Being a Real Writer

Line art representation of a Quill (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A real writer. But what does that mean? If you write you technically are real. But serious? That's another matter and it is up to you to decide what serious means. To me, being a writer is a day-by day process, a responsibility, and a right to be earned.

To me, being a serious writer means writing every day, no matter my mood, energy, or distraction. I may not write what I intended to write, but as long as I write something I am a writer that day. I make three goals for the day: Minimum (daily blogs and X on my WIP), Intermediate, and Challenging. I really want to do more than the Minimum goal but that is the least I need to do to fulfill my perceived obligations to others.

Because, to me, being a serious writer means obligations to others. There is an obligation to my readers (and future readers) to produce a minimum amount and quality. I can see both of these improve over time and they give me joy and feelings of fulfillment. There is a duty to give back to the community, which I do in this blog. I enjoy sharing what I learn and am always surprised that other people are interested in what I have to say. Thank you! I am interested in what you have to say, too, so please share.

To me, being a serious writer is a right to be earned. Maybe that means it is not a right? I believe that a professional (or aspiring professional) writer needs to behave professionally. This means networking on social media, honing craft (a partial purpose of this blog site), connecting with other members of the writing community, and acting in a professional – yet personal – way in interactions. I have some trouble with the “being personal” part. I tend to want to keep my personal life separate but readers want the persoanl touch these days and social media makes that possible.

But in the end, it is up to you to decide what being a “real writer” means to you!