I do call myself a writer..I type words on a semi regular basis, not including emails, blog posts or message board posts. I write stories, sometimes even essays or articles...so yes I am a writer.
But to officially take on a job title, doesn't some money have to be exchanged??? Have I gotten paid??? Hmm...well.....yes, but in total, only around $50 (small published pieces make small amounts of money) I want to get paid. This is my goal..the career I'm striving for. Someday (hopefully soon) I want to make a decent living by writing.
So, the big question is, for right now, can I call myself a writer? And I ask this in regards to forms and things that ask for your occupation. I took my son to the dentist today and the form asked for my husband and my occupations. I wrote writer/homemaker...and the dentist commented and asked me about it. I gave a little explanation, told him I write fiction, short pieces as well as novels. Some of the short pieces have been published...the novels...still working on it.
I have never ever ever been a fan of the housewife label or even the stay-at-home-mom label. Most people will say that being a mom is the toughest job ever and while I do agree....even the moms that work full time out of the home jobs still have to take care of their kids and clean their homes and do all the things I do each day, but I have all day...not just the couple hours between work and bed. Being a mom that does not work a full time 9-5 type job is cake...a walk in the park....it's easy. And the stay-at-home-mom label to me implies that I do this because I am taking the easy path or because I can't do anything else. I think it's important for me to be here with my kids while they are young. So while I am not ashamed of staying home, I feel like I need more to my label than just homemaker.
So for the time being I will stick with my writer slash homemaker label.
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You should absolutely call yourself a writer if you spend time writing, and especially if you consider it be like a part-time job or hobby.
ReplyDeleteMy brother-in-law is a carpenter. He has never sold his work, but if you saw the things he builds and the rooms he redesigned in his house - WOW! There's no doubt he's a carpenter.
Same thing for writing. If you're investing time in and enjoying it and learning, then you are a writer!
And if anyone has a problem with that, just tell them that your internet friend Megan said it was okay. That won't make you sound crazy at all! :)
I sometimes put the word 'aspiring' in front of writer and it sounds a little better. We have to believe our dreams - be willing to fully live the vision of them - to be able to make them our realities :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog. I look forward to getting to know you better!
I call myself a writer as well, not on doctor's forms maybe, but more as a descriptive word for "who I am." I think if you look at people's descriptions of themselves-they say things like "painter, dancer, mom, outdoor enthusiast" etc. Well, writer defines me. I may not be published (yet) but without writing on a regular basis, I'm not a whole "me." That sounds about as cheesy as you can get, but it's true.
ReplyDeleteWhether I make money off of writing eventually or not, at heart, I'm a writer. :)
I like your perspective on what you do. I also want to be a SAHM someday, but I want my part-time job to be writing. I think being a mom is wonderful, but the feminist in me is a little bit horrified by some women who seemingly allow themselves to be defined solely by motherhood. It's good to preserve another part of your identity.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I'm feeling you on the $50. So far, I've made $34 from my writing. I am pretty sure I spend more than that annually on drinks in coffee shops (where I love to go for a few hours of distraction-free writing).
I think you are absolutely fine to call yourself a writer! A mother is a noble, beautiful, and tough calling, but it can't be your sole existence. The writer part of you is more YOU, right? That's how I see it. I'm a stay at home mom, too. I call myself a writer, no problem, because I AM.
ReplyDeleteNow... PROFESSIONAL writer is an entirely different ball game. I don't think people can call themselves professional unless it is either their sole source of income or they are publishing regularly/professionally. :)
A HUGE thank you for all your comments!!
ReplyDeleteGuinevere, I very much agree with you!! While motherhood is absolutely wonderful and I wouldn't trade a single second of it, I don't want it to be all there is to me. Not that there's anything wrong with other moms who are completely fulfilled with it. I just need something else that is all me.
Some of you know I used to run a business...and that was nice for a while..I had a clear cut title to put on all those forms..and I was proud of it: Floral Designer. But then writing took over my life and I did both for a while, but then I felt myself pulling away from my business. After calculating and some major thinking, it just was not worth it and I gave it up (my last wedding was last summer). So since then......that line on forms is filled with "homemaker" instead...and that I did not like.
I just wrote about this today b/c Nathan Bransford blog had my mind doing flip-flops.
ReplyDeleteI'll check back here soon.
~ Wendy
Of course you're a writer!
ReplyDeleteAnyone who puts pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and writes, is a writer. There are amazing writers who never choose to seek publication.
You definitely sound like a born writer. If you think about writing and can't stop writing, you're definitely a writer.
Thank you Ashley! Can't tell you how much of a compliment it is to have someone say, "You definitely sound like a born writer".
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