Am I a ‘Real Writer’ Now?

At what point does a writer become a “real writer”? How does a person go from having a novel or a few stories to being a real Writer? What can people with a few things written do to make this a career?

At Balticon 57, I got to ask “Real Writers” if I qualified, on the Virtual Panel: “Am I a ‘Real Writer’ Now? with co-panelists: October Santerelli, L. Marie Wood, and Stace Johnson. It was moderated by AD “Bunny” Boorman.

What is a ‘Real Writer’?

While many people dream of becoming writers, few actually write, fewer finish their stories, and even fewer get published. At which milestone can someone call themselves a ‘real Writer’?

Well, the trickiest part about identifying oneself as a ‘Real Writer’, is that we keep moving our own milestones.

The only way we could answer this question was to separate out three terms.

1. writer – with a lowercase ‘w’, a writer is simply someone who writes. It can be for themselves or for the world.
2. Writer – with an uppercase ‘W’, is someone who finishes their works and puts them out there for others to see — be it their own blog, a fiction forum, submitting their works to traditional publishers, or indie publishing it themselves.
3. Author – someone who gets paid for writing. With any luck, they can hopefully pay a bill or two with it.

Thus, those of you who dabble in writing, who just do it for yourself? You can proudly wear the ‘writer’ label.

The Hard Parts of Being a Writer

There are a few things you have to do if you want to turn your hobby into a career (even if it’s not a full-time one, or never pays the bills). Sure, business cards help, and networking can give you a huge step up, but it comes down to committing to the work.

1. Prioritize – Writers prioritize their writing. Sure, life, and family, and dayjobs exist, but where they can, Writers set aside time to make sure their writing happens.
   
2. Persistence – Muses get most of us about 20% of the way, putting your butt in chair, day after day is what gets most Writers to the end of a finished manuscript.
   
   (If your muses get you through your polished manuscripts, let me know your secret!)
   
3. Perseverance – Putting your work out there is scary. You will get rejected, and not everyone will be nice about it. But, in order to be a Writer, you have to keep putting yourself out there.
   
4. Craving External Validation – Sure, there are a few writers who aren’t looking for it, but most of us are. Some want that best-selling title, others crave awards. At this point? I just want someone who doesn’t know me or my friends, to come up to me and say that my story meant something to them.

NOTE: Network by sharing your love for the craft, for your genre, for other writers. Don’t network just by looking to use people.

Fighting Impostor Syndrome

There are ever-creeping milestones. So often, writers tell themselves that they won’t be a ‘real writer’ until:

• I finished my manuscript
• I get an agent
• I make my first sale
• I qualify for SFWA (or whichever professional writers’ organization)
• I sell 10,000 copies
• I get nominated for this award
• I win that award
• when I get a lifetime achievement award…

The scope creep is real! But, it’s what keeps us pushing forward, to do more, to do better.

But, if screenwriters waited until the script they wrote was actually produced? There would be a lot fewer screenwriters, because Hollywood is fickle.

Own your titles! For me? At some point, I had to acknowledge that I was a blogger — and then a youtuber, and streamer. Now I’m a podcaster. If you’re putting yourself out there consistently, own it.

At the end of the day, you have to value your own work.

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And at the end of the panel, L. Marie Wood reassured me that, yes, I am a ‘real Writer’.

Are you?