reference vs writing

reference and writing both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
reference	Yes	No	Yes	No
writing	Yes	No	No	No

reference (noun)	writing (noun)
the act of referring or consulting	the activity of putting something in written form
the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to	the act of creating written works
the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to	the work of a writer; anything expressed in letters of the alphabet (especially when considered from the point of view of style and effect)
a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability	letters or symbols that are written or imprinted on a surface to represent the sounds or words of a language
a remark that calls attention to something or someone	(usually plural) the collected work of an author
a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage
a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts
an indicator that orients you generally
a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to
(computer science) the code that identifies where a piece of information is stored

reference (verb)	writing (verb)
refer to