A writer is a person who earns his living by writing. There are other definitions of this word. What is a writer? How to become one? The article considers the opinions of professional writers.
Where do they teach writing skills?
A prose writer or a poet, of course, can be called a person who devotes his life to creativity. But with one amendment: not all writers manage to publish their books. And therefore, not every one of them earns on their work. There are several definitions for the word "writer". But most of them are not true.
A writer is a graduate of a literary institute. However, not all students who come to this university subsequently become screenwriters, poets, and art translators. First-year students at the Literary Institute are hammered into their heads with the truth that writing is a profession that is not profitable. Rather profitable. Moreover, for many, it becomes a kind of wreath of thorns.
The writer's psychotype
There are other definitions of this concept. A writer is a person whose bookspublished by publishers. But graduates of the literary institute and all those who understand classical prose and poetry will argue with this definition. After all, being able to create an exciting story does not mean being a writer. What do professional literary critics think about this? Who do they think a real writer is?
The meaning of this word Irina Goryunova formulated as follows: "A writer is a person with a special psycho-type of thinking." According to the literary agent, through whose hands a myriad of brilliant and mediocre manuscripts have passed, a person with a special poetic streak is capable of writing literary works. In addition, he must have originality of thinking, the ability to create vivid images, and, of course, a plot that captivates readers.
The artist is destiny
What abilities and character traits does a talented writer have? The meaning of this phrase is also given in Goryunova's book. According to her, a real writer has the ability to fully immerse himself in the creative world. He lives the life of his characters. This can lead to a mental crisis. The writer sometimes gets used to the created image so strongly that it is excruciatingly painful to get out of it. But even worse, don't do it. Literary activity is the essence, the air, without which a talented writer cannot live.
All of the above applies to the authors of works of art. Writing non-fiction books requires a completely different approach. However, this article isis about representatives of artistic prose. And also about those who claim this title.
A writer or a graphomaniac?
There are people who can't stop writing. However, their work cannot be called literary. What is graphomania? This psychiatric term is understood as a painful, uncontrollable passion for creating various kinds of texts. The "works" of graphomaniacs are inexpressive, have a stereotyped character. Their creations are of no interest to either critics or readers. Graphomania is a disease. Like other psychiatric illnesses, it is subject to treatment, including medication.
At literature lessons, the teacher gives students the following tasks: "Explain the meaning of the words "talented writer" and "gifted writer", "Formulate the definition of the concept of "work of art"". To the question of who a master of the word is, it is customary to answer: "a person who creates works that have a high literary value." However, it should be understood that creative activity begins with the ability to understand and analyze the books of other authors, as well as adequately respond to criticism. A sign of graphomania is the belief in one's own genius.
Unpublished writers
We have formulated the meaning of the word "writer". A talented writer is a person whose work is of interest to readers and critics. But many cases are known when books were publishedposthumously. The gifted writer wrote "on the table." Perhaps, brilliant novels and short stories by the author, who never became known to a wide range of readers, are stored somewhere today.
Who is a writer? Even a schoolboy understands the meaning of the word. "Talented writer" is a term, the meaning of which we also analyzed. However, the works of far from every gifted author are taken to publish by publishing houses. And that is why most novice authors leave literary work. Only those for whom existence outside of literature is impossible remain.
Publishing business
If the author has talent and does not suffer from graphomania, this does not mean that his creations will be published. Publishing houses are commercial organizations. Their activities are aimed at making a profit. Employees of the publishing house prefer to conclude contracts with authors who create popular prose. Poems and dramaturgy are out of fashion these days. Works for children of unknown authors are reluctantly bought by parents, and, accordingly, publishing houses do not seek to publish. But even representatives of popular literary movements are having a hard time today.
Writing a good novel is not the same as becoming a famous writer. First, books today are not as in demand as, for example, thirty or forty years ago. Secondly, the publishing business prefers not to contact novice authors.
Many books have been written about how to become a famous author. Who is an in-demand writer? The meaning of the phrase is revealed in the works of authors who have passed a thorny path into the worldmodern literature. This topic was devoted to one of the books by Ann Lamott. Below are tips from an American writer for aspiring authors.
Impression of my own work
In the book "Bird by Bird" the author talks about his life and his first steps in literature. Ann Lamott admits that she doesn't always like what she writes. She often rereads manuscripts and is rarely satisfied with the result of her work. Similar feelings are familiar to all authors. Ann Lamott says it's okay. And dissatisfaction with their own creations visits even an experienced writer. It is important not to stop there and keep working.
Is publication so important?
Anne Lamotte has not only created a book about writing. She also teaches literature courses. The creator of the book "Bird by Bird" convinces novice authors that it is not so important whether the work is published or not. Of course, every newcomer to the literary world dreams of becoming a famous prose writer. But publishing is not the main thing in writing.
It's easier to write the truth
As one of the literary heroes said: "Telling the truth is easy and pleasant." This phrase can be applied to writing as well. Anne Lamotte in her book convinces readers that creating a true but interesting story is much easier than it might seem. Do not come up with incredible stories. Ordinary everyday life is what can serve as material for a book of genius.
What to write about?
This question is often asked by authors who dream of one day impressing publishers, and subsequently readers with their incredible story. But a gifted person in the literary sense is often in a creative stupor.
Where to start writing? This question is answered by Ann Lamotte. The writer claims that you need to start from childhood. She advises young authors to portray the events of their early years, first impressions, observations. The book "Bird after Bird", by the way, begins precisely with the image of the author's childhood.
Systemacity
What is inspiration? This is a special state of mind that allows you to create works of art and literature. But it happens that inspiration leaves the author. Should we expect it to appear? Ann Lamotte says that you need to write every day. And, preferably, according to a strictly established schedule. Every author, regardless of experience, knows that the first two hours of sitting at a desk or computer seem to be wasted. It doesn't take long to get in the mood for writing. But writing texts is work that requires consistency and organization.
Anyone can become a writer
Yuri Nikitin, the author of works in the genre of science fiction, is convinced of this. He devoted the book How to Become a Writer to questions that are of particular interest to novice authors.
Nikitin outlined the main techniques taught to students at the Higher Literary Courses, refuted the opinion that word masters are born, and deprivedthe meaning of the phrase "talented writer" of a shade of mystery. According to the Russian author, everyone can learn how to write, just like acquiring the skills of playing the violin. Of course, not every musician is Paganini. But even Stephen King, who receives huge fees, is not William Shakespeare.
