Author or Writer?
Hey, all.
I've been thinking lately about the difference between authors and writers.
First of all, let's establish one thing: we all do the same thing. We put our fingers on a keyboard and produce stuff that people read in one way or the other. The main difference—to me at least—is the motivation and the target audience you're pursuing.
To me, a writer is simply a person who writes. Pretty simple. It can be someone writing editorials for the local newspaper (yes, newspapers still exist), someone writing copy for a website or someone trying to get published. It's a fairly ambiguous term, and can take in everything from bloggers to Stephen King.
But I think the word 'author' is a much more specific term. Being an author implies that you're a writer with the aim of publishing, be it fiction or non-fiction. \
What I was really thinking of, though is the term "aspiring author," or "wannabe writer." I don't fully understand why people seem to think that you have to "aspire" to be an author. You can aspire to be a published author, but when you write fiction or non-fiction, you're an author. Period. I understand this may be an odd idea to some people, but let's get one thing straight: if you're working on something you want to publish, you're not aspiring to write something. You are writing something. You're not a wannabe author. You are authoring something.
I understand the feelings of inadequacy associated with holding yourself up with that title. Trust me, I'm aspiring to be published, as well. Have been for quite some time. But when we choose the term "aspiring" or "wannabe," we're cheapening our own experience and our desires. We are authors and writers, and anyone that tries to say differently is a liar and charlatan. And yes, I was trying to fit the word charlatan into a sentence. Heh, heh.
Keep writing. Keep authoring your stuff. You're not a wannabe. You're not aspiring. You are writers!
Thanks for wreading!
Jeff
I've been thinking lately about the difference between authors and writers.
First of all, let's establish one thing: we all do the same thing. We put our fingers on a keyboard and produce stuff that people read in one way or the other. The main difference—to me at least—is the motivation and the target audience you're pursuing.
To me, a writer is simply a person who writes. Pretty simple. It can be someone writing editorials for the local newspaper (yes, newspapers still exist), someone writing copy for a website or someone trying to get published. It's a fairly ambiguous term, and can take in everything from bloggers to Stephen King.
But I think the word 'author' is a much more specific term. Being an author implies that you're a writer with the aim of publishing, be it fiction or non-fiction. \
What I was really thinking of, though is the term "aspiring author," or "wannabe writer." I don't fully understand why people seem to think that you have to "aspire" to be an author. You can aspire to be a published author, but when you write fiction or non-fiction, you're an author. Period. I understand this may be an odd idea to some people, but let's get one thing straight: if you're working on something you want to publish, you're not aspiring to write something. You are writing something. You're not a wannabe author. You are authoring something.
I understand the feelings of inadequacy associated with holding yourself up with that title. Trust me, I'm aspiring to be published, as well. Have been for quite some time. But when we choose the term "aspiring" or "wannabe," we're cheapening our own experience and our desires. We are authors and writers, and anyone that tries to say differently is a liar and charlatan. And yes, I was trying to fit the word charlatan into a sentence. Heh, heh.
Keep writing. Keep authoring your stuff. You're not a wannabe. You're not aspiring. You are writers!
Thanks for wreading!
Jeff
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