I have a funny relationship with the idea of calling myself a writer. For years, I refused to call myself a writer because I didn’t feel like a “real writer”. I wasn’t writing important novels or whatever I thought writers did so I didn’t want to dare to breathe the word as though it could apply to myself.
Then eventually I became very comfortable with calling myself a writer. After all, I get paid to write. And I would write even if I didn’t get paid to do it. Isn’t that the essence of what a writer is? I stopped feeling self-conscious about being a writer and just was one.
However, there was one part of calling myself a writer that I never really got comfortable with. That was the part where other people would react to me when I said, “I’m a writer”. They would always ask, “what do you write?” which is actually a really complicated question – or rather a question with a complicated answer. They would then ask how they could start writing as though that’s something that I can explain over coffee.
There are some writers who love these conversations. They feel proud of the fact that they do something that people are so interested in. I am not one of those writers. The way I feel about it is that I write because I like writing, not because I enjoy talking about my writing.
It got to the point where I would say, “I’m a writer” with such an ugly tone in my voice that people would be deterred from asking me more about it. This was sad, though, because I really do like what I do and didn’t want it to keep coming off as though I didn’t. But I still never got comfortable with the “writer” conversation.
So now I usually say something along the lines of, “I’m a blogger for a variety of different businesses”. This is the truth. Of course, it’s also true that I’m a writer who has done (and still does) a lot of different writing besides blogging. But blogging for businesses is really what I do for a living.
This response generates a lot fewer questions from people. And the questions that they ask are a lot easier to answer because mostly they want to know what it means to blog for businesses. I do sometimes get people asking me to give a five-minute explanation of how they, too, can blog for businesses. But it’s not as common and I’m not as uncomfortable with it.
So, for now, that’s the label that works for me. What about you? Do you enjoy telling people that you’re a writer?
I Stopped Calling Myself a Writer has 2 Comments
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July 14th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Interesting Q. Sometimes the statement, “I’m a writer” does smack as seeming self-serving, other times, it explains best what I do all day. Writing for work. To connect. For pleasure. My novel. On paper. On computer. In my head. It won’t leave me alone.
Its not so much that I enjoy telling people as it is a natural part of who I am, my passion in life. I bet people are interested because you do like it. I’m sure that shows. ; -)
@Michelle – It is true that it makes sense to describe yourself this way when it’s really what you do all day. But don’t you ever get tired of the conversations that it incites?
August 6th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Yes, I agree with you one hundred thousand percent. Bit of exaggeration there but that’s how I feel about the writing conversation. People who aren’t writers don’t understand what being a writer is all about. It’s not something that can be picked up and carried around on the hip.
We (some) writers have tried to run from the words but the words just keep showing up like a bad rash that just won’t go away.
I actually feel very at home with your writing and love visiting your blog. I relate to you and your ideas.
Thanks so very much. Have a wonderful weekend.
@Jackie – Thanks for stopping by. I’m looking forward to checking out your site now as well.