We all carry lots of titles–teacher, reader, swimmer, carpooler, weightlifter, daughter, mother, stepmother, grandmother, scientist, philosopher, feminist, cat person, dog person, linguist, foodie, show-binger, traveler, entrepreneur, spouse, counselor, fan, and so many more, but there’s one title that we creative types often struggle with: writer.
What is it about this particular title that gives so many of us pause? Does it feel too sacred, too intimidating, too unearned? It is an important title, to be sure, but it doesn’t need to be something shiny on a high shelf that only the greats can use when referring to themselves.
What Makes a Writer?
Forgive me if this sounds silly, but the answer is a bit obvious: It’s writing. You know that person who talks about writing all the time, who hangs up inspirational quotes, has a great pen collection and/or a shiny laptop, but who never quite seems to find the chance to actually write? (We all go through fallow creative periods due to life experiences, but this is not the same thing as simply putting off writing because sitting down and doing the thing is inconvenient or too hard). Yeah, that person isn’t really a writer. But if you sit down (or stand) and do the thing, this equally exhilarating and maddening endeavor we call writing, you have earned your “writer card”, so to speak.
It doesn’t matter if what you’ve put down is any good because you, dear writer, are going to keep working and revising, and no one ever has to read your ghastly first drafts (unless you want them to). What matters is that you create a space in your life for your writing. You make it a part of your identity.
Don’t Listen to the Haters
A year or so ago I was enrolled in an undergraduate creative nonfiction workshop at the community college where I teach (That’s a whole other story–I’m working on an essay about it right now, actually!), and our teacher had us cut up our drafts and present them to our peers so they could try to put them back together, to see what the intended shape of the narrative was, or if it needed to be reordered. The guy I was paired with grew flustered, and, trying to make sense of my words, said: “Do you think you’re some kind of writer or something?”
I’ve decided my next tattoo is going to be the word writer on the inside of my wrist, so that I never forget what I’m passionate about, but also if someone has the nerve to say something like that to me again, I can just stick my arm in their face. (The essay that prompted his response was published a few months later, by the way.)
You Don’t Have to Be Joyce Carol Oates
Oates has had a long career, but–holy crap!–the woman has more than 100 titles under her belt. She’s won all kinds of awards and has staggering name recognition in the literary world. It’s worth noting, 99.9% of us will never achieve a fraction of Oates’ success. The thing is, that’s okay. In fact, it’s more than that. I’m not here to tell you, “Oh all that money and accolades, who needs it?” Let’s be real. In a lot of ways, it would probably be quite nice to have Ms. Oates’ career. But writing isn’t just about becoming famous or even necessarily about seeing your work in print. We often hear the expression, “It’s not about the destination, but the journey.” I believe that this is true of writing. If you’re not doing it because you love it, no fat advance or speaking gig is going to get you there.
We write because when we don’t, we feel lost, or even agitated. There’s an itch in our fingers. We drift in and out of conversations, trying to get our bearings, but finding that our minds are elsewhere, searching for a whetstone we seem to have misplaced.
We write because we are writers. I want you to stop what you’re doing right now and say out loud, “I am a writer” (Maybe whisper it if you’re in a library or a work cubicle). Tell yourself often and with conviction. It is an essential part of you, but one that you may need to reassure every once in a while that you haven’t forgotten.
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