WHY CAN’T YOU JUST CALL YOURSELF A ‘WRITER?’

By Kasie Whitener

I subscribe to Runner’s World magazine and every now and then the discussion comes around as to when someone can realistically call themselves a runner.

If you started a Couch-to-5K program yesterday and haven’t gotten to the running part yet, are you a runner?

If you used to run half-marathons but now mostly stroll with your neighbors instead of training for anything serious, are you a runner?

It’s called ‘imposter syndrome’ and has been explored at length in discussions ranging from sports newbies (like runners) to female business owners (entrepreneurs). It fascinates me that as I reached the point in my career where I finally have a good amount of experience and expertise, I’m surrounded by people who admit they feel like fakes.

But no place do I see this rash of insecurity as often as I do in the writing community. There are dozens of reasons why. Here are just a few:

‘Writer’ is a broad title for a number of professional roles.

To be a professional, one must be paid. Professional writers can be copywriters in marketing departments, communications specialists in public relations offices, journalists or storytellers in news outlets, and even the holy grail: Novelist complete with publisher, agent, and roof-over-your-head paycheck. So does winning a contest with a $300 payout make me a professional writer? Do blog subscribers count as currency?

 ‘Writer’ could mean any level of experience and education.

In most professions, there’s a career path that includes some combination of education and experience. But writers don’t always have the same credentials or the same resumes. Many of them have no resume at all. Your work is your evidence of achievement. Unless you have an MFA, right? Or a PhD?

Being a ‘writer’ only means you write. It doesn’t have to mean anything else. But it could.

If you’ve been writing, you’re a ‘writer’ according to Jeff Goins who has made a tidy internet success out of telling people to self-declare. But there are professional writers who want the title to mean more. They want prestige and meaning behind the term. Lance Armstrong is a cyclist, sure, but I rode my bike yesterday and that technically makes me one as well.

The accolades and distinctions of ‘Writer’ are not organized into any recognizable path of achievement.

While there are national and international awards of distinction and while publication in esteemed journals or by discerning publishers can be badges of your skills, the literary world is highly subjective. For every dozen learned scholars who praise The Great Gatsby, there’s an equal cadre of scholars who loathe the work. How can subjectivity rule a profession? Ask any gymnast with a gold medal.

If it’s not enough to simply write and be a ‘Writer’ then create for yourself a vision of what you think ‘Writer’ is. Decide what you want to accomplish, what respect or recognition you’d like to earn and then put in the work to make that goal a reality.