Yesterday..
Yesterday evening I had a really nice conversation with Karen ( Mavarin ). Our chat began about Fantasy Fiction Books, it also ended about books. (just to prove women CAN retain the subject matter at hand).
In between Fantasy Books we also talked about Writing, and thoughts on What is a Writer?. Which made me retire with the thought in mind to do a little more research on the matter.
The first thing I did was to find the definition of the word Writer and I came up with the following.
Writer \Writ"er\, n. [AS. wr[imac]tere.] [1913 Webster] 1. One who writes, or has written; a scribe; a clerk.
2. One who is engaged in literary composition as a profession; an author; as, a writer of novels.
Writer's cramp, Writer's palsy or Writer's spasm (Med.), a painful spasmodic affection of the muscles of the fingers, brought on by excessive use, as in writing, violin playing, telegraphing, etc. Called also scrivener's palsy.
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which led me to this: related: Synonyms: author More general: communicator, literate, literate person
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Continuing my search I came across quotes about Writers
"Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers." George Eliot
How can I believe in God when just last week I got my tongue caught in the roller of an electric typewriter? Woody Allen
The cure for writer's cramp is writer's block. Inigo DeLeon
Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp post how it feels about dogs. Christopher Hampton
A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. Thomas Mann
For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed. Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed. Ernest Hemingway
Reporter: A writer who guesses his way to the truth and dispels it with a tempest of words. Ambrose Bierce
A good writer is not necessarily a good book critic. No more so than a good drunk is automatically a good bartender. Jim Bishop
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I was told once, by a friend who is a published author a few times over, that if you don't burn to write, don't even bother to try to get something published. I pretty much took this to heart, as it wasn't the first time I heard it. But I sometimes wonder how true it is.
It's also said that everyone has a story. I believe that to be a very true statement. So, if i think of that.. then is it really true you have to burn to be a writer if there is maybe but one story inside of you to come out?
I was once in conversation with an old schoolmate. We both suffer with depression . After emailing for a time this schoolmate said to me.. we might make each other more depressed if we keep this up, why don't you write me a short story and then we can discuss it, and keep our minds temporarily free of depression.
For reasons i cannot explain, I began to write a fantasy story. No biggie.. just some little tale. After all, way back when I was in school, I was pretty good at BSing my way thru 500 word essays, or 1,500 word term papers etc. I should be able to bs enough for some short Fairy Tale.
What I didn't expect was to enjoy it.
What I didn't expect was after having a few friends inquire what I was up too, and when telling them I was writing a little fantasy story, they asked to read it .
What I didn't expect was positive response of enjoyment.
What I didn't expect was encouragement to continue and make it longer by asking questions that it left them with.
What I didn't expect was someone saying, Thank you for sharing your world with me.
I began and ended the short story in a reasonably short amount of time. (Senior Moment of recalling exact amounts of time) There was enough encouragement and asking me to continue what I had started, that I took a look at it and said something to the effect of it was a good idea because I didn't want to let go of the characters I had created.
3 years later I had written enough words to fill a small Trilogy. (I had researched some information on writing books and each had the word count to be considered a book)
I didn't set out to become a writer.
I didn't set out to write a book or to become an author.
So.. Where did this phenomenon come from and why? What am I? Is there a name for someone who writes but does not actively seek out an agent or publisher? And why can't I let it rest? Why do these characters stay in my head?
I don't feel like a writer. As I read the definitions I can't really put myself in any of those categories. Maybe because to "me".. a writer is someone either getting paid to write, or at the very least trying to be published.
Possibly, it's a very individual thing. What is your definition of a writer?
In between Fantasy Books we also talked about Writing, and thoughts on What is a Writer?. Which made me retire with the thought in mind to do a little more research on the matter.
The first thing I did was to find the definition of the word Writer and I came up with the following.
Writer \Writ"er\, n. [AS. wr[imac]tere.] [1913 Webster] 1. One who writes, or has written; a scribe; a clerk.
2. One who is engaged in literary composition as a profession; an author; as, a writer of novels.
Writer's cramp, Writer's palsy or Writer's spasm (Med.), a painful spasmodic affection of the muscles of the fingers, brought on by excessive use, as in writing, violin playing, telegraphing, etc. Called also scrivener's palsy.
