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@ethryndal – Great thoughts! Totally agree.

@kate – Yes! Love what you said about humility and following God in it. Such good reminders. Thanks 🙂

@eden-anderson

I think you might have answered your own question… 😉 You said:

 I can’t really imagine myself not coming up with stories and writing them down.

This is huge. This is a gut-level, “I can’t help but write” kind of writer passion. To me, that makes you a writer.

I pursued two other careers before finally admitting I really wanted to do this writing thing. Even then, I wondered. But writing was always the one thing I wanted to do. It’s taken me seven years (or so) working on one novel before I felt ready to tackle a second (still not even started yet). But I’m learning and growing–and writing (or preparing to do so…whatever 😉 ).

Regarding gifting, I believe there are various types of writer gifting: some are better at action, some at characters, some at plot, etc. But every single one has to pursue improving his/herself. Even a piano prodigy has to practice and be taught to get better!

The original first chapter of my finished novel was HORRIBLE. Full of backstory, not much emotion that the reader could pick up on, awkward, etc. But when people told me what to fix, I did. I read books and applied them. I got better. Then (years and years later), when a couple guys read my book in 2-3 days, or stayed up till 2am to finish it, it’s like, “Okay, that’s progress!” It took a ton of work to get there, but it was so worth it! And I still have so much to learn.

It’s not about where you start, but how much you want to get better at what you do. Like Sarah was talking about.

Also, just for kicks, here’s a list of reasons that I think (in my short acquaintance with you) that you are, indeed, a writer.
1. What you said above about not imagining not writing. Huge.
2. You’re verbose. 😉 lol I don’t think that’s just an extrovert thing. I’m an introvert, but I’m verbose when I write (case in point, this post 😛 ). I think it’s a writer thing.
3. You joined this guild. You want community, but not just any community. You want to surround yourself with others who share the same passion. It takes someone who really wants to be a writer to do that…and that desire, too, hints that you’re a writer.
4. You are emotionally open and honest. To be clear, I don’t think this is a trait limited to writers by any means, but I think it’s an essential part of doing it well. It tells me you already have some important qualities that writers need.

I’m sure there are many more, but I don’t know them yet 🙂

I shall stop being verbose now 😉 There’s my two cents for what it’s worth.