Just to clarify, this is Faulkner, not Greever
Recently someone asked me if I was an author or a writer. I immediately said “writer,” to which he asked, “what’s the difference?”
And that one, I couldn’t answer as quickly. What is the difference?
The first definition of Writer on Dictionary.com – a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc., especially as an occupation or profession; an author or journalist.
Yep, that’s me!
The first definition of Author on Dictionary.com – a person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of a literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.
Yep, that’s me!
Wait, what? The differences are so subtle that the terms can be (and regularly are) interchanged. Personally, I am sticking with writer. It is more actionable (engaged in writing) and it has longevity (as an occupation or profession). Author seems to be acceptable for a singular work (a person who writes a…) and it seems to be a label of role clarification rather than a occupation or a passion.
Besides, my image of author would require me to wear a smoking jacket and go back and re-read (and fully appreciate) Faulkner’s collected works. And no, I am in no way bashing Faulkner. He was a genius that will always live way above my pay grade. But I am hungry to get in and get my hands dirty…there is too much writing to be done!
How about you? Do you lean one way or the other? Do you go so far as to correct people if they get it wrong?
Well, I am a writer, editor, memoirist and translator of my father’s, mother’s writings and family memoirs from the memorabilia left mostly by my parents and my husband and some other family members. The first books I published in 2011 are English and Rusian editions of collections of short stories written by my father between 1946 to 1977 in Russian immigrant press, newspapers and journals, in England, New York, San francisco and Buenos Aires. The stories are a time-capsule bringing to life how the people lived in the first socialis “paradise’ built on the soil of Holy Russia. If you have the time, visit my website to find out more about the books/authr/editor.
http://www.OlgaGladkyVerroEditor.com.
Thanks for following. Keep in touch and spread the word. Olga.
Thank you for stopping by Olga! That sounds like quite a daunting yet very worthwhile project you have going on. I’ll definitely keep in touch. Please keep us posted on your progress!