Thoughts on identity

[grimorie]

Experimenting with markdown.

I think I'm really loving this way of writing, it feels more intuitive, I'm a bit of a late adapter, I've known about it for some time but only started to really get into it when I found Editorially.

I've also been recently immersing myself in reading things by Amy Hoy and learning about bootstrapping, self-publishing and earning an income online. I've actually been trying to start something like that in my real life blog.

One thing I've been thinking about since reading things about running a business online is about identities, or online identities.

I have a different fannish online identity than my real life identity, and I've always been leery of those two meeting. Except, I kind of want to experiment on self-publishing both in the fiction and non-fiction front, so I don't how to handle that. Do I use another name for my possible self-published fiction book, or do I continue to use my RL one?

How do you guys handle your fannish identity with your real life identity?

Comments

[rthstewart]

These are excellent questions. I've always kept things really separate. When I first started fan fic in the mid 90s, I instinctively created an alter ego. My on line identity at the time eventually merged with my RL at the same time I had people trying to out my alter ego. I killed both. Today I still maintain totally separate identities. It was years under rthstewart even before I let my old fandom friends know about it.

BUT, I write professionally -- non-fiction legal and regulatory material in real life where things like copyright are taken very, very seriously. Over the years, some on line friends have come to know my RL work -- it's boring, nothing, special, but it's real and it pays the mortgage and I'm very selective about who I admit. If they know my name and where I live, they get the deep filter. If not, they don't.

Conversely, in RL you have to be really comfortable with colleagues, friends and neighbors knowing that you think porn is cool and empowering (or whatever). I don't think it's a one size fits all. I think it really depends on the individual and on your circle of RL and online friends. And it's great that you are finding ways to monetize this and make it work for you!

[grimorie]

Thanks for the input!

I think its harder for everyone who came online pre-Facebook/MySpace/Blogging explosion and where everyone was clear on the lines about their fannish identities.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who has issues about this, I remember a time when fannish identities were something that's held secret. I'm thinking about seriously separating my original fiction work from the online work persona I've created but still letting a select few know who I am.

Its a strange thing, having different identities in a world that's slowly trying to converge both.

Google isn't helping on that front though.

[elle_white]

This is something I've felt as well. I'm trying to start an online business too, and I've thought a lot about how to maintain a balance between my fannish life and real life. It's something I'm still working through, and as establish it more, I think that's something I will work through as I go. I have posted my business site on facebook, so I can spread the word on it. And I'm considering creating a separate twitter account for business, while still maintaining a fannish one.

Whenever I've taken courses on online business, these sort of things are never addressed. And I think this is something that need to be talked with people of our generation, who use social media extensively.

[grimorie]

First, congratulations on your online business!

Second:

I think this is something that need to be talked with people of our generation, who use social media extensively.

This. How do you address if you have a different internet identity from your real life one? Especially when your Real Life identity is starting to crossover with your fannish identity which is arguably older than your RL online identity?

Do you keep them apart or bring them together?

I know there was some debate about this years ago, and I know fic writers have crossover to Original Fiction (Naomi Novik being one example, and Yahtzee to name a few). How do we address this, I wonder?