... and that takes us right back to post 1. Classic.
Yep, It's a useless circular debate, and is really a matter of semantics. Without context and a set of agreed upon characteristics, there can be no singular answer. There isn’t a common set of attributes on which most would agree. I submit that these types of question are more often (but not always) bait than they are legitimate questions. Remove 'photographer' from the equation and substitute practically any craft. I'll do it, what is a 'real' writer?
I wrote this post, and I am a real person, therefore, I must be a real writer! That would be the only literal answer having put words down on (virtual) paper. But we all know that the intent of the question is asking for a qualitative, not a literal answer.
If I tell you I’ve been writing a fiction novel for years, it’s a work in progress, and not yet published, am I a ‘real’ writer?
Or,
If I tell you I’ve written a book and self-published it, am I then a ‘real’ writer? Or, does self-publishing disqualify someone as a ‘real’ writer.
Or,
If I tell say I’ve written 24 books over the years, all of them having been formally published (not self published), and the books were read by thousands, am I then considered a ‘real’ writer?
Or,
If I tell you those 24 books written over 12 years were large technical manuals about installing, programming and customizing mainframe computers written while being a full-time paid staff writer for a large multi-national corporation (which for me, is literally the case as a former technical writer) am I not a ‘real’ writer because of the type of content? Must it be available from a brick and mortar or popular online bookstore before I can be considered a 'real' writer?
Or,
Did my writing need to reach a particular level of quality, win awards, or be judged and rated by some independent literary authority to be considered a ‘real’ writer?
Maybe it would be more useful to describe the attributes/characteristics of who is NOT considered to be a real 'whatever' (fill in the blank). One of the easier answers upon which most reasonable people would agree are those who talks about doing something, but doesn’t do it. Beyond that the discussion instantly devolves when the answers are evaluative and not literal. The correct answer is in the eye of the beholder.
MFL
PS: My fiction novel is finally coming along now, but still not finished. I guess I’ll not ever be considered a ‘real’ writer until it’s published makes the NYT best seller list, even thought I've had all of those other books published. Sigghh...