A Writer, Not Necessarily an Author
Kaavya Viswanathan is a writer, defined as ‘a person who is able to write and has written something,’ which is the general definition. Further defined, ‘writes books or stories or articles or the like, professionally for pay.’
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ayn Rand, Stephen King and Anne Rice are authors, people who create an alternative reality that may or may not keep you up late at night, engrossed in imaginary worlds. The difference between a writer and an author is that a writer writes and an author originates.
All of them, whether using a Remington typewriter or Microsoft Word, are essentially creations of Johannes Gutenberg. Nearly 600 years ago, he invented movable type and the printing press.
He did not invent plagiarism, that came way before the invention of various ways to present someone else’s thoughts. Actually, it’s something we all do. Our lives are based on what we hear and read and intuit from others, whether it’s granny or dad, a teacher in school or the kid down the block. It’…