For a very long time I have wanted to be an author. By some definitions, I already am. I have written my fair share of short stories, novels (which, if I have my way, will never see the light of day), and half-assed academic work. I would not give myself the title of author because I have not had the guts to attempt to publish any of these works, but others would not make this distinction. I feel as though I do not have the authority to grant myself such a prestigious title, so I always just call myself a writer. However, as a fan of words and their meanings, it is very intriguing that the word “author” is at the forefront of the word “authority”, almost as if a true author must have authority. After all, the author does not tell you what the character might do or could have done. They tell you what they did. Authors must often act as an unfeeling Old-Testament style God who enacts their will upon their unsuspecting and innocent victims (the characters). Similarly, people often imply that God may have created human beings out of sheer loneliness. Some could argue that many writers do this as well. In this way, to be a good writer one must believe entirely in their own unquestionable authority over their creations. Every good writer/author must, in a way, be God. With all of the same authority (and none of the responsibility) that comes with the title.
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