Recently, I came across a debate on social media about when a writer could officially call themselves an author. A battle of wills and opinions ensued. You probably have your own idea about qualifications.
Here’s the ruling:
According to the dictionary, a writer is ‘one who expresses ideas in writing’ or ‘one engaged in literary work. ‘ An author is ‘a person who writes a novel, poem, essay etc, the composer of a literary work. ‘
You can author any complete original literary work (which excludes plays, drama and screenplays). It does not require publication or monetization to qualify.
So, in short, if you are creating original and complete stories, novels, articles, poems, etc., you are officially an AUTHOR! Go forth and create with pride!
Joan💚🦋
Writing brings so much joy and self-discovery. It is good to share that discovery with others…Whether you call yourself an author or a writer is simply semantics; communicating our ideas with others is what matters.
Very true, Linda. Thank you!