Writing is a Lifestyle

I've run into quite a few definitions of what it means to be a writer. The most common has been "someone who writes." Should I be concerned that this self-evident definition seems to be deemed the most apropos by the majority of self-help authors?

Less frequently, I've read, "a writer is someone who writes every day." Ok. I missed a day. Now what? The intention behind this definition is good, but skipping Tuesday evening's freewrite shouldn't put the writer in danger of losing part of his self identity.

I've also read that, to claim yourself a writer, you must be published. I see the merit in claiming publication as the ultimate litmus test for "writership," but I can't think of a better way to discourage a fledgling. This particular opinion came from a successful novelist who freely admitted that for him, writing meant sitting in his office for 8-10 hours a day, slugging it out with his manuscript for months on end. I admire his tenacity and discipline, and mean to replicate it. But his definition of "writer" hardly lends a hand to the writing community.

What do I think it means to be a writer? I think I gave that away when I titled this entry. Being a writer means taking steps to market yourself; it means creating the time to read prolifically in your genre; sometimes, it means declining social invitations with the genuine reason that, "I need to go stare listlessly at my computer screen for an hour." It's being able to accept all manner of criticism and take the good (with thanks) and discard the bad (without comment). It's mulling through your current project in your head while plowing through your day job. It's critiquing other authors. It's a lifestyle.

Your writing lifestyle will be different than mine. Let me know how it goes.