Are You A Real Writer?
56At some point many of us ask ourselves this question and especially early on we don’t always feel like we are a real live honest to God writer.
What makes you a writer?
Being a writer means that you write… plain and simple. You may not make much money, if any but if you put words on paper or a computer, you are a writer. That may not be your full time gig, you might unstop pipes for a living or are a doctor by trade but you can still be a part time writer.
According to my accountant you can’t put writer down on your taxes as your career unless at some point you’ve actually made some money. If after a few years you can’t show anything in the credit column it is only a hobby. I floated along for a few years in the iffy range. I took my laptop, printer and chair off my taxes but every year she reminded me I needed to show income.
I’ve gone to seminars that taught writers about taxes and bookkeeping and many of them say you don’t have to ever earn a dime. I’m not sure who does their taxes but mine wants income at some point in the game. Your expenses can be more than what you make but working to bring in some money is the goal.
Can you call yourself a writer if you don’t make any money?
Sure you can but of course people are going to ask you what you write and want to know how they can read some of your work. I knew a woman who for several years had a book in progress. She was writing her memoirs in her spare time while teaching. As far as I know she has yet to get it published but she is still a writer. Don’t let non-writers or published authors make you feel inferior just because they can’t actually read what you are producing. It doesn’t matter.
I know a lot of great writers that only produce blogs. It’s for their own entertainment and hobby but their work is better than many books I’ve read. Are they writers? Sure they are. Anyone who has ever written and posted a blog knows how much work goes into one. Some make a little money but many only do it for fun and if others read it, great, if not they would do it anyway because they enjoy it.
Some bloggers make a lot of money, more than authors so don’t underestimate those stories you read.
How often should you write to be considered a writer?
There is no set amount of time. Some write when they have a few minutes. Look at J. K. Rowling, she wrote, worked fulltime as a teacher while raising a child alone. If she can find time then so can the rest of us.
Where should you write?
It doesn’t matter. A couple of great writers wrote in potting sheds with an old desk and chair. They didn’t have fancy laptops but they still wrote great books.
Here’s a link to see pictures of Roald Dahl’s writing hut:
www.roalddahlmuseum.org/discoverdahl/exploring/default.aspx
You can write on a park bench during your lunchtime, on the subway to and from work or waiting in line at the post office; whatever works.
Now you know you are a “real writer” so go get your pad and pen or keyboard and write.
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A great hub and I must say after punching a time clock for 30 years and the happenstance of helping our Library Branch write and publish a book of local history, the bug hit me. Writing has become addictive. For me it is therapeutic and fun. I now have 5 books in print. Best sellers, no never but I did it the self publish way and no one can take that away.
Marellen, you are a real writer. It takes a while before you see any money. Follow the advice of some of the articles on SEO, keywords and link sharing and you'll get there.
Fiddleman, I've been writing since I was a little girl. I would take notebook paper and staple it into a book and write stories.
I know that writing makes me a writer, but I have often wondered if I actually have the 'talent' to be a real writer... I think everyone has to question themselves on it, I suppose it makes us continue to grow.
Hello Pam, great observations. I'm glad money is not the guage.
Phoebe, having other people enjoy what you create can help you determine the quality of your writing but even then just enjoying the creative process is important.
Mckbirdbks, No, I do not believe so. Some are just better at marketing their craft but not necessarily great writers.
I do not think of myself as a great writer but I do enjoy it as it relaxes me and takes me away from my technology driven life...thanks
Very nice hub.....congrats this morning you were my highest rated hubber that I follow....which is about 300 people....keep up the great work.
Lovely hub. I'm good and motivated! I'm going to bookmark this hub, and look at it when I'm forgetting to make time to write. Thank you :)
Linda.
P.S. Voted up, of course!
Mtsi, the more we writer the better we get.
Cogerson, I don't know how that happened. I've been working at it and hope to keep high numbers.
Thanks for reading Linda, some days we all need a little pep talk.
I have been submitting articles online since January 2010, with HubPages being the first site I submitted to. I now consider myself a writer, although I didn't in the beginning. I have chosen to stay home to care for my family and our animals while my partner works full time. He is very supportive of my writing, and is happy for me when I earn a few dollars from it. I have one self-published book on business, and another book in the works. I look forward to the day when I can show a substantial profit from my writing, but for now I am happy earning even a few dollars. My name is out there, and I have had positive comments about my work...that is a good start in my books.
Your article makes total sense, as it took me awhile to consider myself a writer. You got my vote up and useful. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for reading, Brsmom, you certainly are a writer.
Pamela,
This is so inspiring and uplifting. I'm not sure it matters to me if I classify my writing as a hobby or a job. I do consider it a passion that I am just now appreciating the healing value of.
I love calling myself now a nurse and a writer. I appreciate honorable feedback and the opportunity to grow in this community.
Voted UP & UAB-- thank you so much, mar.
This is the little bit of positivity needed by everyone who aspires to write, thanks, Pamela. It really helps to keep one focused.
I bet we've all read stuff and wondered how on earth it got published ... a writer friend of mine always said it is who you know not always how well you write. Let's face it there are many, many people out there who write well ... they just lack the marketing skills to sell themselves.
All the best ...
Mar, I am glad I uplifted your efforts. Peace.
Angie, that does seem to be the case. I've read some lousy books and can't figure out how they got published. Being at the right place at the right time and knowing the right people make all the difference.
