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Post by Trusty on Sept 12, 2007 7:39:03 GMT -5
This is a thread about articulating what we feel about certain words. We may hear a word that may remind us of an event or a time in our lives. We have certain "takes" on certain words that others here would like to learn and questions about why we feel the way we do about the words.
For example, we could compare UK and US words, and probably will, but this should go deeper than that. There are interesting questions to be answered, not from researching a textbook, but from researching our lives.
We'll start with a question that was just sitting there in my head when I woke up this morning:
What do you feel is the difference between an "author" and a "writer"?
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Post by joew on Sept 12, 2007 8:50:09 GMT -5
Authors produce work to be received directly by the general public. Writers produce work for an employer or client. That's my feeling.
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Post by slb2 on Sept 12, 2007 8:54:57 GMT -5
Ditto
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Post by qhperson on Sept 12, 2007 19:46:06 GMT -5
"Author" has better PR.
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Post by gailkate on Sept 12, 2007 22:47:45 GMT -5
Maybe this is what Joe and slb said. Authors are published. Writers may not be, would write no matter who did or didn't read their work, and would not say, "I'm an author."
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Post by joew on Sept 12, 2007 23:05:36 GMT -5
I think, for example, newspaper reporters and op-ed columnists are writers, as are advertising copy writers.
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Post by slb2 on Sept 12, 2007 23:15:12 GMT -5
Yes, I call myself a writer. Someday I hope to be a published author. But, ya know, since I've written one children's book, I guess I am an author, too. But I don't claim it out loud. Too presumptuous.
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Post by slb2 on Sept 12, 2007 23:16:02 GMT -5
Fine then. That's settled. Next question:
What's the difference between having sex and making love.
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Post by brutus on Sept 13, 2007 4:13:18 GMT -5
Fine then. That's settled. Next question: What's the difference between having sex and making love. Having sex means that for a brief period, two bodies are united until certain urges are satisfied. Making love entails an emotional union that brings about the said union and lasts for-practically-ever after the union is completed. Best def. I could come up with. Boys wanna have sex Girls wanna make love......usually.\ ~B~ |
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Post by michael on Sept 13, 2007 6:30:00 GMT -5
"What's the difference between having sex and making love."  I like both. I want both. I need both. I, uh, er, scratch my head, uh, er, scratch the other head, is this a trick question??? Mike
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Post by Trusty on Sept 13, 2007 18:48:29 GMT -5
What's the difference between having sex and making love. I feel "having sex" describes the action while "making love" describes the motive behind the action. "Having sex" involves just the physical; "Making love" puts the mind into it - and makes one think about it. - which usually involves, or results in - a relationship. |
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Post by Trusty on Sept 13, 2007 18:53:35 GMT -5
Continued...
It's the same with being an author or a writer. A writer writes; an author creates the reason for the writing.
Next question after we express our thoughts on writer/author and have sex/make love:
What is the difference between "legal" and "lawful"?
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Post by qhperson on Sept 13, 2007 19:59:21 GMT -5
They're synonyms.
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Post by joew on Sept 13, 2007 20:55:58 GMT -5
legal: permitted by law (at least that's one sense of it)
lawful: established by law
But that can't be exactly the distinction because money is "legal tender."
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Post by brutus on Sept 13, 2007 21:13:41 GMT -5
What's the difference between having sex and making love. I feel "having sex" describes the action while "making love" describes the motive behind the action. "Having sex" involves just the physical; "Making love" puts the mind into it - and makes one think about it. - which usually involves, or results in - a relationship. I think this is a much better way of describing the two items than what I offered. I'll exalt Trusty for this one. ~B~ |
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Post by slb2 on Sept 13, 2007 23:39:23 GMT -5
Continued... It's the same with being an author or a writer. A writer writes; an author creates the reason for the writing. Nah. I'm not letting this one go.  When you say "it's the same" in reference to the having sex and making love thought, and saying the writer is akin to the having sex and the author is, in effect, making love, well, that sure diminishes what I do. I'm not an author; I'm a writer and that involves, for me, much more than just the act of putting words on paper. |
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Post by slb2 on Sept 13, 2007 23:46:34 GMT -5
I agree with Trusty, that having sex is a physical act. But I'm not so sure I'd describe making love as the motive behind the action. At least that's not how I see it. To me, making love is giving of oneself to another, all the while only thinking of the other person with whom one is engaged in the act of copulation. Or not. I guess there doesn't have to be coitus in order for a couple to make love.
