janbeek

Are You a Writer?

What’s a Writer?

How do you define a writer? Are you one?

Not everyone who reads my blog has a blog of their own. Not everyone who writes a blog has anything published anywhere else.

Must you write a blog or have something published in order to consider yourself a writer?

Does writing in a journal qualify you to call yourself “Writer”?

When you create a grocery list or a list of your “To-Do’s” for today, you are writing. Does that make you a “Writer”?

Definition of Writer

—noun

1. a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc., especially as an occupation or profession; an author or journalist.
2. a clerk, scribe, or the like.
3. a person who commits his or her thoughts, ideas, etc., to writing
4. (in a piece of writing) the author (used as a circumlocution for “I,” “me,” “my,” etc.): The writer wishes to state….
5. a person who writes or is able to write: a writer in script.

The Key to Being a Writer

The key to being a writer lies for me in the definitions number 3 and 5 above. It’s so obvious!

To be a writer, you must write! You must commit your thoughts and ideas to writing! Not just the ability to write (like writing your signature on a check or signing your name on a card), but the ability to put your thoughts and ideas down on paper or computer or someplace where others can read them.

Are you a writer who writes for others?

Play at Writing

Write like a child at play –
words are the beads;
string them together
one bead at a time.

Writing should be fun! Cristian Mihai on The Art of Blogging says, “Just punch the damn keys.” In his post today, he reminds us also that we are never finished in our quest to be anything… writers, artists, body builders, you name it!

To Be Human Means That Our Work is Never Finished

Cristian Mihai wrote in the blog I imbedded above (for your ease in going to read it in its entirety),
“… we are all works of art. And we are never, ever, ever complete.”

He quoted 70 year-old Seneca who wrote,

“I am still learning…”

Cristian went on to remind us,

“One thing of extreme importance in life is never, ever to be complete.

To always strive for more.

To be able to reinvent yourself on a constant basis.”

He said, “We are not nouns, but verbs. Action is what defines us. And we can change what we do as we learn and develop new skills.”

I appreciate the ideas I glean on a daily basis from Cristian Mihai. He helps me put into action some of my better impulses, and to do it with the Spirit guiding me.

Let the Spirit Guide Your Writing

Let intentionality
yield to spontaneity.
Let the spirit
guide you.

Spiritual direction is as important to the life of a writer as good editing is to the life of the mind. Both deliver us from the blindness of a solitary thinker.

Being a solitary writer squeezes our vision and makes us myopic. Being short-sighted cuts us off from the wonderful world of criticism. Your spirit can guide your creativity, but seeking one’s own center does not mean we should discount others’ opinions.

Writers Are Not Indifferent

In his book, Saints and Writers – On Doing One’s Work in Hiding, Belden C. Lane wrote the following about prolific writer, James Joyce:

“James Joyces’ wife, Nora, loved him for his ordinariness. She paid little attention to his writing. With critics, Joyce had to second-guess himself. With Nora, he never had to prove anything. It was worthless even to try. Loving indifference can prove a safe place – a hidden center – from which one’s creativity grows without being turned back onto itself.”

I am not indifferent to the responses of others to my writing. Unlike James Joyce, who evidently came across as “ordinary” to his wife, my husband treats me like I am anything but ordinary – a very special, talented writer whose ideas are worth reading. He reads each of my blogs before I post them. I am not indifferent to his editorial ideas, and I appreciate his input.

Let Your Creativity Grow

Just as Cristian Mihai reminded us in his blog today, never ever be complete! Never consider your skill set as mastered. Always keep learning and growing and seeking ways to improve.

You ARE a writer! You DO commit your thoughts and ideas to writing.

A few of your ideas expressed in the comments below will not be met with indifference by this writer. I LOVE hearing from you. You help me to keep growing!