W is for Writer
writ·er [rahy-ter]
–noun
1. a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc., esp. as an occupation or profession; an author or journalist.
2. a person who commits his or her thoughts, ideas, etc., to writing
3. a person who writes or is able to write
It’s kindof funny, because people tell me that I have a talent, that I can write. I argue about how I can’t write, that I’m not a writer, I’m a blogger. And I’ll fight about how it’s different. They tell me it’s no different.
I can think back to when I was in high school and college and how I struggled with my papers. Freshman year in college, English 101; there was a paper the the professor and I argued over for 5 different drafts. It was over the point of a short story in our book. 5 times over she said “you’re not getting it, if you turn in this paper I’ll be forced to fail you, write it again”. The day before the portfolio was due I was in my room at the computer reading the story again, crying because I didn’t see things the way the professor saw them. Each draft I had written was essentially my view of the story written differently. The professor had even told me what the point of the story was (as she saw it) and told me to write about it. I couldn’t. Mom came into my room and told me to let her write my paper. Mom can write, she’s always edited my school papers. I told her that I couldn’t let her write my paper because everyone would know that it wasn’t mine, because she could write and I couldn’t. I got a C- in that class. My portfolio said on it “minimal passing”.
Writing has been like that for me my entire life. I don’t do well when it comes to writing papers. Out of all the papers I ever wrote, the best ones were where I got to argue my points.
Maybe that’s why people read my blogs and translate it into me being a good writer. My blogs are normally easily written because they’re my thoughts. And even though I sometimes reread them and think to myself that my punctuation sucks or I used the wrong word in some place, my blogs are good because they reflect something, they reflect me and my point of view and my experiences. (and that’s why the papers where I got to argue points were my best, because I got to fully support what I was writing about, as opposed to writing just because I was told to.)
I think I may have told the reader that told me “you have quite a gift for writing informative, entertaining and educational articles on your experiences. You may have missed your calling.” that I couldn’t write, but you know what, I can, all the people that say I’m a great writer are right. I can write, I just need the right subject matter.
2 Responses to “W is for Writer”
Leave a Reply
April 28th, 2008 at 4:55 am
I also hold to the theory that being a writer and being a blogger are not the same thing. I have a cousin whose wife blogs. But, she is a writer first, going out and getting published and having her writing out in the world in a different way. I say she is a writer who blogs.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:22 am
I’m the complete opposite. I know how to write to give someone exactly what they want with a bit of added flair, but when it comes to writing about myself or my opinions it’s difficult. When people compliment my writing skills, I laugh. Maybe I’ll have to change my attitude too.