Mariia Manko asked Lauren Ho:

Lauren, when did you realize yourself as a writer? After writing first book, publishing , success or …? You know this feeling inside «I am truly a writer»

Lauren Ho That's a great question (and sorry I didn't reply earlier, I really hardly ever am on this site, and I'm still not very familiar with the interface so I JUST saw this question!)

I think I've always seen myself as a writer, I've been writing short stories (and some have placed or were finalists in international writing competitions) since I was a teen, so for me, that aspect of my identity was never in question. I think people tend to see publishing a book and success as validation of your talent/skills, but I don't see it that way, everyone's journey is so so different, and paths to traditional publication also hugely depends on what you're putting out there (genres, trends etc) and even your background/identity, your goals as a writer etc. All this to say: external validation is great for an author, but I've always thought of myself as a writer since I first discovered I could make myself and others feel something with my words. Hope this helps! x

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