That IS the question.
Whether or not I should be a semi-anonymous blogger or a 100% public blogger. And the answer? Yeah, I’ve got no clue.
I think there are pros and cons to both choices.
Semi-Anonymous
I’ve never been interested in being a completely anonymous blogger. I’m too narcissistic for that. I like posting pictures of me and my friends, talking about the stuff I do all day long, the thoughts I think, etc. So, there is no need to even consider complete anonymity. Semi-anonymity has its perks though. The thing is, I’m comfortable in semi-anonymity. Very comfortable. The people who I wanted to know about my old blog did, and while I never hid the fact that I blogged… I also never publicized it. I liked that I felt relaxed enough to share things I wouldn’t just come out and announce on Facebook. I had my own little niche of friends and followers, and I was happy with that.
But what I learned is that some people who you don’t want to read your blog, will by chance end up finding their way there regardless. I learned that sometimes it will drive you even more nuts to always wonder who’s out there reading. Major paranoia.
100% Public
There are a lot of reasons I’m interested in having a completely public blog. First, I’m a graduate student getting my MFA in creative writing- nonfiction. Now if you think about this, I really need to start embracing the fact that my writing will one day be pretty public. So why not start getting accustomed to it now by sharing my blog?
And there is something else too…when I was semi-anonymous over at my old site, and people I knew found out about my blog, they’d always react like there was something “wrong” or “weird” about blogging. I didn’t like that one bit. I don’t think its for everyone, but I do feel that going public will open up a lot more of my friends minds as to what blogging really looks like.
I think I’m leaning toward reinventingerin being a personal blog that is 100% public.
Although, I think that requires a bit of an explanation.
I do not want anyone to expect this blog to be a representation of my professional work. I don’t want there to be a confusion as to the fact that I am writing about real life personal things on this blog AND that I am also a professional nonfiction writer. Because those two facts are completely separate from each other. Now, I’m assuming someone out there is thinking“You’re being naive, Erin. Anything you post on the internet will be a reflection of your professional life.” Well, of course! You are correct. Which is why, if I do chose to have this become a completely public blog, I need to really consider the image I am projecting with all of my posts. That is on me. The good thing, is that I truly am beginning to accept and appreciate that not everyone is going to love me and not everyone is going to agree with my opinions and not everyone is going to approve of what I write here.
And again, to clarify one more time…what I write on this blog will reflect my personal life. A professional website is in the works. I promise.
But the idea of being public and easily accessible is just so scary to me! How do kyla, doniree and all the other wonderful bloggers that I love do it?
I’m public because I’m writing for myself. I’m chronicling my life in an anthology/memoir of sorts for myself. I want to one day look back and tell myself, “look how I’ve grown and look at the adventures I’ve had.”
I know I write for myself, but I also want to bring you all along for the journey. Because traveling alone can get lonely, but having friends to share stories and laugh with is well worth it.