You. Are. A. Writer.

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Here's one thing (among many) that has been bothering me for a bit - the elitist attitude that if you aren't published, if you write fanfiction, write any genre that another writer/author does not care for, etc. that you aren't a writer. 

Let me go on record as saying: IF YOU WRITE, IF YOU IDENTIFY AS A WRITER, then guess what? You, my friend, ARE A WRITER. It's that simple.  

"But, Willow..." you might counter "fanfiction writers use someone else's stories, and it's not true effort." To which I will always, ALWAYS reply "If you've never written fanfiction, you have no idea just how hard it is, or how much talent and passion it takes. Fandoms are the single most critical audiences on the planet, period. I don't care how non-canonical your story is, if you don't capture the voice that they've attributed to those stories, if you fuck it up, they will LET YOU KNOW, with a quickness. Fanfiction is arduous, and most definitely a labor of love."  

So, fanfiction writers/authors WELCOME TO MY FAMILY. I'll take you under my umbrella any day. 

I have no idea why some writers feel as if they are the bee's knees, and others are scum, but I'm here to tell you, there is room enough for all of us - and if one of us makes it, all of us make it. I do not, never have, and never will see another writer/author as competition. Not because they are less than me, but because we are all so different, that there is simply no comparison.  

Learn from each other, support each other, build friendships, tribes, families with your fellow writers, and never look down your nose at someone who writes differently than you. At the end of the day, all that matters is that they DO write. Don't be an asshole, it's unbecoming. 

So, I don't care what you write, just keep at it. And remember, even if you only write a shopping list but dream of writing that great novel, it's in there, don't give up. YOU ARE A WRITER. Period.