Is Everyone an Author?

            I believe everyone is an author. Like the textbook points out, the meaning of the word author and what writing is has changed drastically over the years. I think that is the most important comment in this discussion because being an author no longer means being someone whose work has been published. Not everyone can or does produce the work of say Hemmingway or Fitzgerald, but that doesn’t mean that they are not an author. I believe that everyone has something to say, a story to tell, and thoughts to express. However they share that, whether it is in a novel, a social media post, an essay, a song, or whatever other platform, they created that piece of writing, and therefore they are an author.  Writing in general has changed just as much as what being an author means has. This is mostly due to the Internet. There will always be authors who write books and scholarly essays, but that’s not for everyone and its not the only way to write. For example, a cancer survivor can start a blog or a Facebook page to post their thoughts, words of encouragement, etc. and reach people all around the world who are going through the same thing. The Internet has created many different kinds of writing (websites, blogs, social media) and therefore is making everyone an author.