If you call yourself a writer, you can read all you want and people think you are working.
-Katherine Paterson
Something that always seems to come up in the Blogosphere, often from disgruntled commenters, “trolls” and the like, is this notion that bloggers can’t call themselves writers unless they have had something published / write with a certain level of sophistication that seems to be determined by the preferences of the person leaving the comment. This is something that never fails to irritate me.
In my opinion, if you love to write, and do so on a regular basis, then you are a writer. If you love to take photographs and actively seek out new things to photograph, then you are a photographer. In just the same way that someone who spends their spare time scrapbooking can be called a “scrapbooker”, or someone whose favourite activity on a Saturday night involves spending a portion of their wages at their local casino is a gambler, why should those who write, take photos and create art be scorned for declaring that these pass-times are a huge part of who they are?
It seems that certain pass-times, certain creative exploits have come to be defined by the money you can make from them, rather than the pursual of the craft itself. In the world of blogging this is predominantly represented by writing and photography, although I’m sure there are probably other hobbies and / or pass-times for which this occurs. I think that if what you do is a big enough part of who you are that you want to label yourself by it, that should be enough. If writing is one of the most important things in your life, you are a writer, whether you have five bestsellers under your belt or you come home from your day job and scribble well into the night without ever being published. You don’t have to have a shiny portfolio and regular commissions to be a photographer or an artist, just a passion for the art form in question.
Just because you don’t get paid for it doesn’t mean it isn’t a big part of your life.
Many bloggers dream of being professional writers, but being an amateur doesn’t necessarily make you any less of a writer, it just means you’re not getting paid for it yet.
What’s your passion? Are you lucky and talented enough to call yourself a professional? Are you an amateur who’s been criticised for calling yourself a writer / artist etc. when it’s not your profession?
I do call myself a professional, since writing is what I do for a living. But I agree with you- writer’s write. That’s the only qualification you need to call yourself a writer.
I’ve heard another quote that’s something like “Writing is the only profession where no one thinks you’re completely ridiculous if you don’t earn any money.” That would be a rough road, but it’s pretty much true!
Here here!
I don’t think there’s a straight line between amateur and professional. For instance i’ve graduated from art college and i consider myself an artist, however i don’t make much money at all from it so far because it’s very difficult to get into the art scene. So do i count as an amateur or a professional. So yeah, those people are silly
I never thought about this, but you’re right – we are self-proclaimed, and that’s how it should be: you don’t need others appreciating (or paying) what you do to be who you are.
I’m proud to be an amateur. Amateur comes from amo, love, because love is the only motivation we need to do what we do.
Hey, it’s your blog. You carry on writing what you like!
I do
Very true. While filling out my customs card for a recent trip to New Zealand and listing my occupation as a writer, I have NEVER received so many questions from custom officers as I did then compared to when I listed ‘student’! I’m not sure if that was out of genuine curiosity or suspicion, but it was interesting, nonetheless!
I consider myself a ‘professional’ – even though I may not possess the most corporate writing style (in fact, it’s kind of ridiculous!), I’m still paid as a copywriter through my day job and I write for Frock & Roll almost daily!
There will always be people who say that kind of thing, just like, if you do earn money from writing, there will always be people who say you aren’t a writer because you aren’t literary enough or the right kind of literary. Basically there are just some people who will always be wankers!
@ Holly, I hadn’t thought about that connection, I must remember that!
Reading this really got me thinking. Not getting paid definitely doesn’t make you any less of a writer–especially if you think about how long some writers who are getting paid not wrote without pay to get to where they are. I think that anyone & everyone can deem themselves a writer, or an artist, or whatever–as long as they create.
The only label that really matters anyway is the label you give yourself, right?
Nice post <3
Oops that “not” up there was supposed to read “now.”
Bad editing!
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