I constantly contradict myself. That’s why I’m a writer; not a lawyer. And I don’t plan to make any move from being a ‘W’ to an ‘L’.
You’ll know why.
The contradiction aspect, I mean.
I am sick – with fever and asthma. Everything tastes the same except for that day-old pork adobo that I made for Jeff. I was in the bath thinking about what to do next after I finish my Master’s degree and I was struck with the thought that I might have to just embrace the fact that I am a writer because that’s what I’m doing ever since I stopped working full-time to be a hands on Mom to the twins. Most of my part-time projects involves writing articles, progress reports, event proposals and feature stories.
And here lies the contradiction.
I am doing the job of a writer but I have an issue in referring myself as one. I am uncomfortable when someone introduces me as a writer. I hesitate when I am made to confirm that I write.
Do you consider someone a writer because she/he writes? Is there any set of criteria that qualifies you to be called a writer? Or do you need to put a modifier before the word “writer” to distinguish the fake from the real ones?
I am hesitant to be called a writer because I do not consider myself as one. At least, not yet. This is not false humility or soliciting praises by virtue of this entry that is written within 30 minutes.
I feel that a writer is someone who does a great job in writing. I feel that I am too far behind from doing a great job. That is why I really get the goosebumps (for all the wrong reasons) and I cringe everytime someone declares that she/he is a writer when I am aware of the person’s ability (or the lack of it) in the battlefield called writing.
Being a writer is a sacred profession. It’s a crazy one, too. It’s a tradition that many attempt to practice but only a few manage to sustain. The likes of Oscar Wilde, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Señor Gabriel Garcia Marquez proved to us, mere revelers of their masterpieces, that writing is a process that is to be treated with care and attention. I believe that applies to paid writing and writing to express one’s self (or just writing because you feel like doing so).
If a person fails to do that and still call herself/himself a writer, then she/he should be really ashamed.
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T30WC or The 30-minute Writing Challenge is a writing exercise born out of this blogger’s need to maintain a habit of writing. Subjects of each writing challenge is just about anything but should ONLY be written within 30 minutes.
