What Type of Writer Are You?

No One Speaks to Me

No one speaks to me in the shower. I do not have the voice of a person like Delores Price that talks to me in the shower like author Wally Lamb did when he wrote the novel, "She's Come Undone."

Nor do I wake up in the morning to find a young Japanese girl introducing herself to me like Ruth Ozeki did, after which she subsequently wrote the award-winning book, " A Tale For the Time Being." I don't do very well with writing about things that aren't true and about characters that I have to make up. So apparently, I am not a fiction writer.

Other Categories of What I am Not

I am not a screenwriter either. Although my daughter is currently in college studying this very profession, I have no interest in writing dialog for characters for film or television. I don't write comedy, so I don't think I would fare well in television land anyway.

I am not a song writer. Although I do write poetry from time to time, I can't imagine this poetry being put to music, and I don't write catchy, repeated phrases that might work as a chorus.

There are many different types of writers in the world, and until I recently started writing for HubPages, I had no idea there were that many categories of writers. But there are, and the categories include:

• bloggers
• food writers
• review writers
• technical writers
• poetry writers
• copywriters
• television writers
• screenwriters
• comedy writers
• speech writers (usually political)
• fiction writers
• creative non-fiction writers

One of these categories was a category new to me until I delved into this world of writing professionally. It is called, 'creative non- fiction" writers and I do believe that is the category I fall into.

Copy Writer by Default but Not by Choice

Now don't get me wrong, I do enjoy writing a poem now and then. And I do copy writing for Textbroker, but that is different. While copywriting is considered non- fiction, it is not always all that creative. Sometimes it gives basic facts in a pleasant way. And it is not really who I am if I am honest with myself. Copywriting usually has a marketing flair to it, so I write for others who need words to sell something or convince others of something. But that type of writing is more of a necessity, not a choice at this point. Sometimes I enjoy it, but then depending on the topic, sometimes I don't like it at all.

I don't really enjoy doing research on modular homes and then trying to convince others that they are wonderful. I have no real interest in water heaters and researching the best type of water heater on the market. I write copy to earn money so that I can tell people I am trying to break into the writing field and am currently earning money at it.

So, Exactly What Type of Writer Am I?

But now I know that the type of writing where my heart lies is in creative non-fiction. You may be wondering what creative non-fiction actually is? Well, according to the founder of the online magazine, "Creative Non-Fiction," it is "true stories, well told." I love the sound of that.

All my life I have wanted to write. My mother has told me since I was young that I should write a book. I think fiction is what she had in mind. But that's never what I had in mind.

I have wanted to tell stories of others, and do it in a way that reaches in and touches people's hearts. I want to tell encouraging and uplifting stories of people who have struggled, and who have made it or made a difference in the lives of others. And those stories, once I finish writing them will fall into the category of Creative Non- Fiction. I am working toward that end now. But it was quite exciting to discover this elusive category because I never knew how to describe the type of writer I am, or at least hoped to be.

It feels good now to know where I belong.

Are you a writer? If you have gotten to the bottom of this article, the chances are that you also are a writer. What type of writer are you? Please leave a comment below if you are a writer and let us know in which of these categories you belong.