Recently I’ve been tweeting with the hashtag #YouKnowYouAreAWriterWhen. It’s been fun thinking about how do we know we’re writers. Or, the better question: when does it hit us we are writers? Is it when we’ve published something? Is it when we spend most of our time writing?
For me, I began thinking I might be a writer the first time I published. I had sent in my story to a national competition sponsored by Reader’s Digest and McCalls. It won second place and the editor of Reader’s Digest asked me to call him. I did, and we worked on the story for the next year before Reader’s Digest bought it. That’s when it hit me I could write. Or, at least, my writing had some credibility. But was I a “writer”? I’m not sure I would have thought so then.
With a new feeling of confidence, I continued to write, but it was not my real job. When I introduced myself to others, I didn’t call myself a writer. I called myself an educator or trainer. That’s what I did when I wasn’t writing. Clearly I didn’t consider myself a writer yet.
Later, a publisher bought my first business book. I had been writing fiction in my spare time, but when that happened, I began my journey of writing nonfiction–business books. All the books I published in this genre were related to my “work.” I wrote a book on interviewing skills, on communication skills, on social media and sales. Again, I didn’t call myself a writer. I called myself an educator, teacher, coach. The books complemented my other career. I still didn’t know I was a writer.
Then, four years ago, I put everything else aside. I closed my coaching business. I stopped doing workshops and seminars except for one or two. I focused my attention on writing fiction. By then my computer housed at least three completed manuscripts, but in a different stage of completion. My focus changed from writing part-time to writing full-time.
During a recent trip abroad, when I met new people, for the first time in my career, I introduced myself as a writer.
Perhaps you knew you were a writer sooner. When did that magic moment happen for you?
Hey, Joan!
Sorry I haven’t been by in a while. I’ve been buried and doing a lot of lurking on posts.
Love hearing how you are embracing your author-side 🙂
~M
Hey Mary, Thanks for stopping by. I guess I’ve missed hearing from fellow Musers. They had been very active on my blog and all just disappeared at the same time. I wondered if it might be some firewalls we put up or something else. I’m glad to know it’s just a time issue.
So when did you realize you were a writer?
Hi Joan,
Although I’ve had lots of short stories published in books and mags, a book published with Muse it Up Publishing and a script that I’ve written has been performed and will be performed again in Germany, this year, I still can’t bring myself to describe myself as a writer. When I meet someone new and they ask me what I do, I say I’m retired (which I am, of course!) I think I’m just a lost cause!
Come on now, Dawn. You are a writer!! It’s time for you to start introducing yourself that way. When I did so recently, it was great because people then ask, “What do you write?” Then, they want to know the name of your book and voila! You might sell a book.
Enjoyed learning more about your writing career. Funny you should ask about when I called myself a writer. I just wrote about the writing mindset on my blog. I suggested before you begin your daily writing project, get into the attitude of “being” a writer by saying with certainty and pride, “I am a writer.” I believe it hit me first when I saw my byline on my first published article in the newspaper. But Lea’s lovely email telling me MuseItUp accepted my first book nailed it for the fiction side of my writing.
Hey JQ, Thanks for stopping by. I agree that nice letter from MuseItUp Publishing certainly helped build my confidence as a writer. But, many writers never see that letter and yet they keep writing. My feeling is #YouknowYouAreAWriterWhen you just plain have to do it. 🙂