Call Yourself A Writer

That's right, you: call yourself a writer. Look into the nearest reflective surface (unless you are a vampire) and say to yourself, "I am a writer." I don't care about the ongoing and pointless debate over the meaning of writer versus author. Really, I don't. And if you do, I don't know why. Tell me what's to gain. On second thought, don't. But I digress. We were telling ourselves that we are writers. Do it. Do it now.

Next, tell everyone else you know. As writer Jonathan Evison says, you have to own it. You have to claim it. "You'll feel a whole lot better," he says, and he's right.

Has Bailey been drinking on a Friday morning again? No, I haven't, darn the luck. I have, however, been thinking. To be a bit less vague, I've been thinking about things that interfere with writing. My writing, to be specific. And as my immense ego lets me believe that I can generalize from my own experience, here I go.

Things That Interfere With Writing:

1. Forgetting that we are writers.

2. Not making time to write every day.

3. Not remembering to tell everyone we know that we are writers.

4. Second-guessing our sublime, cosmic genius.

5. Worrying about what you lot all think of us.

6. Forgetting that in the beginning was the word, and words are what we do. See item Number Four.

See where I'm going with this? Essentially, I am flirting with the sin of pride, reminding myself that writing is an ancient and worthy art, and as even the most humble practitioner of that noble art, I'm still entitled to call myself one of the worthies and be proud of what I do. Yes, even if what I write sucks. Because I'm a writer.

People (non-writers, that is) will tell you that even if you labor for decades, sweating blood over your writing, it's only worthwhile effort if you get published or if they've heard of you. Or worse yet, only if their Composition teacher has heard of you. Those people are wrong. Sucks to their comp teachers. Bring them 'round and I'll put a bit of stick about. They are wrong, and We Are Writers. It's a long road, and it's hard work, but what we do matters. Writers are part of the holy community of artists who carry civilization on its back into the future. That's some burden.

So remember, we're all superheroes. We are the future of our culture. We are writers. Remind yourself of this every day, and remind everyone around you, too. Now go write something.