You’ve wondered, right?
You’ve asked yourself this question many times and you’re reading this post to find out, “Am I a writer?”
Like a hypochondriac checking out WebMD over and over again, you scour articles and blog posts for the telltale signs and symptoms that you’ve got what it takes to declare yourself a writer.
I do, too. That’s why I came up with this list of 10 Ways to Know You’re a Writer.
After reading the list, click on the links to the other great blog posts and articles that relate to each of these ideas.
Please leave me a comment about which symptoms you come down with most often, or add some new ones of your own.
You Know You’re a Writer if…
10. You take really long showers because you’re working on a writing problem or your fictional characters are having conversations in your head and you’re eavesdropping on them. (I came up with the idea for this blog post while taking a shower this morning.)
9. Your favorite hashtag on Twitter is #amwriting (<=== or these nine other hashtags).
8. Your friends and family ask you to “pick a movie already” when you’re on Netflix and you tell them, “I’m not picking a movie, I’m reading the synopses.”
7. You check Amazon.com synopses for books that are similar to the one you are writing right now (you also say “synopses” a lot).
6. You have a Pinterest board where you pin cool spaces for writing retreats.
5. When you’re out with friends, instead of engaging in conversation you narrate your life – “Paul sat on his bar stool nursing a half-finished beer. Conversations swirled around him, but he was lost in his thoughts. He should be home writing, but his friends insisted he come out with them to celebrate his latest book, All By Myself’.”
4. You constantly notice grammatical errors in other people’s writing but can’t seem to find them in your own.
3. You love words and could spend hours pouring through 500 billion of them or enjoy lexicography.
2. Your Evernote app, filing cabinet, desktop, etc. is overflowing with so many ideas, photos and articles for future stories and blog posts that it’s hard to find the one you’re looking for when you need it.
1. But the number one way to know you are a writer is – You declare yourself to be one and then sit in the chair and write!
There are a LOT of great 10 Ways to Know articles out there on the internet. My Google search turned up 1,650,000,000 hits in .039 seconds. That makes 16.5 billion things to know. That’s about 2.28 things to know for each person living on Earth today. Here are 10 of the 1.65 billion 10 Ways articles I took a look at for this post.
- 10 Ways to Know if You’re Confident – or Arrogant
- 10 Ways to Find Happiness
- 10 Ways to Know that You’re a Stoner
- 10 Ways to Know Very Quickly if your Man is a Psychopath
- 10 Ways to Develop Your Personal Style
- 10 Ways to Alter Your Consciousness Without Drugs
- Top 10 Ways to Annoy the Locals
- 10 Ways to Help Your Community in 30 Minutes or Less
- 10 Ways to Know You’re Having a Hot Flash
- 10 Ways to Be a Great Dad
Reblogged this on gelalikejagger.
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I’m glad I’m not alone in some of these but I love this!
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Thanks so much, thequirkyporcupine!
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Interesting!
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Thank you!
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Going along with number 1: I bought myself a hat that says “writer” across the bill, so I’m pretty sure I am one now.
http://www.anotefromabroad.com
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Nice, Tim and Joanne! Can you attach a photo?
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Reblogged this on lifeintheline and commented:
I can relate to no. 4 and 5 a lot. In the past four years I’ve had to give myself permission to be called a writer, because it always feels like I’m a huge fake (same with being a musician). Time to get writing! Brace yourself for some creative non-fiction coming your way!
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I love your list! I can relate to no. 4 and 5 quite a lot! I’m not a huge user of twitter, but I will be heading over there to look up #amwriting 🙂
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I think i’m a writing hypochondriac, I sometimes have all the symptoms.
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🙂
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Reblogged this on myworld.
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Thank you for the reblog, docvir! I appreciate it.
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Reblogged this on Cynthia Hershberger and commented:
I’ve been enjoying this, so thought others might too. I’ll think of my ’10 Ways to Know You’re a Writer’ and post them tomorrow! FUN!
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Thanks, Cynthia! Looking forward to reading them. PJ
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Really interesting!
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Thank you, saudecrescovam.
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Ah that’s why I take long showers. I do declare myself as a writer though I tend to forego the sitting in a chair and writing bit to instead indulge in ‘research’.
