is more a concept than a title. When I think of a writer I think of people like Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, William Gibson and Richard Stark.
But I also think of people like Frank Miller, Matt Kind, Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan.
It is funny! I never gave it much thought either until this faithful comment. I've also met talented writers that don't consider themselves that. They just say things like "I write sometimes, I like it" and then they have like a lot of short stories and notebooks filled with their writing.
That was me also for quite a while. I wrote, stories, novels, scripts, essays, but I never shared them with anyone.
I got tired of that and decided that to be a writer in the fullest means putting your stuff out, regardless of what people will think.
I have seen a lot of definitions for "writer" from narrow (you must be published) to broad (I write letters to family). Broad has always been the correct one. The only way it can correctly be narrowed is by adding adjectives to it like "fantasy writer" or "technical writer" or "published writer".
I like the broad-plus-adjectives 👌
I had a “lurker” make a random comment trying to goad me into an argument about politics on a post that had absolutely nothing to do with politics. I tactfully shooed them away, and after further digging, I was 99% sure the “lurker” was bot. This isn’t related to your overall point of what makes someone a writer. I’m just wondering if your lurker could be a bot as well. They are here, on Substack, programmed to spread hate, fear, and discontent.
You know what, I was thinking the same, lol.
I also did some digging and checked their account (just out of curiosity). It did look like it could've been a bot, but then they actually had a book on Amazon, so I'm not sure.
I’m sure there are an abundance of AI written books that have slipped through Amazon’s cracks.
Well said! I’m a writer. Thank you. 🖤
Yesss👊
I am not sure what people are extracting from these engagements.. they seem beholden to rules that don't even matter
Sometimes it feels like these debates are more about the arguing than the actual answer 😂
they want to fight? I'll give em what they want, idc
😂 You're a menace (I love it)
often I am talking TO them but my messages are more for the silent watchers. AntiAI people are scaring people who want to try out these tools but don't want to deal with their funny little wrathful comments. everyone can stand under my umbrella
I 100% any book I start. I have to. It’s like embedded in my DNA.
Glad I got you!
I love this article because I’ve been in these same conversations. The part where you talk about your friend discussing when something becomes art and when it’s trash was interesting because it made me think of the movie, The Menu. The entire time I watched it I was completely blown away by how awful the dishes were. The chef cooked with intention, but the intention was to make a joke out of the people consuming it. And that’s a completely different style.
Thanks Marlin 🤘. In those conversations is usually difficult to get to an answer. And that's a great observation, I also remember that the dishes in the movie where your standard aesthetic dishes...
The plate of volcanic rocks with leaves and frozen fish on top was literally the worst.