writerly

[ rahy-ter-lee ]

adverb

1. characteristic or typical of an author, especially a professional one.
2. markedly literary.

writerly

/ ˈraɪtəlɪ /

adjective

1. of or characteristic of a writer; literary

Word History and Origins

Origin of writerly¹

First recorded in 1955–60; writer ( def ) + -ly ( def )

Example Sentences

Allen’s writerly eccentricities vary from song to song.

From Los Angeles Times

“Some of the wildest moments that just feel like they’re writerly flights of fancy are actually correct,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The book has some nice writerly moments.

From Los Angeles Times

Movies often struggle with conveying writerly inspiration, but these swatches earnestly make good on a potent quote of O’Connor’s that Hawke opens with: “I’m always irritated by people who imply that writing fiction is an escape from reality. It is a plunge into reality and it’s very shocking to the system.”

From Los Angeles Times

It’s also the Swift who can’t help gathering writerly details for her next song, and the Swift who’s very deliberately planting autobiographical clues and Easter eggs for the fans to find.

From New York Times