Beginner Writers or Transitional Writers? Terminology and the hidden sense.

I’ve named this particular set of my blog articles (remember, I’m just beginning my blogging career so there aren’t that many articles yet) for the beginner writer - but you know what?  I don’t like that term, ‘Beginner’. It smacks of someone way down the ladder. It suggests a hesitant person taking a trembling step on the second or third rung and looking up at the smiling faces of those already on the top platform - the writing arena - with publishing contracts, good sales figures and encouraging reviews.

They were on the same ladder too, at one point (some trembling, some confident, it doesn’t matter what characteristics they hid or portrayed - you’re not alone on that wobbling rung of a well-trod, aged ladder because there will be many more after you). Phew - your cue to sigh in relief.

If you think of yourself as a beginner, let me put you straight (since I’ve discovered this wonderful new way of thinking and have access to my own blog) - you don’t have to think of yourself as a beginner. You’re simply starting out. Beginning.

Let’s take a look at snippets from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Thesaurus:

Beginner

            Novice; apprentice; freshman; newcomer; novitiate; rookie; tenderfoot

Gives the impression of trembling, doesn’t it?

Beginning

            The first part or stage of a process or development

Beginning impresses more than Beginner. Yes? No trembling, just courage and enthusiasm.

Now let’s take a look at the synonyms of Beginning

            birth; commencement; dawn; onset; opening; outset; start

What words stand out for you?  For me - apprentice; process; development; commencement; dawn; outset. All of my favourites come from Beginning. I don’t mind the word apprentice from Beginner, because that’s what we all are - students (no matter how many good reviews and publishing contracts people have, they still bend and weave and learn, that’s how they stay on top) - and we wouldn’t have become students without having common sense, discipline and an artistic leaning in the first place … would we?

We can but try - but we have to can-but-try very damn hard. You have to work solidly and consistently, and toughen up - not for others, but for yourself, because as I’ve said before - you are already a writer. This is the opening of your journey, the onset of your chosen career path, the start and apprenticeship of the process you have decided to embark on.

Back to Merriam-Webster:

Transitional

            - adj. involving or characterized by passage from one stage, condition, or state to   another.

            Syn. transitive, transitory

            Related developing, evolving; altering, changing, shifting

I’m going to change the name of my Tips for Beginner Writing blog posts to Tips for the Transitional Writer

If you have a better phrase for my blog posts - I’d love to hear them (sensible ones, I beg you).

I’m happy to keep changing it, until it’s right.

Keep shifting!  Keep writing!

Jennie