Do You Have a Writing Persona?
One of the great things about writing as opposed to speaking is that we can take time to think out exactly what we want to say and what words we want to use. We can also go back and edit our words if they don't seem quite right, or clear enough.
Some people might also develop a writing persona, or a voice distinct from their true selves. If you are very shy, you might write as a person who is very outgoing, for example. In fact, you can be just about anyone or anything you want to be online.
When I write fiction, I can usually adapt different voices for my various characters quite easily, but when it comes to writing here, I tend to speak basically the same as I do in person. My thoughts might be a little better-organised, and I may be able to write up that snappy comeback that we all wish we could think of in live conversation, but for the most part, the "me" that you see in my blogs is "me". I am not terribly good at hiding my true self in these situations, but that's ok. I think that-- for me-- that's a good thing.
Do any of you choose to write as "someone else" though? Maybe you write with a thesaurus by your side, wanting to display a larger vocabulary than you would normally use. Or maybe you are bolder, braver, funnier with the written word.
What about your sites?
I have been tempted to adopt a persona for one of my sites, but thus far, I haven't because it feels somewhat disingenuous.
I'm curious about other people here. Is the "you" in print the real you?
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In many of the articles I write for others, they give me the persona I am supposed to be, so it is easy to 'change' every couple of hours, sometimes.
WYSIWYG. I say it like it is.
Thanks for an eye opener. I will give it a try as soon as I get through all the work I need to do on my site.
Hi Craig,Maybe i am naive but if i am trying to build a trusted website or anywhere where people may come for an opinion or my advice i always write as i think,To me trying to act or think like somebody else only complicates what i am trying to write about.I may not be the most eloquently spoken academic writer out there,In fact i know i am far far from it but i would always want to be respected for the person i am not for someone i am pretending to be.
All the best,Matt.
I feel the same. I want to be genuine and honest. At the same time, though, there may be times that you want to focus on different aspects of your personality.
For example, if you have one sight that is about something light and fun, you might want to write more humourously than you would on another site about business. We all have multiple facets to our personality, and there may be times when highlighting certain ones are beneficial.
Different ones for different sites?
I have a hard time staying "in character" unless I am writing stories.
Yes, Craig. It is I! I have a tendency to be a bit guarded rather than very direct. However, when it comes to writing about something I believe in, I'm all in. I too write fiction, and I try to make my characters live lives that I only wish I could live. Does this happen to you?
Well, my characters are typically all amalgams of people I know, with some element of me tossed in, but definitely, many of my characters have a greater sense of agency than I do.
The me you see is the real me! I don't ever try to sound like someone else. In fact, I get annoyed trying to write as I would talk (I guess that is due to so many, many years of writing research papers in third person!). Conversational writing is awkward for me. I am more used to scientific writing. I feel like I am not good at conveying my thoughts in first person, real-life writing! I know, it sounds ironic. I am more comfortable with academic writing.
So, I do the best I can in writing here but get frustrated when people misunderstand my meaning. I wish I could just talk to you all sometimes!
I've always found you to be quite clear and readable, so your discomfort isn't showing, at least to my eyes.
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Maybe my picture speaks other than me, lol, however, my writings are depictions of me.