Often, people use the titles as if they were the same. Actually, they aren’t. Both convey a thought either on paper or keypad. The two titles can use a certain amount of creativity. As I said, IN MY OPINION, that’s where the similarity ends.
Honestly, any Tom, Dick or Jane can write to some degree. We learn how to write at an early age even though all elementary schools don’t teach cursive writing like they did when I went. I admit there are children now who because of that fact, leave elementary school without the desire to write even a paragraph, let alone an essay.
To become an Author, in my opinion, you must first become a writer. A writer begins with a want to share something with others even if it may be someone else’s material first. Yes, it is okay to re-write other people’s writings as long as you give credit to whom it is due. One way to get around the credit issue is to put another writer’s material in your own words. I call that editing/ paraphrasing. The more you try this, the more confidence you begin to develop in your own writing skills.
An Author is someone who creates thoughts that convey a story or material that would provide something to enlighten readers with. You might like or prefer fiction as I do. This style of writing takes advantage of you creative skills. A non-fiction writer digs deep into truths or facts. Research is a key, unless you’re writing about yourself. I often say, with a smile, that I am primarily a fiction writer because I can’t tell the truth. Actually, I like to mix fiction with non-fiction. I believe it adds an avenue of realism to the storyline.
To conclude, all this is why I use this motto for J.W. Creative Writer. To be a writer you must write, to become an author you must create so therefore Think with the Mind and Write from the Heart!
J.W.