The Signs We Are Writers

There are certain signs that we, the person who liked the word "writer," are really a writers. We can write ten thousand pages and not call ourselves a writer because we have never been published. We could write one page down and call ourselves writers. There are signs in both that the person who writes is truly a writer. We will explore these sings, from the first page of a novel to the last page of a short story, here.

First, we have to want to be a writer. We love reading a Stephen King or Elmore Leonard book. We want to write both potboilers and horror. That is a sign because we are figuring out dramas we would like to create. We are very ambitious early on; we want to write the bestseller.

We know that writers can be paid well. We know some writers get high paychecks for writing something we could do. If they can write, why not us? This leads into the dream. When we start dreaming of book signings and late night phone calls (the publisher saying he loves the manuscript) we have found another sign we just might be writers.

When we want to create something great, we are approaching being a writer. We begin writing. That is the biggest sign. Remember, writing one page or a thousand is no different. Some writers write 500 words a day (Hemingway was one) while others go for ten pages or a chapter of a book. The sign is just that we are attempting to write. This is the most important sign.

We continue to dream as we write. Perhaps we only have one novel in us, we say, but another idea pops into our head, and another. We cannot believe it. Something is telling us we should write. This something could be God or just the inner drive within us to create. We want more.

When we want to keep writing, we can stop calling ourselves writers in our minds. We are writers. All the signs need not apply. We discover a new journey to take. We want to write the next great novel. Or the article is burning inside us and needs to be let out.

These signs are just the beginning. Some days we won't want to write, and question whether we can really be writers. This means, more than anything else, that we are writers. We are caught in the cycle of being a writer is all. Wait, but don't wait for a sign.