The Golden QuestionWhat Makes a Writer?by J. McKay author of * The Write Stuff *
The following is an argument that I have seen from both sides on several occasions. A: Oh you run? Really. That’s awesome. I could never be a runner. B: [Quick leg check] Uh I’m pretty sure you could be a runner too. A: No I really couldn’t. B: No. I bet you could. Last helicopter out of Vietnam is about to take off and you’re on the other side of the landing strip, how do you get to it? A: I run, of course, but just because I can run, or even do run, doesn’t mean I’m a runner. B: It doesn’t? What does it make you? A: [Pauses while shifting weight] So how high do you think gas will get this summer? The argument about what makes a writer a writer is eerily similar. We almost all write and arguably write more now than we would have at any point following the development of an alphabet. Yet we hesitate to identify ourselves as ‘writers’. I know I do. How does one move past this crippling self doubt and embrace their inner writer? Or perhaps you have personally accepted this bold assertion and now are trying to help others do the same and gain such confidence and validation? What makes a writer a writer is the same as what makes a runner a runner. It’s not performance—that comes later (and yes is subject to some inherent variability). ____________________________ One who writes becomes a writer and one who runs becomes a runner. Improvement comes with sufficient practice and purpose to their task. ____________________________ Providing you (and/or your writers) with these two ingredients is the primary motivation of this website and the collection of resources Coach Hart has available here. Daily-writing-prompt.com facilitates regular practice through a wide variety of ‘pencil joggers’ and adds purpose to this practice through several publishing avenues. I know Coach Hart well enough to know that I’m not even qualified to be an assistant coach. This blog isn’t going to come from the top; it will come from the side (or maybe even a step or two behind). You can think of me as your teammate on Team Write-On. Together, we can and we will become bona fide and self-certified writers. Come back soon! J. McKay Team Write-On
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