How to reveal yourself in your writing.

 

As a writer, I’ve noticed other writers struggle with how to put more of themselves into their work. There are gazillions of writers out there. Copywriters. Novelists. Bloggers. And more starting every day. So in a sea of competition, you’ve got to stick out more than an electric eel.

You need to explore and showcase:

-Your unique point of view.
-Your writing style.
-Your own personal stories.

All of these things influence your message.

There’s just one problem with all of that: for some, sharing this information is more terrifying than confronting a great white shark.

Being yourself and stripping naked for your readers sounds wonderful. But hoping your readers still love you afterwards is what’s scary. They might not. Or worse, you could end up being someone’s stalker-licious victim.

Fortunately, I’ve turned revealing personal details in your writing into an art form without seeming silly, pathetic, or just plain giving out too much information. Here are three ways to do this.

Partial or full frontal?

Everyone has their own definition of naked. What you need to do is decide how much personal “skin” you’re willing to reveal.

Sit down. Pull out your shiny new notebook. And write down exactly what you will and what you will not share with your readers.

Don’t wing it: establish this barrier immediately.

Perhaps you’ll talk about old high school friends, but not your current, adult friends. Perhaps you’ll talk about your dog, but not your vindictive cat. Perhaps you’ll talk about your siblings, but your parents are off limits.

Decide exactly where you draw the line, and live by that.

Expose yourself.

Everyone’s got secrets. They’re somewhere lurking in the dismal shadows. They could be:

-Your sexual orientation.
-Questionable business deals you’ve made.
-That time you cursed out your child.

If it’s out there, someone will find it.

Remember, always tell your own story. If there’s a juicy secret out there, tell it first. Don’t wait around for someone else to break the news. Spill the beans, be honest, admit you did wrong, and move on.

Plume naked.

Some people aren’t ready to reveal themselves. Pseudonyms are a great idea if you’re going to strip naked for your audience, but are hesitant.

Remember, some really famous people communicated their intensely personal messages without using their government names. If using a pseudonym gives you the courage to let your readers see through to the real you, then go for it!

Also, muddy the details. Fabricate the unimportant stuff such as race, age, weight, height. This way you can keep the emotional details intact. Emotional details are what’s important, not your hair color.