How Much Should Writers Reveal About Themselves Online?

A fellow writer and blogger, Avery K. Tingle, once asked the question: “How much do you reveal about yourself online?” It was an entire blog post, and I’m not positive I’m quoting him verbatim, but that is the general idea about which he was wondering. He had just convinced me to try blogging, and in my beginner’s spirit I answered, via blog post, that as writers we must be willing to write about anything. The trick, I said, is to ensure you’re comfortable with any consequences that may come from writing about that “anything.”

Three years later and I’m beginning to understand where Avery was coming from. I’m beginning to wonder how much to put out there. I’ve had some wonderful interactions, especially when I wrote about Westboro Baptist Church invading my hometown or Leelah Alcorn’s suicide. Then, there’s post like this, where my message got buried under anger. I received the most comments on that post, but as for decent conversation, there was next to none.

That post taught me something. You can’t write anything. Well, not if you plan on being heard. There is a fine line between shock value and honesty. I’m sure every writer worth their salt has thought about putting pen to paper in an all-out rage-fest against one or more groups they find particularly irritating. However, the good writers don’t, or at least they’re more subtle than a metaphorical atomic bomb.

So what was that about ensuring you’re comfortable with any consequences that may come, James?

The words on that post will haunt me, probably for years, perhaps my entire life. I could delete it, but why? The damage to my reputation is done. I take responsibility for not ensuring, beforehand, that what I wrote said precisely what I meant in a way others would take time to understand. That is part and parcel to the work we do- accepting responsibility for all that we reveal about ourselves.

How much should you reveal about yourself online? Whatever you’re willing to take responsibility for in the future. I’ve found my limit, what’s yours?

James Neal writes fantasy, both novel-length (Of Blood and Blade) and shorter stories (Paints the Invisible Eye).

He’s also on social media, so are peanuts, but we digress. Click to join him on:

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