I'm A Writer, Really!

A few years back, I said something to my mom about being a writer, and she uttered The Dreaded Phrase.

"You're not paid for it, so you're not really a writer."

Thanks, Mom. Let's ignore that I've written stories since elementary school, have worked on literary magazines, have been published twice (once in high school and once in college, but those don't count, apparently), won an award (also in college, though, so see above).

But she just said what many writers and non-writers think about the writing craft. If you don't make money at it, you're not really a writer. It's an unfair and unrealistic assertion. But there it is.

The truth is that for every published author on Amazon.com, there are dozens of writers vying for the next open slot, and hundreds more who don't write for the money, but for the sheer joy of writing. There are also many of us who are struggling to discover and hone our signature voice. We may not be professional writers (yet!), but we are writers.

That's where I am right now. A non-professional, unpaid writer struggling to discover my little shimmering element, attempting to find words that glow.

I will once in a while include excerpts of my stories, links to writing craft articles and blogs, and other topics related to writing and literature. This is, above all, a space to explore writing, a place to play around and innovate.