5 Ways to Know You're a Writer by Melinda Curtis

Over the years, I've been asked when I knew I was a writer.  For me, I don't think there was any one defining moment. So how do you know you're a writer?

You might be a writer if...

  1. You stare out a window while someone else is driving and make up stories in your head.
  2. You rewrite middles or endings to movies you've seen (and your revisions make it better).
  3. If someone starts a joke, like a a man walks into a bar and sees two penguins, you're able to throw out ideas as to what happens next. (Doesn't matter if it's funny or not.)
  4. You start many stories, typing them into a document and everything, and then don't finish thw story.
  5. You've written stories or articles that might or might not have been published. In fact, you could have a stack of rejections!


Yes, one or all may indicate you're a writer. It doesn't matter if you ever receive a dime for your creations...unless it's important to you, of course.

What would you add to my list?

Melinda Curtis is an award-winning, USA Today Bestseller of over 50 romances. Her latest releases are The Rancher's Redemption, Book 3 in the Return of the Blackwells series, and Santa School, one of the 12 Heartwarming Days of Christmas series. She firmly believes most people have a writer inside them, but don't have the tools or time to pursue it. Good luck if this describes you!


Comments

  1. You know you're a writer if you are fascinated with office supplies. Even if you don't need them. Especially if they're on sale. Good post, Mel.

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  2. I love this list, Mel, and can relate especially to the first two. I would add...you know you’re a writer when you hear an unusual or quirky real life story and mentally spin different endings or complications for it.

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  3. Definitely Liz' office supply obsession...I grew up taking buses and trains around the city, and as far back as I can remember, I made up stories about other riders--I gave them entire lives. Later on, I realized that was probably the reader-writer in me! My now late former husband thought I was a real writer for sure because I was willing to pile up rejection letters but still had hope!

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  4. I think my husband decided before me. He said we'd be in a restaurant and he'd be talking and suddenly he lost me to staring at another couple and I'd be trying to decide why they were there, what they were talking about, etc. And then I'd expound on the way home about things they could have been discussing and all. And also when I complained to my doctor about characters I didn't know waking me up at night. He said, you need to write them out of your head. So I thought...why not.

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  5. You know you're a writer when you see "characters" everywhere you go. And (like Roz) question what they're doing and why and then make up the answers. Great post, Mel!

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  6. I’m a writer and didn’t even know it!!

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  7. You might be a writer if your characters wake you up at night to tell you they want the story to go a different direction or they don't like their love interest......

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  8. "You might be a writer if you dream in words instead of color, and conversations in your head include dialogue tags," she said.

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  9. Or maybe if you see this title and immediately have to read the article hoping you qualify! ;)

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  10. You might be a writer if you love to hear gossip--not because you wish anybody ill, but because the stories fascinate you. ;)

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  11. This is embarrassing, but eavesdropping in a restaurant when a lively and interesting dialogue is taking place at the adjacent table...you know, something that you might be able to use in a manscript...But honestly, until I read this blog I wasn't sure I was a writer. Number 2 clinched it for me.

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