Are YOU a Writer? Do you tell other people you are a writer, or do you keep this to yourself? Do you say you are "trying to write"? Or that you are "learning about being a writer"?

Why are so many of us hesitant to call ourselves Writers? When can you call yourself a Writer?

I once heard the saying "You are a writer if you write." Hmmm, that seems like a "duh", but so many of us say we want to be writers or talk or think about writing, but how many of us actually practice writing?

Like anything else, writing takes practice. Or good writing does, anyway. You can't be a writer if you don't write anything. And you can't be a good writer if you don't keep writing and learning and growing. It is a skill, just like anything else.

Like a painter, we need to have an attic full of our first works before we finally create a masterpiece. How full is your attic?

If you want to be a writer, start doing these things today:

Write!! Write something, anything, every day or every other day. Get into the habit of writing. Make a goal - 250 words, 500 words, whatever works for you. Just make a goal and stick to it.

Get feedback. If you are writing in a vacuum without ever getting feedback, you won't know what you are doing well or where you need to improve. Find friends or family willing to read your writing. Or better yet, join a writing critique group. Or start a blog. There are many ways to accomplish this goal.

Don't give up! Remember, rejection is part of learning. Don't let one or ten or even 100 rejection letters stop you. If writing is in your heart, you are a writer. Keep learning and improving. If you are being rejected, good for you - you are doing something! You are out there, you are trying, and you are one step closer to being published. Perfectionists seldom get published, but writers do.

Remember - you are a writer if you write for an audience. From there, it's up to you. Repeat after me: "I" "AM" "A" "WRITER". Now go out there and write!