The question of what exactly constitutes being "a writer" crops up with dramatic consistency amongst those who write. One can only imagine the Eagle and Child on Thursdays at 11:00, with Lewis, Tolkien, and the other Inklings pondering and debating the very same. So what does it mean to be...."a writer?"
I think, like most true answers, this one comes from within. If the state of being a writer is allowed to be bequeathed by those external to one's self, it will eternally come and go as the tide or the moon, waxing and waning in the spotlight of the uninitiated. It will be as ephemeral as the good wishes in a receiving line or the political cause du jour.
If, however, one draws a sense of self and "writerhood" from within, it becomes a state which means more than just a status- more than the transient dusty robes of academe- more than the whimsy of the Times critic or the inking sanctions of an overwhelmed editor. To be a writer, one must deign to acknowledge, first and foremost to self, that writing is what breathes air into tired lungs, sweeps the cobwebs from a mind thick of spreadsheets and reports, and fills the soul with a vibrance and awareness that comes only through the written word. A good wrestle to find the "mot juste" becomes a welcomed workout- not a distasteful labor in language. And, upon finally seeing that well-crafted, neatly polished and timelessly immortal sentence, a writer knows that the hours of paper balls or backspaces have been well worth the effort. Even if no one else ever sees it.
A writer writes- not just for others- but so he or she can breathe.
copyright @2008
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2 comments:
Your growth is remarkable. Your soul is flourishing.
I am in awe...as always.
While not all of us aspire to be writers, we are all on a search within. Thank you for the insights as we grapple to define ourselves, so glad I found your "special place", thanks for your willingness to share yourself in an effort to help others...it does.
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