Call Yourself a Writer – “Aspiring” Not Required by Kirsten McNeill
Let’s welcome back Kirsten McNeill as she shares with us “Call Yourself a Writer – “Aspiring” Not Required.” Enjoy!
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One of my favourite pastimes is scrolling through Instagram reels. It’s a fun way to turn off my brain when I’m not in the mood to do anything.
Should I try to read more and go outside when it’s nice? Yes, that is one of my goals. But Instagram can be a positive place if you know where to look.
I don’t focus on the “doom scrolling” listening to rants about how the world has gone crazy. I stop on the inspirational videos. The ones sharing confidence and empowerment in the same way that I do.
Because I saw this in brief passing, I don’t remember who the creator was, but I came upon a reel talking to writers about the word “aspiring”. This creator wants to abolish that word completely from a writer’s vocabulary, especially when it precedes the word “writer”.
I 100% agree.
Call yourself a writer — aspiring not required.
Aspiring means to dream about the type of person you wish to be. And when people call themselves an “aspiring writer” they aren’t fully embracing who they are and their accomplishments as a writer.
And by accomplishments, I don’t mean publications. There is far more to being a writer than being published.
What is a writer?
Someone who writes. Plain and simple.
Are you working on your debut novel? You’re a writer.
Do you have several unfinished projects on your shelf? You’re still a writer.
Those words didn’t write themselves. You’re not “aspiring” anymore once you’ve already started writing.
During a podcast interview for the Worthy Writers Podcast with Writer and Entrepreneurial Leadership Development Mentor, Elle Turner, we had a wonderful chicken or egg conversation in regard to writers.
Elle says, “if you’re waiting for your work to be published to call yourself a writer, you still have to write the book.”
What are you supposed to call yourself in the meantime?
A pre-writer?
Like when they call studying doctors pre-med?
Oh yes, that’s right. I’ve been working to remove a certain word from my vocabulary and forgot we’re talking about aspiring writers here.
That’s the word that people have decided to title themselves in the meantime. Let’s work to change that mentality!
If aspiring means that your goal is to become a specific person, but you’ve already taken steps to become that person, remove the unnecessary words.
My editor brain is coming out now. Cut out the filler words! Only keep what is necessary and is filled with purpose.
You are in the process of writing, so you are in fact a writer.
Not everyone has the dedication or motivation to even start writing their book.
Not everyone wants to partake in writing, and becoming a published author has never crossed their minds.
Calling yourself a writer distinguishes one of your unique traits. It’s one of many beautiful ways you can define yourself.
What can you say instead of aspiring?
Removing a word from your vocabulary that you’ve used for so long is tricky. Just like any habit you’ve built into your brain’s hardware, it will take some time to correct.
How can you use the word “aspiring” in a way that is more meaningful and doesn’t downplay your current achievements?
You’ve accomplished the writing part, whether you’ve got drafts upon drafts in fiction, memoir, short stories, or poetry.
So, what are you actually aspiring to be now? What are your goals within the realm of a writer’s journey?
If you haven’t published anything yet, you can aspire to be a published writer.
If you’re looking for an agent, you can aspire to be a writer represented by an agency.
If you’re hoping to achieve an award, you’re aspiring to add “award-winning” onto your writer title.
When you call yourself an aspiring writer, what you actually mean to describe are the goals you want to achieve within your writer life.
Gain more readers, write more blog posts, be a guest on more podcasts to talk about your writing journey – there are so many goals you can have, but the one you have already achieved is being a writer. The only way you can accurately say “aspiring writer” is if you’ve never written a word in your life.
You are a Writer.
Own your writer status. Embrace it. Be a writer and create the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of one step at a time.
Repeating that writer status every day will boost your confidence and make writing your stories much more enjoyable.
And that’s what creativity is all about, right? Joy. Sharing your voice.
Expressing yourself in ways that other activities don’t allow. Do yourself a kindness and never forget that you ARE a writer.
Never forget that you are worthy.
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ABOUT KIRSTEN MCNEILL
Kirsten McNeill is a Confidence & Writing Lifestyle Coach, Book Editor, and Self-Published Writer. Her mission with Worthy Writers Editing is to bring sunflower sunshine to the creative world connecting writers to the confidence and passion they desire to help them publish and share their stories.
Receive a FREE download of the PDF I Am Worthy: 3 Tips to Confidently Embrace Your Writer Status when you subscribe to the Worthy Writers Confidence Newsletter.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/confident.kirsten
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theworthywritersnook
When You Write, You’re A Writer With Elle Turner on The Worthy Writers Podcast.
