I am the Kat that Walks By Itself

You're right in many ways. If you're thought of as a BNF, then by my definition, you are one. Any many people in that category are people who've put in a lot of hard work because they value their hobby and the friends who share it with them.

It's interesting how it works in lit fandom. THere are definitely BNFs and there is an awareness that it takes a long time to become one, but they don't tend to have the same internet presence (or perhaps I'm unaware of it if they do). That goes back to the sheer age of lit fandom and the fact that it was paper based for so very long.

And writers don't tend to get the kind of adulation that actors do. (Possibly because you don't have to be pretty to be a good writer, so the lust element is removed)