I’m pretty sure a majority of us bloggers filter out words before we hit that big “Submit” button. Unless we’re some impulsive, overly opinionated writer, we always make sure to omit and create substitutions for words our minds did not actually say. Filtering is a technique to sound somewhat “better” — at least it’s what I do. I take into consideration what my followers, friends and potential employers would think, as a precaution. I don’t want to lose a chance for a legitimate career because I have felt, for a brief moment, emotional on serious subject matter.
But then again…am I being my true self?
There must be a fine line between being true to myself versus what sounds appealing in print. I’ve fought with this many times and concluded that filtering is just plain necessary. I’ve had my share of writing negative blog posts, and the trend responded reasonably – no one was “liking” the post or viewing my blog. Subsequently, people looked at me in a different (darker) light. Days after publishing the post, I start to overanalyze and feel a bit agitated about why on earth would I post such a thing? I go to settings and set it to “private”.
I’m usually very candid about my emotions and experiences, but I found a way to express my feelings in a non-explicit manner without having to sabotage the underlying meaning of the message. The ability to do this is like an art. The greatest way to avoid writing an appalling blog post is to never write while feeling unstable. Take it from me. Anyone can learn to project their reality into the reader’s minds – omitting unnecessary detail – with practice. When I come across a blog with a great amount of negativity, explicitness, and childlike demeanor, I stray away from the blog. I will admit I used to be one of them.
If I want to maintain a level of respect and from my followers, I should take into account my choice of words. I’ll just save the explicit verbiage for my in-person encounters with friends. As I have matured and grown as a writer, I’ve concluded that there are just detailed events the world does not need to know.
Photo source: collegefashion.net
Renee Lynn 