Q: I haven’t worked in a long while. Am I still a writer?
I’m definitely struggling with this, too. Short answer: yes. You’re a writer, you’re just a writer who hasn’t worked in a long while and also has another career and/or way to pay the bills. If the real question behind this question is whether you’re ever going to get paid to write again – I think we all wish we had a way to know the answer to that. - Lower Level Kids Comedy Writer
When I first started to actively pursue a career in writing, I'd say that I was an "aspiring writer." But one day, a more experienced writer told me to stop saying that. She said that I'm a writer--whether I'm being paid to do it or not. And that has stuck with me until this day. So, regardless of my employment status, I'm a writer, through and through. - Mid Level Live Action & Animation Writer
When I was out of work for almost three years, I came to accept and appreciate that I am not my job. My job is not me. So, if you are a writer, then you’re a writer… whether you’re working or not. But also remember, you are not just a writer. You are a person with a full life – hobbies, interests, meaningful relationships. The more I nurtured those parts of me, the lighter the “burden” of not working as a writer weighed on me. And I became much, much happier. - Upper Level TV Writer
Are you still writing? Are you still taking ideas you love and turning them into stories that might resonate with others? And if you’ll keep writing, even if you have to take other work, because writing is a thing you need to do… then yes, you’re a writer. A working writer is a specific thing – someone who is currently collecting pay for their work. I think about Marc Cherry saying he had lost everything post “Golden Girls,” how he was at a point where he couldn’t get a job or sell a project. Then he wrote “Desperate Housewives” and it restarted his career. He was always a writer… he was just a writer without a buyer. But most importantly: he was writing. Writers write. They write because they don’t know how not to write. So if you’re still writing, you’re a writer. - TV Showrunner
Yes. If writing is what you’re called to do, it doesn’t matter whether you’re paid for it right now (or ever!); you’re still a writer. Simply living life is part of the writing process, so whatever experiences you’re having — meeting people, working less-than-desirable jobs — are worthwhile and in service of your future projects. - Lower Level TV Writer
Absolutely. Don’t let the pay check define your talent. You are more than your labor; you are an artist. A creative who sees the world in a brilliant, unique way. A truth teller whose ideas will impact society and change minds. Writing is a call to action, a desire to connect to our humanity. Every line of dialogue you imagine, every character you ruminate on, every story you have to tell - THAT is what makes you a writer. Remind yourself daily that you are worthy of this honor. Surround yourself with other artists who approach the craft with the same passion and conviction. Practice kindness with yourself, especially during these difficult economic times. Now more than ever, we need writers like you. - Upper Level TV Writer
TTIE was so grateful to receive this vulnerable question. The tension between creativity, identity, and commerce is at the core of so much of our work. This resonated with everyone who heard it – writers of all levels. In fact, it inspired us to change part of our organization’s description. Rather than identify TTIE as a group of “working” writers, we now choose to say we are a group of “professional” writers. As so many of our respondents have shared, it is not employment that determines your identity as a writer. And it is not employment status that endows our members with the care and expertise they bring to TTIE’s work. - Maha Chehlaoui - Program Director, TTIE.