Who Are You?
Sunday, March 9, 2008
I've been thinking a lot the past few days about written identity vs. our real selves. Many of my critique partners will tell you I go bat-crazy when someone messes with my voice. Why? Because my voice on the page reflects the real me struggling over the page. There's very little difference between my written identity and my real self.

To be honest, I probably would make a poor spy and an even worse superhero. Because I can't just change who I am at the drop of a hat. Unlike Clark Kent, if I slick back my hair and put on nerdy glasses, I'm still Gina...with my hair slicked back and nerdy glasses. A cape and thigh high red boots do not change my snarky sense of humor, my often too-large heart, and my love for kids and animals. (It might, however, improve my love life.) There is no brand name that will change who I am and how I see myself. This is probably why I'm not impressed with fancy homes, shoes that cost more than my first car, or purses with someone else's initials emblazoned all over the fabric. Issues that resonate with me when I'm sitting in my three-bedroom ranch house would mean just as much to me if I was a guest at a five-star resort in Tahiti. With me, what you see is what you get. For good or bad, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.

If I call you "friend"--even if I only know you online, I value you as a friend. You can trust that I'm honest with you. I don't create an online persona that isn't clearly who I am in real life. I will not pepper my speech or posts with "facts" that are not true. I will not try to manipulate you into feeling something for me with lies or innuendo. I am me. And that's enough.

Which brings me back to my writing self. All of my characters--no matter how minor, no matter their gender--have something strongly indicative of me (a manner of speaking, a quirk, a favorite memory, etc.) built into their personalities. Okay, so I admit, I'm not 5'10" with long black hair and a killer body like one or two of my heroines, but I'm not talking about looks. I'm referring, of course, to soul. Soul: the wondrous bit of one's self that should be incorruptible, constant, and unique to each individual.

How much of your soul appears in your written work? Your online life? Or are you...perhaps...a spy? Inquiring minds want to know.

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posted by Gina Ardito aka Katherine Brandon at 7:18 PM | 7 comments