I was wondering the other day what the difference between an author and a writer is. Is it what you write? Is it who publishes it? Or is there not really a distinction? (I noticed that OSC has "writer" as his occupation in his profile)
Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :
I never thought there was any distinction. I suppose if there is, it would be that authors write stories and novels, while writers can also write poems and songs.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I pretty much agree with Da on that one.
Posted by Dobbie (Member # 3881) on :
A writer is someone who writes. An author is the person who wrote a specific book, story, poem... So Orson Scott Card is the author of "Ender's Game", but his profession is writer.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Dobbie -- that makes sense.
Posted by Dobbie (Member # 3881) on :
Would I have posted it otherwise?
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
probably
Posted by Dobbie (Member # 3881) on :
But they weren't posted by me.
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
I'm a writer, paid to write articles and stories for newspapers and magazines.
I'm not an author, yet... Someday, I'll have a book published, though, and then I'll be an author.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Most authors will never become writers.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
What does that mean? Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
I don't know what he means by it, but I'm an author, and I'm not a writer.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
How not? Please explain.
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
I'll go into my own situation a bit more.
For the last dozen years, I've made my living by selling articles and stories, opinion pieces and whatnot. That activity makes me a professional writer, at least in my own eyes.
I have written and completed a novel. While I have sent it to publishers, it hasn't been purchased yet. While I feel it is a good work and I am working on my next, I can't feel right calling myself an author yet, simply because I haven't gotten that all important purchase offer, and more to the point, the check that allows me to pay bills and put food on the table.
My designations between writer and author are purely based on a professional definition. Someone else, with different goals and aspirations for their craft, may apply the terms differently, with equal right and claim to the titles.
Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :
I authored a book. That made me an author, and I'll always be an author. But I don't still write, so I have ceased being a writer.
![[Confused]](confused.gif)