What?

So over on twitter, they often have what they call #writechat.

Basically, it’s like a chat room.  They were talking about the difference between an author and writer.

One tweet, can’t remember the exact words, but it was that you’re an author once you’re published.  Before that, you’re a writer.

This is where opinion is going to come into play, and a lot of it will be personal preference, I think.

Now people can call me an author…and I don’t care.  I am, there’s no reason saying other wise.

But if somebody asks me what I do?  I’m a writer.

When I sit down to work, I’m writing a story. I’m not authoring.  “Authoring”, if you think about, seriously, doesn’t that sound kind of stodgy…pretentious?  Um…it certainly doesn’t sound like what I’m doing when I write, IMO.  I’m writing, and unless I’m banging a character’s head against a brick wall, I’m having fun.  I’m just writing…and I’m a writer.

Here’s the thing… for me, getting hung up on what label somebody applies to me, or any other group of writers, is a waste of time.  This is just my opinion, of course. Nobody has to agree.  But why worry on the label?  There are books to be written.  Published, unpublished, there are always books to be written.  Published, unpublished, you can always improve your craft.  Published, unpublished, you can always seek to improve.

The book matters more than the label… or at least, I think it should…