When can you start saying ‘I’m a writer’?

[jongibbs]

The other week on my regular Friday links list, I included a post by John Grant (aka realthog ) called There Are Far Too Many “Writers”.

It’s an interesting article (the subsequent comments make for good reading too). John, who has around seventy author/editor credits to his name, makes the valid point that the phrase “I’m a writer” doesn’t mean what it

Comments

[abennettstrong]

At whatever point a person feels it's self-descriptive. We're writers. We use words, we label the world, we create meaning. We're writers when we say we are.

[jongibbs]

Fair enough :)

[wendigomountain]

I are a writer to!

[jongibbs]

Lol :)

[medleymisty]

I don't think it has anything to do with money.

If you say you're a writer, you are. People determine their own identity.

I'm a writer. I'm a writer down to my bones. Words flow through my blood. I'm probably never going to submit anything for publication, because I have no interest in writing as a job. I wouldn't call myself a mainstream American and/or a capitalist. I do call myself a writer.

[jongibbs]

Being a capitalist writer might be fun, or at least profitable :)

[msstacy13]

I've mentioned previously that Jenifer Boylan considers herself a former transsexual,
since she's had the surgery associated with that diagnosis.
OTOH, there are those who contend they won't be transsexual until after they've hadthat surgery

[jongibbs]

I think it's up to the individual, but for me, it was when I started submitting my work for publication/representation that I decided I was a writer.

[msstacy13]

That is a reasonable standard, yes.

[asakiyume]

I'm completely with you. If you're putting words on paper (or into a computer), and writer describes how you feel about yourself, then that's what you are.

Dishonesty comes in trying to fool people about something; but if you write, there's nothing dishonest about saying you're a writer.

[jongibbs]

'and writer describes how you feel about yourself, then that's what you are.

Nicely said, Francesca. thanks for sharing :)