A somewhat literary or old-fashioned term for a person who writes, especially professionally. Often implies a certain dignity or traditional craft.
He had been aiming to become a writer since he was young.
あの老人は村でただ一人の物書きだった。
That old man was the only writer in the village.
物書き is a casual, sometimes self-deprecating word for a writer, while 小説家 is the neutral, specific term for a novelist.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, also common.
Abbreviated kanji spelling, less common.
Compound of 物 (もの, 'thing') + 書き (かき, 'writing'), literally 'thing-writing'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has long been used to refer to a person who writes.