{"id":151,"date":"2020-07-29T12:21:26","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T10:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sharonpaine.co.za\/?p=151"},"modified":"2020-07-29T12:42:47","modified_gmt":"2020-07-29T10:42:47","slug":"cornflake-girl-when-do-i-become-a-real-writer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sharonpaine.co.za\/?p=151","title":{"rendered":"Cornflake Girl: When do I become a real writer?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When do you know that you’re really a writer? According to my partner, it’s when you start eating cereal at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s almost lunch time and I’ve just finished a bowl of cornflakes. Despite having to shove my cat’s face out of the way to even get to my own milky-over-sugared late breakfast. Boundaries are not a strong point in our relationship. Anyway, it has me thinking about the question of “when can you actually call yourself a writer”?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve really struggled over the last 18 months to accept the role. I left a corporate job last year for a number of reasons. On the one hand, I’d suddenly become a full-time step-mom and my priorities changed over night. I was also incredibly unhappy. I’ve been petrified that I’ll get sued for saying publicly that I was so miserable at that company. I gave them 15 years of my life – most of my twenties and half of my thirties. I suppose that like an relationship, we grew apart and wanted different things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what makes me a writer? That I enjoy writing? That apparently I don’t suck at it? That my grammar is pretty ok? Honestly, I’ve felt like a fraud. I’ve had this site since last year and I’ve been afraid to promote myself at all. What changed today is that my first article came out. Like a proper, commissioned article. Not on a site that I had some sort of control over. I am so excited but also feel ashamed. I’ve wanted people to see me as successful. How can this be the first proper proper piece I’ve had published? Because it is. And I am proud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve always been a writer, the title just feels more comfortable now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why not go and have a look at this famous “first published piece<\/a>“.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When do you know that you’re really a writer? According to my partner, it’s when you start eating cereal at night. It’s almost lunch time and I’ve just finished a bowl of cornflakes. Despite having to shove my cat’s face out of the way to even get to my own milky-over-sugared late breakfast. Boundaries are not a strong point in our relationship. Anyway, it has me thinking about the question of “when can you actually call yourself a writer”? I’ve really struggled over the last 18 months to accept the role. I left a corporate job last year for a number of reasons. On the one hand, I’d suddenly become a full-time step-mom and my priorities changed over night. I was also incredibly unhappy. I’ve been petrified that I’ll get sued for saying publicly that I was so miserable at that company. I gave them 15 years of my life – most of my twenties and half of my thirties. I suppose that like an relationship, we grew apart and wanted different things. So what makes me a writer? That I enjoy writing? That apparently I don’t suck at it? That my grammar is pretty ok? Honestly, I’ve felt like a fraud. I’ve had this site since last year and I’ve been afraid to promote myself at all. What changed today is that my first article came out. Like a proper, commissioned article. Not on a site that I had some sort of control over. I am so excited but also feel ashamed. I’ve wanted people to see me as successful. How can this be the first proper proper piece I’ve had published? Because it is. And I am proud. I’ve always been a writer, the title just feels more comfortable now. Why not go and have a look at this famous “first published piece“.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[9,10,8],"class_list":["post-151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sharon-paine-blog","tag-cereal-for-dinner","tag-impostor-syndrome","tag-writer"],"yoast_head":"\nSharon Paine - Cornflake Girl: When do I become a real writer?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When do you know that you're really a writer? 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