On Writerliness
Found via Notebookism: a list of Christmas gifts for writers.
I was actually reflecting on this whole writer thing recently. I’ve found myself suddenly much more comfortable identifying myself as a writer lately, which makes sense since people have started paying me to write for them. I’ve also found it much more enjoyable and much less like pulling teeth.
Last fall, when I first re-started writing (so to speak), I was seriously resistant to identifying myself as a “writer” - it felt so poser-ish, like saying you’re a deep-sea diver and owning all the gear but never actually diving. Cities like New York and Los Angeles are full of “actors” who’ve never really acted, and I guess I didn’t want to fall into that bucket. But now . . . I’m more confident, I guess.
I don’t find my identity in being a writer, but it’s all these small things that add up to who we are. I’m a wife, a daughter, a techie, a citygirl, a reader, an editor, a foodie, a critic, a traveler, a Christian . . . and a writer. I’m just really me, and I’m comfortable with that.
What do you call yourself?
Ken Walker wrote:
Geek. :)
Hey, did you do any journalism in school? I worked an event for the Newarker blog yesterday and…well, journalism is hard.
Posted on 30-Nov-06 at 12:32 pm | Permalink
alissa wrote:
I didn’t . . . School was spent coding in a corner, thoroughly.
Posted on 30-Nov-06 at 12:43 pm | Permalink
Kyleen wrote:
I find how I identify myself depends partially on to whom I’m identifying myself, and for what purpose. This is an interesting topic . . . perhaps I’ll blog about it myself later.
Posted on 30-Nov-06 at 12:49 pm | Permalink
Leslie wrote:
I’m a girl…a daughter…a worshiper…a lover…and a friend..
Secret - You’re one of my favorite writters :)
Posted on 30-Nov-06 at 2:51 pm | Permalink
alissa wrote:
Leslie, that gave me warm fuzzies :)
Posted on 30-Nov-06 at 2:56 pm | Permalink
albert wrote:
Did you take a picture of the tree lighting?
Posted on 30-Nov-06 at 3:52 pm | Permalink
alissa wrote:
Naw, I wasn’t around for it (I bolted out of Rockefeller Center before it got too overwhelming - it already took a police escort to get out of my building at 5pm) - but the tree’s lit now! So drop by and see it!
Posted on 30-Nov-06 at 4:10 pm | Permalink
burks wrote:
I went through the same thing when I first started venturing out as a photographer, and very often didn’t promote the fact that I was a photographer, nor label myself as one. But now, similar to you that people will now pay me, it is a lot easier to do so. And a lot more common.
Posted on 03-Dec-06 at 7:33 pm | Permalink