Keeping It Real

Today I am most fortunate to have a guest post from the lovely Sherry Isaac. She is an award-winning writer whose work sometimes takes her to unexpected places. Read on to see whether or not we can all truly call ourselves writers... E R, the two most important letters to awriter. Er can mean a lot of things to those who have chosen this professioncalled writing. Or has the profession chosen us?
Er, what should I blog about?Er, should I open my WIP, or watchGrey's Anatomy?Er, how will I build my platform? Er,should I build a website or blog? Er, plotter, or pantster?But the great E R is also a suffix. Bydefinition, one who writes is a writER. That is how the English language isconstructed. One who paints is a painter, one who counts is a counter, one whokisses is a kisser. The act of doing makes one a doer. So why is it that when a new, as yetunpublished writer confesses their craft, she is asked to support her claimwith a published book. No matter how much talent or promise, nomatter how many years spent learning the craft, no matter how many queries aremade, no matter how many partials or fulls are requested, no matter how closeshe has come, if a book can not be found on a shelf in the local bookstore withher name in bold letters on the cover, the pronouncement is made. "Oh, you're not a real writer," comes the verdict, through lips so pinched thespeaker might be sucking on lemons.I'm not? Really?Then from where, pray tell, did the reamsand reams of printed pages in my office come from?Embracing the phrase, I am a writer, is a risk. The confessionopens us up to scrutiny, people ask for proof, so until you score that NYTlabel, you may want to tread carefully, and be selective about whom you shareyour profession with. Ray Bradbury, in his address to to ThePoint Loma Nazarene University, shared this bit of advice:"Get rid of friends who don't believe inyou."Well. we may not have to go so far asgetting rid of friends. (I surely won't. Nerd that I am, friends are hard tocome by!) Some friends will come around, and learnto respect your title. They may become your greatest cheerleaders. But you maywant to prepare yourself, and appreciate that some friends can only see you forwho you are on their terms, not yours.So, what does this mean? Should you keepwho you are a secret?No way. The proclamation, I am a writer, can give you wings, validation, and the attitudeshift to take you from amateur to professional. It can take you from wishingyou might be published to knowing you will be. It can sit your butt in thechair and do the work. As writer, you create the characters, construct thejourney, build new worlds.And isn't that what the job is allabout?~Raisedby Nancy Drew and Jane Marple, Alice Munro Short Story Award winner andMaggie Finalist Sherry Isaac's novels and short stories weave the commonthread of everyday life, love and forgiveness into tales that transcend allthings, including the grave. Find Sherry on the web,follow her on Twitter,like her on Facebook andread her blog posts at Romance &Beyond.
Thanks Sherry! I feel so....VALIDATED...What do you guys think? Do you ever introduce yourself as a writer? or an artist? or a musician? And is it a comfortable fit?Peace,Liv