Tuesday, January 1, 2008

When Do You Become A Writer?

I knew I was supposed to be a writer; I had made that declaration in the closet of my soul.
~Padgett Powell
When do you become a writer?
When you first write?
When your writing is first praised?
When your writing is first published?
No self-definition can come from outside. You don't "become a writer" because others say that you have written well.
You become a writer when you tell yourself this is what you are.
If you have fundamental self-honesty, you will then write. You will carry out the activity you have linked with your deepest identity.
Your membership card as a writer is issued in the closet of your soul.
Today, I'll see what I think in the closet of my soul. I will make my declaration there.
Page 121, Walking on Alligators - A Book of Meditations for Writers
by Susan Shaughnessy

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