The writer's life

A couple of days ago, Sylvia commented with an hilarious link where cats quoted Charlie Sheen.  I found a great post by the author, Francesco Marciuliano (author of the Sally Forth strip), on the writer's life.  He's talking about writing comic strips, but I think it could easily apply to us all. 

The only flaw?  He omits mention of coffee!

Which brings me to the topic:  What do you do that makes you live a "writer's life"? 

A professor I had in college (where I took in all but name a creative writing minor) stated once that you are only a writer when you are writing.  I submit that in a certain sense that is true...but what is the life of a writer, and what does that writer do in between spates of writing?  Isn't it logical that life fills the void between the moments when you are writing? 

Because, if we feel we are writers, want to be writers, or are already paid professionals in the field in some manner, there should be some distinctive flair or habit or prevalent whatever, right?  (Okay, play along with me here anyhow.)  If we have something that defines us as writers besides the actual production of prose, what is the life that we are leading that makes us distinctively living the "writer's life"?  Is there a stereotypical writer's life that doesn't borrow from Hemingway and a fifth of bourbon or involve gay Paris and beret-wearing mimes smoking unfiltered Turkish cigarettes and drinking coffee in a bistro or absinthe at the cabaret?

Play with the idea a bit and look at your own life.  Where do you show your writerly nature to the world?  In your decor, choice of abode, your hobbies, your haunts, your friends?  Seriously, look at your life and what you've built around yourself and see how those things in your life reflect your writing habit/career.  It could be little superstitious rituals.  Purchasing habits.  Hobbies.  How you describe yourself to others.  What I'm really asking you to do is to look at the activities that are not related to actual writing or the settling in to write but which you feel define you as a writer.

For myself, I have a thing for goofy tee shirts.  A lot of my shirts have amusing comments about being a writer, and it makes me feel like a writer because the shirt says so.  It's a form of label, marking me to the world...or at least marking me to me! 

And I surround myself with office supplies.  Blank post its, reams of paper, bound books, art paper--you name it, I likely have some of it lurking, forgotten, in the office area.  For some reason, I feel like the creative potential in a blank page is incredibly powerful for me. 

Then there's my leisure time.  I am unable to actually do this because my location and job (the Job That Ate My Life) prevents it.  But, given the opportunity, I'd hang out in bistros or organic coffee shops; I used to do that in San Francisco, and I wish I could do so all the time. I also used to dress rather Bohemian, which made me feel all hip and cool and stuff.  Though, just shy of 50 now, it's not exactly a look or trend that would win points any longer, so, like the coffee shop hanging out in, it's all a wish, not an actual thing I can or will do.  But that still defines me to myself.

So...what is it you do that makes you feel like a writer in the mundane existence outside of actually penning the Great American Novel?

Comments

[G]

I see that the great spammer has hit your blog here. Hope you binge and purge this miscreant.

Anyways, what makes me feel most like a writer when I'm not penny the Great American Novel (or for the moment, the Great American Query Letter), is blogging.

Blogging to a large degree has helped give me the focus and discipline that I need in order to write.

Most of the time, I write out my blog posts by hand, which basically allows me to go anywhere to do this, be it my backyard, the park, or during a long walk.

Blogging is how I define myself as a writer.

Plus a quirky sense of humor.

[Betsy Dornbusch]

Well, I know it's boring, but writing mostly makes me feel like a writer. Ass in chair, staring out the window contemplating plot, that stuff.

But I do buy a lot of books (not as many as you) and my DVR is full cuz I can't bother to watch much TV, too busy reading. I'm also contemplating getting a a tattoo like the one from my book. It's just in an unlikely spot (inside of my biceps). Being that I live in Stepford, it would probably be my biggest statement that "I'm a writer."

And I have to say, it's pretty fun when muggles say something like: "Have you read Lee Child's latest?" I get to say things like, I met him last year. I crashed his party at Bouchercon."

Makes me feel like I'm "in the club" as it were...

Oh, and I hang around home quite happily a LOT. I'm pretty cloistered right now and that's the way I like it, as I'm writing the sequel to SENTINEL.

[Charles Gramlich]

Good question. Tougher to answer. The thing that leaps to my mind is books. I have lots and lots of books around. I talk about books, read books, keep records of books I've read, critique and break down books, analyze books. I don't have anything in the way of clothes except one t-shirt from the Invisible College Press, which published Cold in the Light. I have quite a few pens around and like those. I do also interact with a lot of writers and that probably makes me feel more like a writer than anything else I do except write.

[writtenwyrdd]

Indeed, I purged with prejudice. He's hit here before. I hate that sort of stuff.

I have to agree that blogging is a thing that makes me feel like a writer, and it's because it's me having a conversation about writing. Or was. I'm a bit short on the blogging these days. I think I'm a bit burnt on it.

[writtenwyrdd]

I know, name dropping is a powerful thing. I never get to do it, except to claim Madre's experiences. She's met any number of famous musicians while running her store. (My favorite is her story about sitting at the same table with Betty White at some charity function. Gad, I'd love to meet that lady!)

[writtenwyrdd]

Books are blood and air, aren't they?

[Sylvia]

"Is there a stereotypical writer's life that doesn't borrow from Hemingway and a fifth of bourbon or involve gay Paris and beret-wearing mimes smoking unfiltered Turkish cigarettes and drinking coffee in a bistro or absinthe at the cabaret?"

But the entire point of my life is to end up borrowing Hemingway's life for a year or two!