Take a look at your social media profiles. What is your “identity?” Since you hang out in my corner of the internet, it’s probably a writer. Maybe an artist. And a reader. Maybe a specific type of reader: LitRPG, Horror freak, Dark Romance girlie… something like that.
I’m wondering how you would identify yourself if you suddenly couldn’t be that anymore? What would your social media tagline be then?
Instead of Kristin McTiernan: Author, Editor, Ghostwriter, would I instead go with Kristin McTiernan… red-headed person? Kansas resident? It’s hard to say, honestly.
I ask because of the Cait Corraine debacle. Her whole life had been centered on being a fantasy writer. Due to her own actions, that identity became toxic and it looks like it’s not a viable option for her anymore. So I asked Twitter what they would do in her shoes. Do you try again? Or… try again under a new name, starting from scratch?
Most everyone said start over with a new name and do the work. Fair enough.
But what if she couldn’t be a writer anymore AT ALL?
Who would she be then? Who would any of us be?
How do you label yourself?
In addition to being a writer, my big “thing” has been a planner & stationery enthusiast.
I LOVE planning. I LOVE decorating a blank page. I LOVE the feeling of a nice gel pen on nice, thick paper and checking off my to-do’s. This is despite the fact the majority of my business is managed in ClickUp.
But then my favorite company (The Happy Planner) came under new management last year and the design took a different turn, one I didn’t vibe with.
Weirdly, losing that annual buying spree felt like I had lost a part of my identity.
Identity is a big topic these days and how people “identify” comes in a lot of different flavors. What is the one big label you use when introducing yourself to a stranger?
Is it religion?
Who you find attractive?
The type of media you consume?
The art you create?
The job you have?
There’s no right answer and it’s probably more than one, honestly. But it raises the question of how you seek out “like-minded” people. What exactly does that mean for you? Do the people in your affinity group actually have things in common with you?
Or do you just have a common interest you can talk about over appetizers?
It’s an important question to ask because if you ever LOSE that affinity group, do you know who you would be after it?
I’m not sure I do. And to be honest, I think figuring it out will be my first priority in the coming months.
How about you?
ICYMI
My new video this week compares the two big players in building your author newsletter (plus direct sales, ARC review copies, and Beta reader copies). They’re so similar, a comparison seemed warranted. Which one is right for you?
Writing is my heart's passion, but I could live without it, as heartbreaking as it would be. There are countless ways to tell a story and I would find another way. This is a fantastic article and I appreciate the thought-provoking questions. For me, my identity rests in Christ. It brings me endless comfort knowing that I could lose everything in this life, but I'll still have everything in Him.