We Need to Have A Talk About Writing...

My apologies for coming on too strongly. I found your definition too restrictive.

I think your statement here is best: "hat's my definition of a writer: somebody who should write because they get something they need that they can't get, as easily or as reliably, anywhere else."

And no thank you to Ayn Rand. She is evil.

As to consideration of the title "Writer" in relation to a career as a writer, that predominantly locks it in to professionals, that is people who earn their living writing. There's a lot of people that rules out, who enjoy writing, write a lot, they just can't/haven't been published.

For doctors and plumbers, it's a useful distinction that you get the title because you do it for a living. For creative types, like artists and people who write, more people get started creating on the side, if and before they ever make a living at it. I'd hate to exclude them, simply because they haven't made it big yet.

I also wouldn't discount the value of the finished product vs. the process to make it. Both have their value to different people. To me the finished product is how I dispense an idea to other people. That's the goal. So while I had a great time writing something, if nobody reads it, then I've missed my goal. Not every creator strives to have their work seen and get feedback, but just as many do as do not.