Notes on Writing and Identity

In what ways is what you write linked to your identity? Are the two inseparable? Is what you write an example of who you are? Read more, then see today’s writing prompt at the bottom of this post.

Would it be true to say that you are what you write? Or that what you write exemplifies your personality and who you are? Part of me says, yes, of course. And the other part of me says, no, not necessarily. 

For example, for years I wrote hundreds of pieces of marketing material and various forms of print and online content for clients. When I wrote those things, I had to write from the perspective of my clients (who came from a wide variety of industries) and their potential or existing consumers or customers. And quite often, I was not part of either of their demographics, although the copy I wrote was successful and generated more traction and revenue. Yet I never felt like writing those materials was part of my identity. At least, not all the time. As a person running her own writing business, I suppose it was easier for me to understand and anticipate what they would want me to write, and what their business concerns were. But other than that, provided with enough data and research and testimonials, I felt comfortable writing about nearly any product or service without ever feeling like what I was writing was attached to my own personal identity. In other words, I didn’t always feel personally tied to what I was writing, which in retrospect makes a ton of sense. 

Likewise, when I was in college and grad school, I didn’t always feel personally tied to the things that I was writing. I suppose the intensely inquisitive side of my personality was on display when I wrote academic papers, but quite often the topics I was writing about would seem detached from me after a while and I would start feeling like I was participating in intellectual gymnastics games that were being held outside of myself and the real world in which real people lived, and I became bored. It was interesting to write those papers for a while, but they ultimately left me feeling a bit hollow, personally. So, I never felt as if those papers fully encapsulated who I was as a person, or as if they showcased my identity, aside from offering me an opportunity to showcase my inquisitive nature. 

However, when I eventually started writing more fiction on my own, I started seeing more of my identity in what I wrote. I started seeing complex characters I could relate to, and worlds that seemed more real to me somehow. And I began to experience how my writing could demonstrate my personality, or a feeling that I was having at a particular moment, even if it was subconsciously done and often fleeting. A piece of fiction I wrote a year ago may not capture exactly how I see myself right now but will likely display more realistic snippets of what I was feeling then, who I was then, and what I cared about then. And I am sure there will be consistencies in the fiction I write over the years as well, that will highlight parts of my character and identity. Right?

So, now I wonder: Does writing fiction allow one to express themselves more authentically and holistically than writing nonfiction does? Does it showcase their identity better, in other words? 

When you write nonfiction, there is usually a structure to follow, data and facts to convey, rhetoric to include for an argument being made— even if you’re writing in an entertaining and engaging voice, and even if you’re writing about your own life or ideas. But when you’re writing fiction or writing creatively, outside of such structures and confinements, perhaps who you really are and what you really care about shines through more brightly, even if it only captures the you that you were in a specific moment in time.  

I will likely add to this draft in the future, as I continue to explore this topic. Stay tuned… 

“Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

What do you think about this topic? Leave a comment to join this dialogue, then share this post with others so they can join the dialogue too. 

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© All Rights Reserved by K.E. Creighton; Creighton’s Compositions LLC.

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Today’s Writing Prompt