AM I A WRITER?

By Ruth P. Saunders

Am I a writer or a person who sometimes writes?

According to Wikipedia, “A writer is a person who uses written words in various styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce various forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, poetry, plays, screenplays, and essays as well as various reports and news articles that may be of interest to the public.”

I have communicated ideas through written words for many years. Early on, it was a task, such as the reports or essays assigned at school, or the memos, letters, reports, and academic journal articles required for work. I did not consider myself as a writer because my compositions fulfilled job requirements.

After years of publishing academic articles, I authored a textbook. I enjoyed the challenge of expressing and organizing the content in my specialty area for students, practitioners, and researchers. It felt good to contribute to my professional field as an academic writer.

I retired from academia and now write creative nonfiction stories, essays, and poems. This has led me to wonder, “What is a real writer?”. Here are some reflections on this question.

Do writers need a certain type or amount of education? I can see some advantages of this, but beyond literacy and ability to express thoughts, educational credentials don’t seem necessary.

Does it require that one publish, earn a certain amount, or at least aspire to make money through writing? That describes being a professional writer rather than a writer per se. I write for motivations other than financial rewards, although some writers earn pay for their work.

Do the literary products have to be judged “good” for one to qualify as a writer? I hope not and don’t think so. We may agree the quality of written pieces varies, but they are all created by writers. Some are simply more skilled than others.

So, am I a writer? I don’t have a degree in writing, haven’t published my creative work, don’t aspire to earn money, and get mixed reviews on the quality of my products.

Yes, I believe I am.

There are two reasons for this. First, writing is what I do. I engage in the writing process, which involves a way of experiencing the world as well as the act of regularly putting words on a page.

Second, writing defines who I am. As part of my self-identity, it connects me to the larger world of past, present, and future human beings who strive to harness the power and ambiguities of words to express thoughts and ideas.

Embracing my writer identity removed a shadow from my worldview, allowing me to see and write with increased clarity.