Why I am NOT a "Writer" — And Other Random Observations on Literary Keyboarding

Images: FreeDigitalPhotos.com and GoogleImages.com
Articles from Phil Friedman
View blog
RUNNING ON RAILS DOESN'T GET YOU ANYWHERE, WHEN THE TRACK DEADENDS... · If you are tired of having y ...

GRUMPY AND GROUCHY TAKE A CRITICAL LOOK AT THE HONEY FACTORY... · Preface: · When Jim Murray and I f ...

IMPROVE CAPTURE OF BILLABLE HOURS TO BOOST GROSS PROFIT WITHOUT ADDED OVERHEADS... · Preface: · This ...
Related professionals
You may be interested in these jobs
-
Neurologist Needed in Texas
Found in: beBee S2 US - 2 days ago
LocumJobsOnline Longview Full timeStart Date: ASAP · You will enjoy practicing in Longview, on I-20 between Dallas and Shreveport. It is proud to be the hub of east Texas outdoor recreation and leisure travel, and is famous for its fabulous festivals, fine dining, and a historic downtown. Surrounded by rolling hi ...
-
Groom Student
Found in: Jooble US - 1 week ago
Pet Supplies Plus Clarksburg, WV Full timeHave you ever walked by a groom room window and thought to yourself, I want to do that for a career? Are you up for wet wagging tails and flying suds? If you enjoy making pets look adorable and smell irresistible, then come work in our neighborhood · As a Groom Student at Pet S ...
-
Prep Cook
Found in: Jooble US - 2 days ago
Brinker Branson, MORole Overview · Our Heart of House Team Members are responsible for setting the pace for a great shift, every shift. They provide dependable, fast service that is absolutely Chili's. If you take pride in great team work, then we want to hear from you · Fast hiring process · Flexi ...
Comments
Phil Friedman
5 years ago #44
In my book, Pascal, you may not be a writer or anyone at all... but I for one value highly your insights and opinions. Cheers!
Pascal Derrien
5 years ago #43
Phil Friedman
5 years ago #42
I agree entirely, Javier. One does not need to write professionally to be a writer. AND even if one has published professionally, that does NOT make one a "writer". As I said in this piece, just as there are people who write who are not professionals, there are professionals who write who write who are not writers. And simply writing doesn't make one a "Writer" either way. I for one have a hard time seeing clearly what makes one a writer or not -- which is why I don't feel comfortable with articles titled "Why I am a Writer" or some such. And why I titled this article "Why I Am NOT a Writer". Cheers!
Phil Friedman
5 years ago #41
I agree entirely, Javier. One does not need to write professionally to be a writer. AND even is one has published professionally that does NOT make one a "writer". As I said in this piece, just as there are people who write who are not professionals, there are professionals who write who write who are not writers. And simply writing doesn't make one a "Writer" either way. I for one have a hard time seeing clearly what makes one a writer or not -- which is why I don't feel comfortable with articles titled "Why I am a Writer" or some such. Cheers!
Javier 🐝 CR
5 years ago #40
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #39
Jim Murray - genuine storytelling involves a hell of a lot more than simply relating an incident that happened. Just a really telling a joke involves more than most people put into it. Anyone can tell a story, just as anyone can tell a joke. But telling a story does not make one a storyteller, nor does telling a joke make one a comedian. Facts that appear to be completely opaque to most self-declared storytellers on LinkedIn. Cheers!
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #38
@Lisa Gallagher - You were correct in the first place about what I am saying. (See comment to Jim Murray below.) I also don't take issue with people who insist on telling others why they write -- I just don't give two bull chips about it. I am interested in what they write, not why they write, because what they write speaks for itself.
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #37
Jim Murray, for the record, I am not talking about authors who tell other writers about how they (the authors) go about writing. Other that feeling it betrays a bit of self-importance, I have no fundamental objection to it. As we all, including both you and I, do some bragging from time to time -- oh sorry, "personal branding". But I do take personal exception to those who tell others how those others should go about writing -- especially if the tellers have no more than a couple of published articles under their belt at the time they decide to tell the world how to do it. Cheers!
Lisa Gallagher
6 years ago #36
Oh I thought Phil meant writers lecturing others about how to write. I don't take issue with others who explain why they write either. Oops, hope I didn't tick you off Phil LOL. Here's a good example on how our brain's differ when it comes to what our likes and dislikes are- I don't care to read articles about programming language (no offense to my programmer friends). I do love to learn but that's a more hands on thing for me.
Jim Murray
