Some people believe writing online isn’t “real writing”. I never gave this notion much thought until reading a post at The Writing Journey titled Why Real Writers Don’t Write On the Internet. The opening line in this well-intentioned piece includes the following:

“I’m just going to say it. Real writers wouldn’t get caught dead blogging or writing web content. By real writers, I’m talking about print writers, folks.  I call them real because, well, that’s how many of them distinguish themselves from us Internet writers.”

Now the author goes on to say he’s writing with a bit of snark when addressing the habits of “real” writers, so we have to cut the author some slack–he’s not REALLY claiming that print writers wouldn’t be caught dead writing blogs or online material. Or at least I HOPE he isn’t, because the evidence is overwhelmingly against such an idea. Neil Gaiman, William Gibson, Poppy Z. Brite and hundreds of other print writers all know the power of blogs and online writing to boost their print material. William Gibson isn’t just a scribbler of great computer-geek-centric science fiction, he’s also a contributor to Wired and other respected publications. That include online content, too. But what DOES qualify someone as a “real” writer? Continue reading What is a “Real” Writer? →