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Yes, madfortea, that’s the toughest one. If you’d like a few suggestions for BIC (butt-in-chair) keep following the blog. I’ve got a few posts planned to cover this! Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your long showers!
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Haha the shower does seem to be a source of inspiration. Why is that?
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There are tons or articles about this online. Check this one out and let me know what you think. http://blog.bufferapp.com/why-we-have-our-best-ideas-in-the-shower-the-science-of-creativity
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Reblogged this on Business News Lexicon .
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Thanks for the reblog, wolfvanberg. Hope you’re having a great writing day!
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you to!
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Reblogged this on adeyeyeelijah's Blog.
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Thank you for the reblog!
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You welcome!
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Thank you this was entertaining and then also answered my internal question – yes I am a writer.
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I’m glad you enjoyed it, drscoggins! Have a great writing day.
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Yup, I’m a writer! Thanks for this!
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You’re welcome, cstande6! Thanks for stopping by!
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I think the real way to tell if you’re a writer is when you become distressed when you can’t write for some reason. It’s an obsession, an addiction and we absolutely must have our fix.
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Right, Shen? I do get “twitchy” if I can’t get to the keyboard. There is something to the urge to write. Perhaps you’re scripturient? https://pauljennynyc.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/word-of-the-day-scripturient/
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I must be a writer because I put my butt in the chair and WRITE! About almost anything and almost anyone and just about any place on the globe. But I gotta fess to number 4. I find other people’s errors. And even when I am sure none exist, my editor finds mine. Ugh!
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BIC is what it is ALL about! My B is hurting right now. I need to get up and stretch. Hope you are having a great writing day, fastwriter4hire!
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I think writing is like reading, the more you read the better you get and the better you get the more you read so likewise, in order to improve as a writer you have to write. Some of what is written might be garbage to be discarded or retooled into something worth reading while other passages might stand out as worthy from the start but you will never know unless you begin to put words down.
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Great comment, Sharon. Thank you!
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This is great!! And true. I would say 8/10 are true for me! I’d love it if you checked out my 10 Ways to Know You’re a Complete Book Nerd: https://mycornerofthelibrary.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/10-ways-to-know-youre-a-complete-book-nerd/
Thanks! Have a good day.
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Loved it! Great post. Thanks for leaving the link. I cry all the time when reading books. That’s the fun part. Also, the smell and feel of a real book, so far, my Kindle can’t replicate that. I’m going to Tweet out the link to your post. Thanks for stopping by, My Corner of the Library, hope to see you again soon.
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Reblogged this on anselmmw and commented:
Writing since the story of creation was being told.
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Thank you for the reblog and comment, anselmmw!
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Mine are 1,2,& 9 I just love to write so I am a writer.
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Keep writing, mooreoakhill! Thank you for stopping by and commenting, I really appreciate it. Please tell a story for peace http://wp.me/p4wnLd-kQ Thank you!
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1, 3, 4 and 10. Definitely 10 😀
Great post xx
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Thank you, keelypeatling! Please tell a story for peace. http://wp.me/p4wnLd-kQ
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9 4 2 1 but 10 killed it. Bravo!
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Thank you for stopping by and commenting, sabienaimee, I really appreciate it!
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great post! i fit for no.1 and 4 definitely. no 3 as well. i have pinterest for travel pics related to my blog. and no. 10 while thinking of the subject i want to write for the next 2 weeks and how i deliver it in words. i just don’t do amazon thing, twitter and evernote (dunno what the heck evernote is, to be honest) – i only have limited social media platforms.
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Thanks for stopping by, GalOnTrip! Evernote is a cool app for keeping thought organized. It’s accessible wherever you are. I don’t work for them or anything, I just really love the app and use it all the time. There is a great new clipping feature, too. If you see something on the web and you want to read it later, just clip it into Evernote and off you go! If you have a chance, write a story for peace. http://wp.me/p4wnLd-kQ
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Point 10..agree same happen:)
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Thank you, AutoPayPalIncome. Hope your writing day is going well.
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i,m definitely #1,4(made me laugh) and 8.I sometimes just forget everything when i’m thinking bout ideas or when building words and sentences.(even when i need to go to bathroom). he he..nice post!!
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Your comment made me laugh, too, missondmoon! Have a great writing day!
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thank u:)
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🙂
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Number 5 made me laugh! So true! 😀
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Reblogged this on 2014 in blogs.
