Aging Experience

Warning: Rant Ahead!

Lately, two things have been running around in my head- both coincided to one another. I am only 19 years old. Yes, shocker for those of you who don't know me, considering that I am well aversed with my writing. That was a joke. And a bad one, I know. But as it is, I have been looking at the writer's world and have seen that most published authors, while being amazing that they are and envy-worthy, have at least 3-6 years on me. If not more. Their experience level is usually through the roof and their connections... let me tell you...

What does this mean for me? I ask myself constantly.

Even at a young age, people ask you... "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Even now, they ask me "What do you plan on majoring in?" or they tell me, "Oh, you want to be a writer?"

Is it wrong to answer, "No. I AM a writer, ma'am."? Because that is truly, how I view myself. I may not be published, I may not be in my late twenties, and I may NEVER get published, but I AM a writer. I write. I work insanely hard to make it good. I ask for feedback, etc. I've BEEN writing since I was 12 years old. I love books and my life seems to revolve around them. Why can't I have that title?

It seems that people don't want to call you a writer unless you actually have something published. For instance, if your parents tell someone that you ARE a writer, they immediately are asked what you have written and where they can find it. But if they tell someone that you WANT to be a writer, then they coo about how lovely that is and how ONE DAY they'd like to read what you write. As if, I'm not already writing. As if the idea of my book on shelves is such a far and distant dream.

Well, I'm here to disclaim all of that nonsense. If you write. And you enjoy writing. And you DO have a far off dream of being published one day. Then damnit people, you're a writer. Take the title because it's yours.

Age and experiene won't come by being published. It comes by writing whenever you can, however you can, and learning by your mistakes. Writing and rewriting and rewriting and editing and then rewriting AGAIN. Experience and connections? They won't get you anywhere unless you have a finished book. So, get to it.

Okay... pep talk to myself over.

P.S. To all those lovely writers who are anywhere from a day to several years older than me and have experience and connections galore... You're amazing! Please sprinkle your writer's fairy dust my way!