I think the important part is that each half of the union is thinking of the other half, not of themselves, and that there is a sharing of self in several ways, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, and/or mental.
Well, maybe there's not too much capacity for the sharing of one's mentality beyond sharing carnal knowledge. At least not while the er, lunchbox is open.
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Post by Trusty on Sept 14, 2007 7:25:03 GMT -5
When you say "it's the same" in reference to the having sex and making love thought, and saying the writer is akin to the having sex and the author is, in effect, making love, well, that sure diminishes what I do. Perhaps I should have been more clear (I need to post when I have more time.). I didn't compare the individual words "writer" to "sex" and "author" to "love". I compared the groups "writer"/"author" to "sex"/"love" and the similarities in how they related to each other. Did I make that clearer? I don't know.  Anyway, this thread is about how you feel about the words, so there will be differences - hopefully - and why you feel the way you do. You've explained yourself very well (A writer tends to do that. ). Nice.  |
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Post by slb2 on Sept 14, 2007 8:37:08 GMT -5
What you did make clear, Trust-man, is that this thread is about how people feel about words and others' feelings are, imo, not debatable.
ty
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Post by michael on Sept 14, 2007 11:06:29 GMT -5
I think I've got it!
Writers have sex, authors make love, unless you get a group of writers together with a group of authors and they have an orgy (lawful in some states, legal in others, perhaps not).
Mike
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Post by slb2 on Sept 14, 2007 11:53:59 GMT -5
Michael, this was definitely good for an out-loud laugh. |
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Post by hermano on Sept 23, 2007 14:28:48 GMT -5
Ditto –mike.
You can have lovely authors or sexy authors. Which would you rather be?
If you can love sex why can’t you sex love?
I think sex without love can be just as bad (or just as good?) as love without sex under some circumstances.
Could we make this into a good rap song?
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Post by joew on Sept 26, 2007 12:46:52 GMT -5
It seems to me that "having sex" does not imply anything, one way or the other, about love between the parties. To me "making love" is usually simply a euphemism for "having sex;" if it is used with any different meaning, it indicates that there is actually a bond of love between the couple, which their actions (usually including having sex) should strengthen.
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Post by michael on Sept 26, 2007 17:17:56 GMT -5
Sex, if it feels good, do it! Making love means I care.
Think about this: what’s the difference between a love song and a sex song?
Mike
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Post by Gracie on Sept 28, 2007 19:49:11 GMT -5
Maybe this is what Joe and slb said. Authors are published. Writers may not be, would write no matter who did or didn't read their work, and would not say, "I'm an author." This is more what I feel. A writer writes, constantly...even if no one ever sees a word of it. An author is published, which doesn't necessarily mean it's always good quality work. I am a writer. I intend to be an author. I am doing my damndest to be sure anything published with my name on it is worthy of the title. |
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Post by gailkate on Oct 4, 2007 9:29:54 GMT -5
Doesn't GK always refer to himself as a writer? I think writing, the painstaking effort to express something perfectly or as close to perfect as one can get, is labor of love. When you get it right you want to show it to others, but just getting it right is the reward.
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Post by slb2 on Oct 4, 2007 10:52:18 GMT -5
As I read Gracie's and gailkate's responses, I think to myself that I always think of myself as a writer. And I'm published, but I'm not an author. Authors write novels and academic, scholarly works. And for me, the reward is definitely, absolutely being read by others. "just getting it right" is, no way, enough for me. |
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Post by Brit on Oct 4, 2007 12:12:46 GMT -5
I've always thought that you are a writer - other people call you an author.
A bit like the rule of thumb regarding the prefix Mr.
It is wrong to refer to myself as Mr, but anybody else can call me Mr.
If they wanted to that is.
Frequently they call me something else.
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Post by slb2 on Oct 5, 2007 0:36:40 GMT -5
Mr. Scotsman, you are an apple! And I don't mean in shape. |
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Administrator
When you say "it's the same" in reference to the having sex and making love thought, and saying the writer is akin to the having sex and the author is, in effect, making love, well, that sure diminishes what I do. 
