Am I Really a Writer?

Source: yuribaranovsky.com

Tweet     Of all the questions we ask ourselves, there is one question that does more to gum up a writers muse than all others:   Am I Really A Writer?

   By itself it seems harmless enough and self reflection is good for us. Right? So why does this question carry such dire consequences? 

    Sometimes the very act of discovering the perfect descriptors, a basic exercise for any writer, for what it is we do creates an insurgent inadequacy powerful enough to knock the pen from our hands.  

    For we idealize the artist as we do the movie star. Each of us carrying  a vision of what a true writer looks like. 

    Perhaps yours is of the lone writer struggling tirelessly against the curse of vagueness.  Or a Stephen King-like voraciousness that continues to spew forth published works or the Emily Dickenson-like surreptitious strength of brevity bubbling quietly from within.  

     An impossible measure that can leave us barren.

     A writer, not unlike an artist,  is someone who views the world in a way that demands the act of expression and wields the pen like a brush upon a canvas.  

      Roland Barthes  said  "... I cannot but ascribe to some super-humanity the existence of beings vast enough to wear blue pajamas at the very moment when they manifest themselves as universal conscience."

Source: kaboodle.com

So as I don my pink footie pajamas armed with nothing but my keyboard and a cup of joe I plunge again because I don't know any other way to live.

What's your vision of a writer and how do you remind yourself that you are indeed a writer? 

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

     There is a sophisticated difference between sprinters and long distance runners. Their minds and bodies work differently together. While distance runners have a timed release of their energy, sprinters are able to bring all their energy into play in one great explosion on the track. Is one more valuable than the other? Of course not, when they finish successfully they are equally admired and rewarded. As writers, we also have different ways of getting our minds out onto the page.

     At the beginning, we start at the very same point. We get an idea and the sparks light up our brain, audio characters speak to us, visuals flood our mind and we are forced to spill it out onto the page. This is where we split into the pantsers and the plotters, the quick speed spiller or the slow thoughtful plodder. There are probably several degrees in between. Does it matter? Probably not. I believe however, we can learn a lot from one another and that is why blogging is such a valuable tool for us as writers.

     The valuable information, support and creative problem solving is incredible. What an exceptional resource we have as a writing community. For me, as I write alone in my office or in a cafe, I never feel alone. I feel that I have a group of cheerleaders urging me on and helping me to the finish!

Have you found that blogging has contributed to your success as a writer?