Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Author

Welcome, wanders and followers alike! You're reading the first post of the AM STATION A-Z CHALLENGE!

*crowd goes wild* Joking...*my mom claps*.

What should you expect over this month-long journey? Lots of exclamation points, a multitude of capital letters, and sassy commentary. Plus everything writing! (If you missed the theme reveal, click here.)

So the word of the day is...AUTHOR.

Before sitting down to write this post, I hadn't really ever thought much about this word. I never really considered myself as an author. I'm a writer. I don't have a shelf full of books I've written or an agent or a slew of YES WE'LL PUBLISH [INSERT WORK HERE] letters. Authors are people like J.K. Rowling, John Green, and Lauren Oliver. People who have those things.

What I do have? A shelf full of over thirty notebooks and journals, scribbled words on a thousand sticky notes all over my room, and over three hundred documents on my computer. What can I say? I'm a writer.

But an author? What does that mean, anyway?

A few minutes ago, I probably would have said "someone who has books, papers, poetry, etc. published". Thinking on this further, though, I came to realize that people use the term "published author". If the word "author" means someone who is published, then why add the adjective "published"?

So that invalidates my definition. Then what does it mean?

I propose that to be an author, one must have created something. The creation could be something constructed of canvas and paint, words and paper, nails and wood, etc. To be an author is to create.

I am a creator. I've created worlds, characters, stories, ideas... I have brought them about by using mere words, mere keys on a keyboard, and even the pencil in my hand. I am an author. I've authored into existence poems, books, and articles.

The word "author" is a label that is so powerful to me. One who creates, who has created, who has authored. I'm not sure that I'm as incredible as the word "author" is to me. But regardless of personal feelings, I am an author.

Wow. 

I am an author.

Those words fill me with a confidence. They fill me with a desire to live up to them.

Writers! You are authors. If you've created a character, a place, a story...you're an author. Realize it, embrace it! Embrace your call to writing greatness, and strive to live up to it. I believe in you!

9 comments:

  1. I love that! I always said you're an author once you publish something. Even a flash fiction piece online or a poem. Or...a blog post. :)

    -Chrys Fey
    Tremp’s Troops - A to Z Co-co-host
    Write with Fey

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  2. My smile is ear to ear. What an inspiring post. I write therefore I am a writer.

    Enjoy the A to Z Challenge - this is an awesome start.

    Jenny, Pearson Report
    2015 A to Z Challenge Ambassador
    @PearsonReport

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  3. Ah, the eternal question: Am I an author? Yes, I suppose the both of us are. Usually I refer to myself as a writer over an author, but the advantage to that in my case is that I write a lot of nonfiction too, so "writer" covers both whereas "author" is typically used for fiction writers.

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    1. Hmm, I'm not sure I agree. If you write nonfiction, you would also be called an author. Thanks for reading!

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  4. Ah, Patrick (comment before mine), if we write, we are authors, especially if we have someone reading what we have written. Ay, there's the rub! Readers, we want them, don't we??? I know that I do...:-)
    Anne Marie, you express yourself very well. Thank you.for the encouraging words! Best regards to you all. Ruby aka "Blabbin' Grammy". Come see me, too.

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    1. Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate your comments...heading over to "visit" now!

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  5. Stopping by from the A to Z Challenge. I've always said I'm only a writer because I'm not published and reserved the word author for someone who is published, but I like your point about why put the 'published' in front. Nice post to kick off the challenge.

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