authors?

"By the way, I love your screen name.:)"

Thank you most kindly. As with so much in life, there is a story that goes with it. Some other day.

Your screen name is pretty cool too!

"How did you end up in Florida, clear on the other side of the country, if you don't mind me asking?"

Uncle Sam's Canoe Club (US Navy, right out of high school). Let me out in Norfolk VA, made my way south via a three year stop in South Carolina, to spend time with my Dad's Grandmother before she passed. Grandpa passed last year, Grandma lives about two hours away. Never thought I'd end up in Florida (or the deep south), but you just never know what the Big Man upstairs has in mind.
 
Well, as far as my screen name goes, I've been told so many times by so many people that I have "an attitude", I figured I'd just own it rather than trying to deny it - even though I don't really have an attitude all that often, really. It's just that some people in real life out here interpret my disagreement with them as having an attitude.:) Oh, well.

I wondered if maybe the military had played a part in your travels. It seems to for a lot of people. You're absolutely right about never dreaming where you'll end up living. I swore up and down all the years I was growing up that I would not live in this valley. But here I am.:D
 
littlemissattitude said:
Well, as far as my screen name goes, I've been told so many times by so many people that I have "an attitude", I figured I'd just own it rather than trying to deny it - even though I don't really have an attitude all that often, really. It's just that some people in real life out here interpret my disagreement with them as having an attitude.:) Oh, well.

I wondered if maybe the military had played a part in your travels. It seems to for a lot of people. You're absolutely right about never dreaming where you'll end up living. I swore up and down all the years I was growing up that I would not live in this valley. But here I am.:D
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Welcome to Fresno, the red-headed stepchild of California cities!

P.S. Hope you enjoy shaky ground!
P.P.S. That's what you get for swearing!:D
 
juantoo3 said:
Welcome to Fresno, the red-headed stepchild of California cities!

P.S. Hope you enjoy shaky ground!
P.P.S. That's what you get for swearing!:D
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Yeah, but at least Fresno is only the red-headed stepchild; Firebaugh is the armpit - and if you ever made it out there you know that for sure (I spent a couple of summers out there when I was a kid - awful, awful, awful, with absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, to do but keep in out of the heat).

Used to shaky ground - when the 1971 Sylmar quake hit southern California, I only lived about 10 miles from the epicenter as the crow flies. I don't like having that kind of alarm clock. :eek: Here in the valley, we only felt the recent quake on the coast very slightly - in fact, I didn't realize that it was a quake I had felt until I heard it reported on the news a few minutes later.

Yeah, I know. But every once in a while those little swear-words slip out, as hard as I try to not use them. But I'm much better than I used to be.:D
 
littlemissattitude said:
Yeah, but at least Fresno is only the red-headed stepchild; Firebaugh is the armpit - and if you ever made it out there you know that for sure (I spent a couple of summers out there when I was a kid - awful, awful, awful, with absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, to do but keep in out of the heat).
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I've been thru Firebaugh. My aunt used to live in Biola, west of Fresno off of Shaw ave, about 20 miles out. Nothing but grapevines. At least it was then. Stayed with her the summer we moved up. I know a little about nothing to do.

Used to shaky ground - when the 1971 Sylmar quake hit southern California, I only lived about 10 miles from the epicenter as the crow flies. I don't like having that kind of alarm clock. :eek: Here in the valley, we only felt the recent quake on the coast very slightly - in fact, I didn't realize that it was a quake I had felt until I heard it reported on the news a few minutes later.
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Ohmigosh! I went thru the Sylmar quake! I was a little further away, in Rosemead. That was the one that decided for me that I didn't want to stay in CA. Disagreeable politics is just an added bonus.

Yeah, I know. But every once in a while those little swear-words slip out, as hard as I try to not use them. But I'm much better than I used to be.:D
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The universal IS caught me on that one too. I laughed my butt off for three days at the name of a city, like "what kind of hick name is that! Six months later I was living in Rock Hill, SC. I don't pick fun like that anymore...
Of course, I wonder if that could be used to my advantage. TAHITI, what kind of hick name is that?!!
 
You really think it'll work? Ooh, let me try. What kind of silly name for a city is Florence? I mean Italy ought to have more romantic place names than that.

Okay. Now all I've got to do is wait, right?:D
 
littlemissattitude said:
You really think it'll work? Ooh, let me try. What kind of silly name for a city is Florence? I mean Italy ought to have more romantic place names than that.

Okay. Now all I've got to do is wait, right?:D
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That's a great start, but don't forget the "laugh your butt" off part...:D

It doesn't hurt to emphatically add the word "never" to your disparaging remarks, but ya gotta say it like ya mean it...
 
Well, I guess I'm an aspiring author (with no discipline ;) ). I write mostly homour and YA.

If any of you guys are interested in publishing your stuff and get tips and whatnot, you could check out this forum that I post at: http://www.forumer.com/index.php?mforum=writers

It's basically advice, tips, support, discussion and, of course, adresses to publishers and advice on where to send your stuff.
 
Vajadhara, YA stands for Young Adult, I believe.

