Real Writers Like Reading.

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I’m scrolling in one of the many Black writers groups I’m in and I see this interesting conversation that inspired this post. If you find this piece particularly a good read, thank the writer snob who made this conversation worth reading so another writer snob can write about it.

What Makes A Real Writer/Author.

Before I get into the meat/vegan meat and potatoes I think it is fair of me as a writer and author to define what it means to be one.My “rules” aren’t as harsh as others because most other writers are snobby S.O.B.’s In my book a writer is someone who writes. The type of writer one is depends on the type of writing one does. For me, my writing is more so opinion based and poetry, thus making me an opinion writer and creative writer. When I wrote music reviews for a magazine I was a music journalist. My rules for what makes an author are a little different. I don’t consider someone an author if they’ve only written one book with no intention of publishing another book(s). I also don’t think having books written for you makes you an author. Definitely doesn’t make you a writer either, because you don’t write anything. It doesn’t matter if this person has multiple books attached to their name. If they didn’t writ it, I don’t believe their name should be credited as the author. The person who publishes one book with no intent to publish more is more of an author to me and is 100 times more the writer than the snobby former President who just talked into a voice recorder and had someone scribe it all.

None of my qualifications have anything to do with reading, which is one of the qualifications some members in the “Black Writers Workshop” Facebook group stated. I disagree for a number of reasons.

1. Logistics. Logically speaking and given my example of a real writer, someone who can still be considered a real writer without reading or not like reading. Just as an athlete can go pro and not practice or like training, or a chef who doesn’t measure ingredients. You can be all of these things without doing the “tedious” work, but it isn’t likely you’ll be one of the best or subjectively good at your craft.
2. Disliking Reading Doesn’t Mean You Don’t Read. Pretty self-explanatory. Like the athlete who hates every moment of practice, but does it anyways, there are writers who don’t like or enjoy reading as much as others do but still do it because it is part of the training, just not the fun part.
3. Skills That Pay The Bills. Sometimes we are blessed with immense talents who don’t have to put in as much work as the rest. Some of the best athletes and musicians didn’t go to college. Not every good writer (present company included) at least one book a month as one member of the group suggested. “We all have he same 24 hours a day” yes, and I don’t spend mine reading books. The last book I purchased was 2020. Before that was 2018 and before that was either 2008 or 09. Believe it or not it’s perfectly fine to have taste as a writer. Those with taste truly know what is and isn’t good. You don’t have to read every book in every genre to be a real author. People who say otherwise are the pretentious insecure weirdos who do more talking and “reading” than writing because they are still trying to find their voice (take from authors they wish they sounded like). They only want others to spend a thousand hours a month reading because you didn’t need to do so in order to find your voice. It’s the same negativity from those who don’t want free education or the elimination of student debt to be a thing because they already paid their debt off or have paid 20% of it. If this is you, you’re a hate and no one should have to be a victim to your victimization at the hands of capitalism.

Remember not to conflate an enmity of reading to not reading at all. Who likes homework? Who does homework? If you’ve raised your hand for both, congratulations. You now understand how one could not like reading yet still do it.

Above are a few un-cropped because I don’t give a damn, screenshots of a few of the comments made by a few authors/writers on why they don’t like to read. This next shot pretty much sums up my thoughts on this “blasphemous” topic.

Both Abdelkokeshia’s and Imani’s comments are what I feel about this idea that writers have to like reading. At the end of the day none of this matters. My definition doesn’t matter. The nay sayers in the comments and the people I agree with, their opinions don’t matter, either. Especially to those who are winning. I scoff at former Presidents who have best sellers without having to actually write their own books, but does that stop them from being best sellers? Does that make me a best seller? The answer to both is no. The next time someone questions your “legitness” just keep doing what you’ve been doing and show them and others it can be done. The more they’re talking, the less they are doing because those of us who are doing do not waste time talking about what someone else is doing.