I Am a Writer

I was reminded of something I learned 20 years ago that I had honestly forgotten. I am a writer. I have been one since I was a teenager. My original genre was children's stories, which I wrote for extra credit in an English class, and later for my own children. I didn't begin writing romance until 17 years ago, and only published in that genre three years ago.

A little more than twenty years ago I belonged to a writing group in Wyoming. We met about once a month to critique each other and share what we had written. It was a wonderful group made up of published and unpublished writers. What I remember most is that we always supported each other. Each success was a victory for all. We celebrated unpaid articles the same as a new book deal. At one time, a well known author came to one of our meetings and spoke to us. During a Q&A session one of our group made a comment about wishing she were a "real" writer. His response is what I remembered today. He asked her if she wrote and she said of course, but she'd never been published. He replied that if she wrote, she was a writer. Being discovered and published was not what made her a writer. She was a writer because she wrote.

I've been questioning myself as to whether I wanted to continue being a writer since my last few books have had so few sales. That was when I remembered what that author told our group and I was reminded that I am a writer. Regardless of whether I ever sell another story, I am still a writer. Even if no one else ever reads what I've written, I am a writer. Publishing, sales, reviews, etc., do not make me a writer. As long as I write, I am a writer.