There is a book I thoroughly enjoyed called The World According to Garp written by John Irving in which the main character Garp makes a distinction between the reader and writer. I think about it often and whenever I do I wonder into which classification we usually fall in.
For me, I can't call myself a writer because I don't take writing as a hobby or potential career seriously. But what if I did? How much would I improve if I scrutinized my writings? I would probably end up disliking writing altogether if that were the case; which is perhaps why I don't take it seriously and only do it for fun.
I only do two forms of writing: fictional prose and scholarly essays. Never have I written the latter for fun. I don't think most people would anyway, unless they're getting compensated or if they are a student. In fact, I think it would be a fair assumption to say that the majority of scholarly writings are done by students at the university. I don't like this assumption and stereotype, because I love doing the research that is necessary before the actual writing.
So what is it that keeps me from writing scholarly essays for pleasure? Who knows. Thinking about doing research for a new paper for fun makes me feel both excited and tired.
On the other hand, I definitely don't think of myself as a hardcore reader. I'm not like the people out there that can sit down and just soak up a book like a sponge. I get jealous of you people with that awesome ability of moving through a big novel like it's no big deal.
I'm slow with books. I often have to stop, reflect, write something down, then read the same passage again. If I read merely for the plot then perhaps I would read faster, but I can't even begin to force myself to do such a thing; though I have tried a number of times.
It may seem silly to try and tag oneself as either a reader or writer, but the answer just might come to you if you ask yourself, Why do I read? You'll understand where I'm coming from if you struggle with choosing one answer over another.