Writing Exposed

The best writing reveals a piece of the writer so that the reader can connect and make the content personal. Professionals might tell you to keep the private life private. Internet police remind you to hold tight to a veil of secrecy. But successful internet entrepreneurs and website owners will tell you that successful content needs some degree of personal exposure.

Getting Comfortable in Your Writing Skin

1. Maintain a level of focus. The subject matter of the website or the direction of the business will direct the level of exposure to some degree. Visitors coming to your site to learn about photography will not be interested in hearing about your last hair appointment. Keep the content that you provide relevant to the website.

2. Keep others out of your exposure. Not everyone wants their lives spread across the internet. The stories that involve others might be best kept to yourself or at least change the names (and maybe some of the circumstances) to protect the innocent and not so innocent.

3. Be honest with your words. The stories that you share should be yours and not some fictional adaptation. Reveal who you really are to your readers and they will appreciate the effort.

4. Show your mistakes. A reader may be more inclined to learn from your wrong decisions than any other information you provide. Reveal your stumbles and your triumphs. Remember to also reveal your steps that got you through the struggle to the success.

5. Uncover your vulnerabilities or inexperience. Despite what some of us think or try to present to the world, we do NOT know everything. People are more open to your opinion when they know that you are more open to learning and growing yourself.

6. Stop worrying about opinions. Honest writing (and honest living) will be hindered by the constant concern over what others think about what you are writing. Never allow the “theys” of the world to govern what you are doing. Nothing you ever do will change what others are thinking about you – only THEY can change what they think. Your content will be unique to who you are and to what your website represents. The information found on other websites should serve as guideposts and not laws.

Exposure can be scary. Too much exposure scares others while any amount of exposure can scare the one being exposed. There is no magic formula for how much you should be willing to reveal to create great content, but these tips will help you being to maneuver your way through the minefield of the written word.

Pull your content from a place of honesty, keep the content focused on the purpose behind the website and never let others be the determining factor for what you do with your content or with your life. You will find that writing exposed gets easier the more that you do it.

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About the Author

Kathryn Lang is a freelance writer in Alabama. Her work has been published in regional papers, travel magazines and national religous publications along with multiple websites. She has been writing for pleasure since she was able to write and writing as a career for the last several years.

Visit Kathryn online: KathrynLang.com