Writers, we need to stop saying this

Today’s post by J.H. Moncrieff, off of her site J.H. Moncrieff Tales of Terror and Suspense. Since I am way behind on my NaNoWriMo numbers, I especially feel her. Writers are people who have stories in them that want to be told. Sometimes they get written into text, sometimes they don’t.

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 Writers, we need to stop saying this

Usually I limit myself to one writing-related post per month.

But something has been irritating the living hell out of me for years, and the more time that passes, the angrier I get.

So, lest I morph into some female version of The Incredible Hulk, I’ll expel that rage here, as a semi-productive rant. Because if I can stop just one person from saying this, it will be fury well spent.

Ready to hear the most destructive thing writers say to each other? Here it is…

“Writers write.”

Seems simple. How on earth could anyone feel like a sack of mucus drowned by pond scum after hearing those two words? Let me explain.

From the time we pick up our crayons and scrawl a story rather than a picture, we identify with the word writer. It’s not just what we do–for many of us, it becomes who we are. And if you’re a writer, you’re probably also by turns highly sensitive, insecure, and self-loathing.

So you’re a writer. It’s not just what you do; it’s who you are. And then you read a blog post, or some “How to Write Kewl Stuff” book, or perhaps an ill-thought Tweet.

“Writers write.”

And it makes you feel like absolute crap.

Read the full post on J.H. Moncrieff Tales of Terror and Suspense.

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