Pamela, Great inspiration .. It is nice to know how the people define "writer". OK I am not. and never wanted to be. Now Iam here and what.... I am writing.. Am I a "writer"? I don't know whether what I write is enjoyed by others. Surely I read a couple of your hubs and enjoyed them.
Up/useful
The best way to become a good writer is to first become a good reader. Read everything you can, and when you discover a writer you enjoy, study that writer's technique. For the same reason, when you find a writer that you don't enjoy, find out why, and avoid making the same mistakes.
I agree with Pamela...I've read published books that I thought were awful, including a couple of best sellers!
Sun Pen, we get better with practice. Enjoying the craft makes all the difference in the world.
Will, once they get popular some of them don't try as hard because they don't have to. It's a shame.
Hi Pamela, i think if someone found what you wrote interesting and enjoyed reading it the you are a good writer, i feel you don't need to make a lot of money to be a good writer .
Awesome and vote up !!!
Kashmir, I certainly don't get rich off my endeavors nor do I make enough to live on but it is enjoyable so I keep at it.
Pam, After publishing two books and also writing on HubPages I never gave much thought to the question "Am I a writer?" because I don't make a living from it. Your Hub was very enlightening. Thanks. Voted up.
I read a beautiful tribute to a woman's mother once in a magazine. The author wrote about how her mother had the dream of being a writer, but in reality all she wrote was thank-you notes to people. After the woman died, dozens of people came to this woman to tell her how much her mother's notes meant to them, and how some of them even changed their lives. The woman ended with the statement "My mother WAS A WRITER." Your hub supports that thought beautifully! Thank you for being a writer!
Great insight on this topic. Thanks!
Glenn, many of us have doubts on occasion and I think we need to be reminded that we are still writers.
Wow, Dearabbysmom, that is a great story. I have read some really good sympathy cards. Some have a real talent for it.
Thanks, Randomcreative.
This was great inspiration! To be a writer is a word that is difficult to use because we think that is has to be someone who write for a living. But I agree with you that a writer is someone who write! The rest doesn't matter. Thanks for the positive article. Rated up!
Tina
I like it Pamela. As I write more I feel more like a writer. Plus I haven't made any money. Just like real writers, the starving sort. Except without the long words obviously.
Thoughtforce, sometimes we have to be reminded we are writers even when we don't always feel we are.
Mark, I enjoy reading your humor and wit. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for writing this as sometime we all need a bit of positive reinforcement.
Yes, Susan we certainly do. Thank you for reading.
Great hub Pamela, we do all need a little inspiration, especially at these wages! Thank you for sharing!
Great hub! Money has nothing to do with what defines you as a writer. Writing has everything to do with it!
Thanks for reading, Chatkath and Rose.
Somewhere along the line I decided I would do most anything that had to do with writing or publishing.Since that time I have worked at writing letters, staff writer for a school system,volunteer publicist for a non-profit organization,policy writer, technical writer/editor, sports reporter, weekly news editor.
As somebody said we could all probably do better at anything but writing.So what makes us do it?
It's a passion we cannot control and must do whether we are paid or not. Sounds like you've had many writing gigs, Dahoglund. You are definitely a writer.
Thank GOD for notepad and the keyboard and spellcheck and all the other stuff that makes writing sooo very easy for just about everybody. :)
If not for those tools, Quicksand, I'd be back to the typewriter wasting paper and submitting via snail mail which is slow and time consuming.
Sometimes I think what keeps me writing is that I am so convinced that I am not a writer. In the process I have learned that more people than not really could care less which is so inspiring. But I don't write for them anyway so it matters little. I suppose it would make a difference if I accomplished something of significance but then that would only be relative to some people's values. At this point, I have not tried to analyze it too much for fear of losing the muse. I will just wait and see what happens. Thanks for a thought-provoking write. WB
Thanks for reading, Wayne. Writing for ourselves is the best way, I think. When we write what we like and to please ourselves I think we do our best work.
well i know that i have a long way to go, to perfect as being called a writer, however, i enjoy writing, especially my narrative write, love this hub, very informative, vote up
one love
Dark!
Thanks for reading, Darknlovely.
I've considered myself a writer since I started writing as a kid. There was a gap in my life where I wasn't writing regularly, but really for most of my life I have thought of myself as a writer.
Now the internet, blogger and hubpages, it is easier for people to see that I am a writer. Previously I never really talked about it, but now I have a place to direct people.
Great hub earning you a vote-up and awesome.
Thanks, Phil, sometimes we fell inferior when we compare ourselves to the great authors with several books under their belts but we are still writers.
Writers write. If you do that, you're a writer, just as you suggest. I thought this hub said it all so well. You certainly are a writer! Thanks.
Thanks, greatparenting. We all need encouragement once in a while and a pat on the back.
Nice article. I think many of us that write on platforms like this forget that we're doing something that many other people couldn't, or wouldn't have the guts, to do. I'd say that qualifies everyone of us here as writers.
Jason, there are many different kinds of writers. When a person says they are a writer people usually assume we write books but there are copy writers, technical writers, lyricists, script writers, print article writers as well as we online article writers and bloggers. We most certainly are real writers.
marellen Level 6 Commenter 11 months ago
Pam...I really have never consider myself a writer. I happened upon HubPages by accident and like what I can share. Making money is a joke so far but who knows in a couple of years what will happen. Enjoyed your hub.