What is a Writer

What Is a Writer
By
Florence U. Cardinal

What is the definition of a writer? A writer is, simply put, one who writes. Nowhere does the definition say a writer is one who gets paid for writing. Nowhere does the definition state that a writer is one who has his or her writing published.

I am a writer. Therefore, I write. Sometimes I write ceaselessly, for hours or days or even weeks at a time. Then, having written, I take off my writer's hat and become - a marketer.

The Marketer
A marketer, simply put, is someone who markets. As a marketer, I search for publications, whether magazine, newspaper or ezine, that might be interested in what, as a writer, I have produced. Occasionally I am successful and sell what I have written, even less occasionally, for a fair sum of money. More often than not, I am unsuccessful, so I put the writing away for revision or perhaps only another try at a later date. But this process makes me no less a writer.

Freelance Writer

A freelance writer is one who writes what he wants, where he wants, when he wants. Most writers do, at least to some extent, fall into that category. Only those writers who work at a corporate level producing, perhaps, ad copy or company brochures, are not really freelancing, but again, they have chosen to do this.

I write a regular weekly article for the same publication. But I chose, and still choose, to do that. I also write other things. Sometimes a publication sets a deadline but that makes me no less a freelance writer, because I have chosen to write for this publication and to adhere to the rules and deadlines set by the editor.

Creative Writer

What is a creative writer? Simply put, a creative writer is a writer who creates. Again, this is all writers, because, whether we write fantastic opuses about life on a distant planet or an article on why eating spinach is good for you, we are still creating. We are painting pictures with words although those pictures are as different as -- well -- a bump by bump tale of a ride in a rocket ship gone mad or an egg by egg recipe for a spinach omelet.

And this brings us full circle, back to the original question: What is a writer? Simply put, no matter what you write, where you write or when you write, a writer is one who writes.