Happy Thursday to you all! I hope this finds you well. Shall we begin?
What is a writer? I’m going to write an article about this topic in a few days, but today I’m going to take a different route in answering that question.
If you were to look at the dictionary definition of a writer you would find:
: someone whose work is to write books, poems, stories, etc.
: someone who has written something
Well that’s a bit nebulous if you ask me. Someone who has written something? Come on Websters; you can do better than that. Does that mean someone who writes a grocery list is a writer? I think not, and yet they certainly fit under the second definition.
But what about the first definition: someone whose work is to write books, poems, stories, etc……the word ‘work’ throws me just a bit. Does that mean writing in pursuit of money? Do you see why I’m having trouble with the concept of what a writer is?
So let me tell you what I think a writer is. A writer is a person who puts one word in front of another, and another, and another, in an attempt to advance literature. To my way of thinking, it all comes down to intent. If your intention is to improve your skills and in so doing to better the art of writing, then in my opinion you are a writer; if your intention is to simply make money without any consideration to the art of writing, then you are not a writer.
Snobbish for sure but there you have it. Writing is a craft…part of the arts….THE ARTS….and it needs to be treated as an art form. I don’t care if you just write blogs or if you are a content writer or a writer on Bubblews or just write for yourself….if your intent is to improve your craft then in my book (pun intended) you are a writer. Otherwise, if you are just writing for clicks and views, you are nothing more than an accountant.
TIP OF THE DAY
Try writing in a different genre. I said for years that I could not write poetry, but I forced myself to write a poem titled “I Cry Real Tears.” It did not springboard me to fame but it did help me, in the long run, to write better free-form prose and so it was well-worth the effort.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Become addicted to constant and never-ending self-improvement.”
Anthony J. D’Angelo
CONTEST OF THE DAY
Another opportunity for self-improvement as a writer is to enter a contest and test your skills against thousands in a competition. Here’s one that might interest you. The Baltimore Review’s Winter Contest has several genres that you can enter, and the entry fee is only $10. I believe the entry deadline is November 30th. You can find the details here.
PROMPT OF THE DAY
I wrote an article yesterday about using all five senses when writing to appeal to the reader. Try it on this picture. Use your five senses to describe this prompt.
AND THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY
I’m over 500 words and that is more than enough to get my point across. I hope you found this helpful. In no way am I trying to insult anyone regarding the definition of writing. I just feel strongly that real writers should try to advance their craft and improve.
Have a great day and a great weekend.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 