**************************************
which led me to this: related: Synonyms: author More general: communicator, literate, literate person
*************************************
Continuing my search I came across quotes about Writers
"Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers." George Eliot
How can I believe in God when just last week I got my tongue caught in the roller of an electric typewriter? Woody Allen
The cure for writer's cramp is writer's block. Inigo DeLeon
Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp post how it feels about dogs. Christopher Hampton
A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. Thomas Mann
For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed. Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed. Ernest Hemingway
Reporter: A writer who guesses his way to the truth and dispels it with a tempest of words. Ambrose Bierce
A good writer is not necessarily a good book critic. No more so than a good drunk is automatically a good bartender. Jim Bishop
**************************************
I was told once, by a friend who is a published author a few times over, that if you don't burn to write, don't even bother to try to get something published. I pretty much took this to heart, as it wasn't the first time I heard it. But I sometimes wonder how true it is.
It's also said that everyone has a story. I believe that to be a very true statement. So, if i think of that.. then is it really true you have to burn to be a writer if there is maybe but one story inside of you to come out?
I was once in conversation with an old schoolmate. We both suffer with depression . After emailing for a time this schoolmate said to me.. we might make each other more depressed if we keep this up, why don't you write me a short story and then we can discuss it, and keep our minds temporarily free of depression.
For reasons i cannot explain, I began to write a fantasy story. No biggie.. just some little tale. After all, way back when I was in school, I was pretty good at BSing my way thru 500 word essays, or 1,500 word term papers etc. I should be able to bs enough for some short Fairy Tale.
What I didn't expect was to enjoy it.
What I didn't expect was after having a few friends inquire what I was up too, and when telling them I was writing a little fantasy story, they asked to read it .
What I didn't expect was positive response of enjoyment.
What I didn't expect was encouragement to continue and make it longer by asking questions that it left them with.
What I didn't expect was someone saying, Thank you for sharing your world with me.
I began and ended the short story in a reasonably short amount of time. (Senior Moment of recalling exact amounts of time) There was enough encouragement and asking me to continue what I had started, that I took a look at it and said something to the effect of it was a good idea because I didn't want to let go of the characters I had created.
3 years later I had written enough words to fill a small Trilogy. (I had researched some information on writing books and each had the word count to be considered a book)
I didn't set out to become a writer.
I didn't set out to write a book or to become an author.
So.. Where did this phenomenon come from and why? What am I? Is there a name for someone who writes but does not actively seek out an agent or publisher? And why can't I let it rest? Why do these characters stay in my head?
I don't feel like a writer. As I read the definitions I can't really put myself in any of those categories. Maybe because to "me".. a writer is someone either getting paid to write, or at the very least trying to be published.
Possibly, it's a very individual thing. What is your definition of a writer?
posted by DesLily | 11:38 AM
4 Comments:
Hmmm... Well, I have a friend who is a writer. I say that because he has had articles and stories published in several magazines. Most of them small.... as was his check {g}. I asked him one day what a writer was. His reply? "A person who sits down and writes something meant to be read by someone else." I kind of liked that! By his standards, we are all writers here!
His other piece of 'wisdom'? If you want to be a writer, you have to write. Sit down for a period of time each day and write SOMETHING. Even if it is a rewrite. Apparently that method works for him.
That is such a good analysis. I've heard the same thing. if you don't burn don't start and so I never started but I want to. I want to try.
I think your a writer, after all you write and I read, is there a better example?! lol.
I would LOVE to read your trilogy, I myself love books with a passion.
Oh and Calvin & Hobbs rocks!
Well, not surprisingly, I spent all night turning my comment from the AOL version of this into a whole big blog entry.
http://outmavarin.blogspot.com/2006/03/tiers-and-tyrannies-of-writing.html
Bottom line: you're a writer. It's up to you whether and how hard to pursue the many measures of success in writing - publication, getting paid, making a living, even being the next Rowling (fat chance, for anyone). But you're already on the ladder. Second rung, actually.
I also want to direct your attention to a page of quotes about writing, many of them by someone with the best writing advice I've ever run across: fantasy writer Patricia C. Wrede:
http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/dreamweaver/quotes/qtwritecho6.html
Keep writing!
Hey you are a writer. After you write in your blog, and you have some great stories to tell, whether or not you are getting paid for it.
You ARE a Writer.
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