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Only two of the above apply to me… does that mean I’m not a writer? 😦
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Not at all! These are 10 observations I’ve made when I’m in writing mode, that’s all. Number One is the most important! Keep writing, fleurdolls.
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Yes, number one is one of the two 🙂 the other is the one about grammatical errors. It’s the thing about writing though, isn’t it – it’s different for everyone.
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Exactly!
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I do all my best thinking in the shower!
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It’s the best! Thanks for stopping by, tolego. Have a great writing day.
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Reblogged this on andrewdonkor601's Blog and commented:
Becoming A Successful Writer
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Thank you for the reblog, Andrew. Have a great writing day!
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Thanks also for your giving me that opportunity,am very impressed with your blog! Keep it up :-[
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Reblogged this on ARCEEGO.
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very very nice….I’ve read it thoroughly…it is really awesome …
Do you know silence is the biggest truth…
Wanna know how???
http://thescienceofspirituality.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/silence-is-the-biggest-truth-5/
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Thank you, Chetan. I will check out the link in a bit.
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plz subscribe if you like …. im new here
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very very nice….I’ve read it thoroughly…it is really awesome …
Do you know silence is the biggest truth…
Wanna know how???
http://thescienceofspirituality.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/silence-is-the-biggest-truth-5/
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I think you forgot “ignoring significant other to write”
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Ha! Yes, that is the one of the toughest things to do. We really have to value and guard our writing time and it’s no fun to feel like you’re ignoring the other person. I always say by taking the time to write I can more fully be there for you when I’m not writing.
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11.You always extraordinary feel like writing something because you need it but you don’t know what to write about.
I think it’s worst sensación ever.
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I know that feeling, ninfapina. A good way to do get through that is to try Sowing your Wild Oats (https://pauljennynyc.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/sowing-your-wild-oats-4-ways-to-get-more-writing-done-by-doing-less/) or do some writing challenges or writing prompts (https://pauljennynyc.wordpress.com/category/writing-prompts/). Hope you have a great writing day!
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Reblogged this on GIANLUCA'S WORLD.
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Thank you for the reblog, gianlucabbate!
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So true! I especially love points 4 and 5.
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Thank you, Annemarie! Have a great writing day.
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absolute spot on 🙂
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Thank you, wisdomofsnow!
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Reblogged this on Tales of a Troubled Teen and commented:
I am definately numbers 10, 3, and 2!
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Thanks for the comment and reblog Raven!
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Reblogged this on lostinthistwofacedworld.
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Reblogged this on Federico Rosso.
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I am definitely #4!
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🙂 How’s your writing day going?
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Alright. I’ve been working on a post that needs some time to ferment. You?
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Still working on MG novel and spent last two days on a film set. Working on blog posts for next week, too!
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Wow, all I have been doing is biology and math homework. I’ve finally got time to work on my blog!
Are you writing about what you were doing on the film set?
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I write about what I did on my down time in my post 4 Steps to Get More Writing Done by Sowing your Wild Oats https://pauljennynyc.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/sowing-your-wild-oats-4-ways-to-get-more-writing-done-by-doing-less/ But I can tell you one thing that was cool, I got to work with Eden Sher from The Middle. That was fun!
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Reblogged this on roehilldotnet.
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Sounds like I need to pay more attention to #1. Thank you for the kick in the pants. I needed it this morning.
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You’re very welcome! Hope you’re having a great writing day adventurewannabe!
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All the others, yes, but #2 especially guilty as charged. Although I’m beginning to think that may be an issue with Evernote. One of the 10 Things I Know About Procrastinating When Writing is Hard is that that is exactly when I decide to revamp my entire tagging system on Evernote… 😉
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This comment made me laugh! I think I have to do a post about procrastination soon.
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Ha! Number 4 is perfect. I could stare at my own work for hours and never see an issue, but I look at someone else’s and within seconds I am correcting mistakes!
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Thanks for the comment, chelseamersay! Hope you’re having a great writing day.
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Don’t miss out the obvious sign! You only express yourself best in written words.
you’re happy you express by writing. You’re sad you express by writing!
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Thanks, Sanjida. You are spot on!
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😀
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Nope, none of it really applies except for the desk full of ideas. All I know is I love to write
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That’s the most important thing alexjrankin. Keep writing!
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