Are you a writer or just a tourist?
There's a huge gap between acting the writer, and being one. Want to know if you're the real deal or just a fake? Read on…
The critique group
A real writer submits and crits with passion. Feels the pain when on the receiving end, and does her utmost to make the most of the feedback she gets. The tourist uses it as an excuse to foist their work on others with no intention of changing a damn thing.
The work
The tourist writes for herself. The writer chooses whether to write for herself, her audience, or both – and is smart enough to know the difference.
The rejection
The tourist subs the first draft and after the first rejection takes up knitting. The real writer keeps working after 50 rejections. The real writer keeps working.
Publication
The tourist wants to get her story published. The writer wants to tell her story in the best way she possibly can.
The sacrifice
The tourist wouldn't dream of writing when ill, tired or supposed to be at work – the writer writes when suffering all three.
Writing advice
The real writer knows when to ignore smart-arse writing advice like all the above.
And finally
The real writer would click the 'follow' button just over on the right there…
So true. And I heart you for writing this with female pronouns.
ReplyDeleteI noticed the female pronounds too. Love you for that! Thanks for these reminders. I have to keep writing. I hate knitting!
ReplyDeleteGood points one and all! Now about that crit...
ReplyDeleteI used to belong to a very public, open admissions group. New folks would see our library posting and drop in all the time and yes, it was easy to distinguish between the tourists and writers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting that into words for me.
Just as in Spanish, the penultimate should be the most stressed.
ReplyDelete