Why is it so difficult for so many people to say they are writers? When asked what we do, shouldn’t it come naturally to say: ‘I’m a writer?’ The statement is true because, in fact, we write. We do it seriously, with passion, with intentions to develop our craft, and learn from fellow writers and by practicing. And yet, with all this effort and attention, we often struggle to say that three-word sentence to claim what is often the most essential thing about ourselves. Why? The answer I hear is that, well, we’re not ‘real writers.’ So, what then is a ‘real writer?’ What does it take to be a ‘real writer?’ What does one have to do to become one? Here are the answers I hear:
- Have a degree in writing
- Be paid for writing
- Be published
- Be published by an acclaimed publishing house
- Be published, acclaimed, and make a lot of money
- Know grammar and spelling perfectly
- Be a tortured soul
- Be addicted to a substance
- Have experienced severe trauma
- Be disciplined every day with a strict schedule
- Know what the story or poem is before beginning to write
- Write something original every time
- Write only what we know
- Always show and never tell
- Be able to scan poetry
- Understand our characters fully before writing a word
- Be dedicated to only one genre
- Know literary analysis and its vocabulary
I am exhausted and itchy. Nowhere in this list is the word delight. Nowhere in this list to be a writer is the concept of writing for writing’s sake, out of the need to express oneself about the conundrum of human existence. Nowhere in this list is the impetus of curiosity, exploration, mystery, drama, or danger that we contain within us and encounter everywhere in our lives and which transforms itself into what we most want to say. Nowhere is the fact that art arrives from the need to make sense of life and to share what we understand or what we question. Through her own art, Georgia O’Keeffe believed: Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unkown known is the important thing.
A writer is someone who writes. Through practice comes confidence and strength in our voice and skill, and with that comes the right to claim ourselves as writers. Every writer has agency through their writing to learn, earn money, find acclaim, offer comfort, challenge ideas, and entertain. The delight, even when writing tragedy, comes when we open through the act of creating. Writers begin with a spark, a possibility that tumbles onto the page and rambles until it becomes art. Over 2500 years ago Confucius said: To study something and practice it regularly, is that not joy?
Upcoming Events
Need a winter break? Need a time and place to set the world aside and immerse yourself in the world of words? Join me for a February Writing Retreat at Serra Retreat Center in Malibu, California! Beginning Monday, February 24th through Friday, February 28th. Writers of all genres and levels of experience are welcome. This retreat is tailored for those who do not love huge groups and who cherish the opportunity to develop their writing within a respectful structure. For more information: https://www.writingfulltilt.com/retreats/ or maureen@maureenbjones.com
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