Write On Wednesday asks:
Do you consider yourself a writer? Do you think blogging is “real writing?” What does it take to be a “real writer”?
I write for a blog.
Actually, I write for four blogs.
But, like Becca says, I don’t tell people I do. When they ask what I like to do, I say “reading” or “photography,” but I never say “I like to write.” I never say “I blog. A lot.”
I am torn in that respect. Why can’t I speak up? Chefdruck mentioned on her site a few weeks ago that she similarly had to “come out of the closet” in admitting that blogging is a large part of her life. I’m still in the closet.
In my mind, my blogging-writing isn’t “real writing.” It is a hobby that I take seriously. I spend much more time writing my book reviews. But when I get time, as I do this Saturday morning, I sit down to write and think about my writing process. As I’ve made clear on this blog, at some point in my life, I hope to make writing (anything) a priority. When will that be? I don’t know.
What would it take to make my writing “real”? Real writing, to me, is something that has been written and rewritten and polished. I’m sorry to say that while I do work hard on these blog entries, they are hardly “polished.”
Someday, I’ll write “for real.” Maybe I write a well-researched nonfiction book about something that interests me. Maybe I’ll write a novel. Maybe I’ll write a story. Maybe I’ll ghostwrite. At some point I’ll make my writing real.
I still consider myself a writer. For now, though, I’m just a “closet writer.” A “blogging writer.”
I don’t mind telling people I blog – a lot (I have four) – but I still don’t consider it real writing. I write posts about my thoughts, about my family, about books. To me, it’s no different from email. Email that many people read, but still email.
For me, “real” writing is my novels and short stories. Poems if I ever worked with that. Something that I mean to get published by a real publisher. It’s presented differently than a blog. I don’t write non-fiction, but if I did, even if I were to write a memoire, it wouldn’t be like my blogs. It would have more structure, more purpose. The only things on blogs I’ve considered real writing is when people do writing exercises. Then it’s just putting something you wrote onto a blog.
Amanda, I agree that blogging isn’t quite “writing” as I think of it. But I think some things I write (like responding to writing exercises) can still be “real” writing, even though I don’t intend to ever “publish” it.
(I started this writing site because I wanted motivation to write, but I’m not sure it’s the right format. I intend to do more writing exercises, but I don’t think they need to be on the web. It may feel more “real” if they aren’t.)
Sure, like I said, I imagine that if you’re actually doing a creative writing exercise, that would be “real” writing. or at least real writing practice. But I wouldn’t consider my political rants or book reviews or family updates “writing.”
On my non-book review blog, <a href=http://agignac.blogspot.comThe Ramblings of a Hopeful Artist, I try to keep myself motivated in the writing world. That’s not the only thing I do, but that was one of my primary reasons for setting it up. I keep a goal list on there, which I report on monthly and sometimes more often, and I discuss writer’s block, submissions, rejections, issues with writing, etc. I’ve never been one to use writing exercises (at least that other people have created – it feels too textbook to me I think), but the blogging world has been wonderful inspiration to me for my writing because I’ve met a vast community of writers. In July, I participated in my first Book in a Month challenge, and in October, I’m doing it again (yikes!), all thanks to some other writers I know who host these. With their help, I’ve far outstripped the writing goals I made for myself in 2008.
I hope you find what works for you.
Oops, sorry, I didn’t close my tag…let me try that link again…
The Ramblings of a Hopeful Artist
Thanks Amanda! I’m pondering for the future, taking a break from ” real writing” right now.