I have been an aspiring writer/author in the past. I still certainly enjoy writing, but right now my writing efforts are channelized into work, the occasional journal entry, and forums like this one. I spent quite some time after graduating college sending poems off to various publications and amassing rejection letters, and I've eased off on the poetry writing and submissions as it seems to be an exercise in emotional masochism. ;) I've also written some short stories and enjoy writing essays. I've had various pieces published in local publications.
 
pardon my ignorance... what's YA?
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I'm so sorry, I've been talking about writing and stuff for so long that I use the abbrevations automatically. Like Pathless said, it's short for Young Adult.
 
Again: Authors or writers?

12-18-2003, 03:58 PM

Authors or writers? Post #16

Susma Rio Sep
Senior Member

Joined: Nov 2003


Is there a difference between an author and a writer?

Susma Rio Sep
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I have not received so far any contributions here directly on the difference between an author and a writer.

So I might as well answer my own query:

A writer is one who puts in words other people's ideas. For example, the advertising copywriter, the technical manual writer, a textbook writer.

An author is one who puts in words his own ideas. For example, Christians believe that God is the author of the Bible, Machiavelli is the author of The Prince, Asimov is the author of {i]The Three Laws of Robotics.

Of course many people essentially put into words of their own choice and arrangements the ideas already authored by others; and they are writers, not authors.

Authors need not always produce new ideas, but they must introduce at least a different way of looking at prevailing ideas.

Most people do writing basically, present company not exempted.

Susma Rio Sep
 
An author is someone who has written something (a novel usually), a writer is someone who writes (or tries to). An author is a writer, but a writer is not always an author. I think.
 
More education for me

Johanna said:
An author is someone who has written something (a novel usually), a writer is someone who writes (or tries to). An author is a writer, but a writer is not always an author. I think.
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Thanks, Joh; I can accept that also, it adds to my education.

Susma Rio Sep
 
Why bother writing here?

Susma Rio Sep said:
I have not received so far any contributions here directly on the difference between an author and a writer.

So I might as well answer my own query:

A writer is one who puts in words other people's ideas. For example, the advertising copywriter, the technical manual writer, a textbook writer.

An author is one who puts in words his own ideas. For example, Christians believe that God is the author of the Bible, Machiavelli is the author of The Prince, Asimov is the author of The Three Laws of Robotics.

Of course many people essentially put into words of their own choice and arrangements the ideas already authored by others; and they are writers, not authors.

Authors need not always produce new ideas, but they must introduce at least a different way of looking at prevailing ideas.

Most people do writing basically, present company not exempted.

Susma Rio Sep
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And Johanna adds:

An author is someone who has written something (a novel usually), a writer is someone who writes (or tries to). An author is a writer, but a writer is not always an author. I think.
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I can see that we are not propounding new ideas here. (Well, if someone is, let's hear from him about his new ideas.)

Authors of novels, if any here, would you like to put your works in the Internet for free reading? -- but not here, not enough space...

What are we guys here doing, when we are not propounding new ideas and not of course installing pages and pages of our novels, in these boards here? (Someone here runs a column down below. What do you other guys think, Is he an author or a writer?)

For my part, in writing about fundamentally hand-me-down ideas, and receiving reactions from others here, I get to understand more faithfully these ideas, their strengths and their weaknesses, their merits and their demerits. And I get a chance to work my brain cells. Use them or lose them.

Susma Rio Sep
 
I'm on the other end of the biz ... I'm an editor ... but for medical texts. (Put your manuscript away, please ;)).

In my free time, and solely for personal satisfaction, I write poetry. Really bad poetry. But it helps channel the excess ego energy ...
 
Johanna said:
I'm so sorry, I've been talking about writing and stuff for so long that I use the abbrevations automatically. Like Pathless said, it's short for Young Adult.
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Namaste Johanna,

thank you and pathless for the explanation :)

it has taken me a long time to quit using abbreviations that seem so clear to me yet are confusing to others... i've really had to learn that lesson well on the 'net since folks are coming from all over the world and may not have the same common background of knowledge that i have.
 
I suppose I am still aspiring, although I have one book in production now with a print-on-demand publisher. It will take a lot of work to progress that way. The POD is still waiting for me to submit a second manuscript that I have been taking my sweet ol' time editing.

We'll see how well this works out for me, I guess. Since I have plenty of other ideas, not to mention complete drafts of some work, I can always try traditional publishers again later, I hope.

I write mostly fantasy, although I have plans for one hard sci-fi epic. The book I'm publishing may be of some interest here, although since I've been perusing the forum I've discovered I have more to learn. The story is supposed to express an eclectic spiritual philosophy, and there are characters from several different cultural/religious backgrounds. Now I know the story is not quite so "inclusive" as I had planned, but I still think it's pretty good.

Of course, I am definitely biased on this point!

I've wanted to write since I was very young (about 9), after I read the Lord of the Rings.
 
I'm on the other side of the business ... I'm an editor by profession. Medical stuff, although I've done some "work" for friends.

And I write poetry in my spare time. Does that make me an author? Or just hopelessly self-absorbed? :p

With metta,
Zenda
 
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