Wrights and wrongs

Note to those of you who haven't yet joined the bloggerhood: If you can't rule the world, having your own blog is definitely the next best thing. You may not be able to effect any big changes, but at least you can complain in public, get a couple of gratifying amens, and feel better about things. Here's an example:

Flammable and inflammable should not mean the same thing. You're all with me on that, right? Inflammable should mean "not flammable". Why doesn't it? And who do we see about getting that corrected?

Here's something else that's wrong with the English language: People who write plays are called playwrights, but people who write novels are simply called novelists. Do you see the problem? "Wright" is a word that suggests skill and craftsmanship. Why do people who write plays get that wonderfully descriptive job title while we who write books are merely "people who write books"? Does it require more skill to write a play than a book?

Considering how hard I worked to sell my second novel and considering the revisions I'm working on even now to please my editor, I believe I will strike a blow for book authors everywhere and start calling myself a bookwright. Because if this stuff I've been doing isn't highly skilled labor, I sure don't know what is.