Does Writing MYLOT Discussions Make Us Writers?

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When I was at school, I was good at writing compositions. At uni I wrote papers on subjects dealing with English and Russian literature, linguistics and pedagogy. I had to hand in one more paper during my teacher training course on a Russian grammar topic I had taught in class. And that was it. From then on nobody wanted to see anything in written form from me anymore (I’m not discussing letters here, of course). It was me that told others to write something which I then checked and marked. Over the years doubts began to lurk in my mind. I always knew what was right (more often what was wrong) with my students’ compositions. But was I still capable of producing top notch stuff myself? So I write reviews/posts/opinions/discussions (each site has its own term). Does that make me a writer? Someone runs to the bus stop. Does this make them a runner? Someone sings in the shower. Does this make them a singer? No! to all three questions. I may write good posts but don’t see myself as a writer. There’s a gap between writing posts and a full-blown book, a gap I can’t bridge. In it lie: an original idea that hasn’t already been used a zillion times, a tightly knit plot, a story that holds the readers’ attention from beginning to end, well-developed characters with distinct voices, an elaborate vocabulary and the capability of using figurative speech correctly. With the exception of the last two items, you won’t find anything of this in a post on a writing site like this. Should you come across a comment like “You should write books” in someone’s comment thread - some members distribute it generously - you’ve either found an example of thoughtlessness, shameless flattery or sheer stupidity. I know of one member who’s written serious, well-received books. We can deduce that someone who can write books can also write posts. This doesn’t mean, however, that it also works the other way round. There are sites on which people who want to learn how to become writers can learn the craft and discuss what they do with like-minded people. This is a good thing. What I don’t like is members who post their serious literary attempts on an blog or opinionating site where they do not belong. If the literary attempts come in the form of poems, I usually suffer. I’ve discovered that I can endure only funny and/or silly poems on such sites. Words Or sentences Written like this Don’t make A poem. Someone writing Words Or sentences Like this Is not a poet. Published words Or sentences Written like this Are not poetry. Paper is patient.