6 years ago #35
Don Kerr and is Phil. Ergo Beezer = Storyteller.
Jim Murray
6 years ago #34
Lisa Gallagher
6 years ago #33
I meant to add Phil Friedman, yes, "writers write about writing," is not writing in my eyes either. So, yes your comment made sense!
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #32
Gerald Hecht, that is a relief, for a change. Since much of the time I think you're poking a finger in my eye, or maybe somewhere else, which shall remain further unspecified. Seriously, thank you for all your quite enjoyable and perspicuous comments, and for your camaraderie. Cheers, my friend.
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #31
Thank you, Fatima Williams, for the very kind words. They are what make the effort and, yes, pain of writing worthwhile. So you know, I follow and read your writings, as well. And very much like what I find in them. Cheers!
🐝 Fatima G. Williams
6 years ago #30
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #29
Lisa Gallagher
6 years ago #28
Milos Djukic
6 years ago #27
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #26
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #25
Thank you, @Lisa Gallagher, for reading and commenting. For the record, though, I do not believe that someone needs to write professionally in order to be a writer. What I do believe is that writers write about many different topics, but rarely about writing itself. "Writers" write about writing, but to my mind, because they have run out of things to write about. Which I have never found a writer to do. To put it another way, writers write, while "writers" write about writing -- which to me is not really writing. Does that make sense to you?
Lisa Gallagher
6 years ago #24
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #23
Thanks, Franci Eugenia Hoffman, for reading and commenting. That is what makes the effort of writing worthwhile.Cheers!
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #22
Thank you, Nicole Chardenet, for reading and commenting, and for the kind words. The grunting on social media that passes these days for writing will eventually pass from the scene, for it is not only ultimately boring, but self-destructive. And those who celebrate the rise of inarticulation will eventually reduce their expressions of thought and ideas into nothing. Or at least, I for one like to think so. Cheers!
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #21
Actually, Pascal Derrien, you may not be a "writer", but I would count you among writers. For you focus on writing, not on being a "writer". Cheers!
Franci 🐝Eugenia Hoffman
6 years ago #20
Pascal Derrien
6 years ago #19
Frans van Wamel
6 years ago #18
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #17
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #16
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #15
Frans van Wamel
6 years ago #14
But Phil Friedman, have you ever offended anyone in social media that did not deserve the spite of your black humor and fact-finding capabilities, if you smelled a rat amongst the sinking ship?
Frans van Wamel
6 years ago #13
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #12
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #11
@Wayne Yoshida - I understand what your saying. I don't know if it still holds true, but when I was in school, most serious journalists did not come out of journalism school, but rather had degrees in history, economics, and philosophy. Journalism graduates usually ended up working for trade publications and what we usedto call trade organs -- in-house magazines produced by businesses. Thank you for reading and commenting.
don kerr
6 years ago #10
Wayne Yoshida
6 years ago #9
Dean Owen
6 years ago #8
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #7
Hey, Jim, thanks for reading and commenting. I agreewith you about Dean Owen
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #6
Thanks, Dean Dean Owen, for reading (all the way to the end) and for taking the time to comment. Personally, I never look at the time-to-read ratings... mostly because I feel no obligation to finish reading a post, or for that matter a book, that I do not find interesting. I think, like in all things, different strokes for... My stuff has not, however, been doing very well on Medium, because the crowd there appears to be time-byte bound. Cheers!
Jim Murray
6 years ago #5
Dean Owen
6 years ago #4
Gert Scholtz
6 years ago #3
Thank you Phil. Your views on when it is that one is finding your own style and voice would be very interesting. Perhaps in a next post?
Phil Friedman
6 years ago #2
Thanks, @Gert Scholtz - for reading and commenting. I think you see the point that each writer of needs finds his or her own style and voice; and it's not within anyone's province to tell others how to do it. Interestingly, my writing professors in college did not teach one how to write; they taught us how to read and reflect, and to write and edit, write and edit, and write and edit. In other words to practice...and let the rest come of its own. Cheers!
Gert Scholtz
6 years ago #1