Journal #2 What does it mean to be a writer?

When reading the letters of the citizens who lived in Shenandoah National Park, it was clear to see that many of them did not receive a formal education on how to write, or spell for that matter.  Even though a large majority of these citizens did not poses the basic skills that any professional writer may have, that does not necessarily mean that they are not writers.  I believe that because they were able to transfer their thoughts and opinions to a particular matter through the written language, then they should all be considered to be writers.  The people of Shenandoah National Park were able to articulate why they believed they should be able to stay in the house that they were living in at the time, or why they should be moved into a particular house of their liking.

            To me being a writer doesn't mean that you have to necessarily make money or get published for your work.  To me being a writer simply means that you have the ability to writer.  This does not mean that you must use perfect grammar or spell every word correctly, which is why I still consider the authors of the various letters to be writers, it just means that the message that you are trying to send to the reader can be understood.  I believe that any person who has a basic understanding of language and some form of writing ability is a writer.  I also believe that there is a huge difference in being a writer and being a good writer.  The people of Shenandoah National Park were clearly not good writers.