When I say, “I’m a writer…”

When I say, “I’m a writer,” it does not necessarily mean I am a good one, and certainly not better than most. It does not mean I am sitting next to the highest and most qualified writers of all time. It does not make me special in any way. It’s simply what I do.

When I say, “I’m a writer,” it means that writing is what I do. When I’m bored, I write. When I’m upset, I write. When I’m excited, I write. It’s just what I do.

Writing comes natural to me. It feels good. It’s easy. As much as I enjoy challenging myself, writing has never really been something I had to force (except for writer’s block, of course.) In fact, I usually have to stop myself from writing too much — when I need to get back to work, or to sleep, or whatever real life is calling me to do.

I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a “quality” writer… but a “quantity” writer? Yes, completely!

And they say that quality is more important than quantity. So I try to slow down. I look back at how much I’ve written… phew… maybe I should be spending more time editing instead… but the more I edit, the more I want to write. Yikes. Vicious cycle.

If I could lock myself in a room all day and just write, that would be heavenly. I would probably write several rants and jump back and forth between different subjects, try to organize it all in some fashion.

Thanks to whoever invented the typewriter, which lead to the keyboard, alongside the smartphone keypad. In this day and age, I can write more than ever. Yet still, I adore the pen and paper. It’s slower, a bit harder on the hand, but it certainly pushes the “quality over quantity” concept. Hmm, if it wasn’t for the keyboard, I think my writing would be far more quality than quantity. This is why society should never completely abandon the dying art of pen and paper.

Calling myself a writer is not a brag or a badge of honor. It’s a fact about myself. It’s something I have always known about myself, but never fully grasped until I got older and observed that most people really struggle with writing or dislike it. I never state that I’m a “good writer,” rather, I am a “writer,” plainly put.

You know what I do struggle with? …I have always struggled with reading. And I know, they say, that to be a better writer, you have to be more of a reader. I do read a lot, I mean, I have a few bookshelves to prove it. And I love to read other blogs.

But my problem with reading is that, the more I read, the more strongly I feel urged to write. Reading inspires me… a little too much. I read one page, and suddenly I am itching to write ten pages of my own.

Nonfiction is my favorite. Yet I do really love fiction, I do push myself to read more fiction, but that’s when my mind really starts going crazy. I read a few chapters of a novel, and suddenly I’ve come up with my own storyline, plot twist, conclusion and all.

Sometimes, I’m like, “okay, Laura, you need to shut up now. Why don’t you read a few more posts before you make another one yourself?! Why don’t you read a few more books before you write more of that WIP novel?!”

It makes me wonder about musicians — do they enjoy listening to music as much as making music? Of course they love music, but do they struggle to listen to songs more than everyone else? Because when they hear beats or lyrics, instead of being able to just sit back and enjoy it, their minds race with inspiration to create their next new sound? You know what I mean?

I’m a writer. I never said I was good, never said I was bad. All I say is, I write.