The Weight of the Word 'Writer'
Hello! My name is Alex, and I’m a writer... wait. Let’s stop right there.
Why did I stumble on this word? "Writer." It sounds too loud. When I see someone calling themselves a writer in their bio or posts, I always get a strange feeling. Not judgment, just the thought: "Is it really that simple?"
Once, on a social media platform, I came across a girl who calls herself a writer. Every post of hers is about how she’s writing a book. It’s not that she writes "something that comes to her in dreams" or that she doesn’t have a plan and doesn’t know what’s going to happen next. Maybe that’s true, but it seemed to me like a marketing move — and her page was mostly advertising. That’s fine, she’s trying to monetize her work. Out of curiosity, I found her books, read a couple of chapters from different works. She had quite a few books, but I didn’t like them. Of course, it’s a matter of taste, but it was then that I started to wonder: can I call her a writer after reading just a few of her texts? Maybe I didn’t pick her best works, but nonetheless, I think you already know my answer.
I’m not ready to say that about myself. Even if I write a good book or a whole series, I’d rather call myself an author. "Writer" is something others can call me only after they read my works and decide if that word suits me.
Or maybe it’s just the "imposter syndrome" talking, I don’t know. But it seems to me that this is more honest and, perhaps, more correct.
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Great post.
I believe the word 'writer' isn’t self-proclaimed; it’s defined by how others perceive your work. That's why I never have the guts to call myself a writer, I'll leave it to those who read me to decide for themselves.
Thank you!
The written word can be absurd
Contain laughter, moments, and folly
Identity, call out, name and hook the lured
At holidays sound morose or jolly
It depends upon the chosen work
Ethnography, journal, heroic, and jerk
Catalogue the simple things of life
Dole out horror, terror, nightmares, error
Praise, extoll, inspire, alight, cause strife
Cause wars or peace, speak holy, fairer
Expose what's beyond or what's within
Rarely does that which is evil ever win
From birth, through growth, until the end
And to much more do the writer's words tend
Interesting. That's exactly how I feel. In interviews, for example, I don't like to be referred to as a writer, but explicitly as an author. I associate the title ‘writer’ with a writer who earns a living from writing, i.e. a profession.
I therefore label our Community members as authors. So hopefully you feel well placed and appreciated ;-))
Here’s my opinion on this matter, and perhaps it might seem a bit strange to you. I believe that even if someone makes a living from writing, that doesn’t necessarily make them a writer. They are more of a professional author. For me, a writer is someone who can, through their text, make me care deeply about a character or captivate me so much that I can’t put the book down until I’ve finished it. And when the book ends, I feel a touch of sadness and even envy toward those who haven’t read it yet, who still have the chance to experience it.
Perhaps, for me, the word "writer" is always intertwined with a sense of magic. There’s something enchanting about it. Maybe I romanticize it too much, but I like to think of it that way. It’s just my opinion, the opinion of a reader. Although, to be honest, even the word "reader" feels a bit too grand for me.
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Your description is great. I see a poet in front of me, a word artist. Someone who also has special insights and can convey them. I see Hemingway and Tolkien. You have a very classical idea of writing. I like that.
Thank you so much, but I think you might have slightly overpraised me—just a tiny bit😅
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