How Open is Too Open when Writing a Blog?

my life, family and friendsAugust 10, 2012Comments: 2

During my many years of blogging, I’ve always walked that line between revealing enough to hopefully keep readers interested, yet still having some of my life remain private.

However, in this age of social media, esp Facebook, I have to wonder if anyone keeps anything private anymore.

Now that I’m no longer using this blog to hold all my travel stories and other work-related writings, I find myself wondering how personal I should get with this blog. Or more to the point, how personal am I comfortable with getting.

See, I’m all for being honest and forthright. Ask me a question and I’ll give you an answer. But I also think there are just some aspects to my life that I don’t want the whole world to know about at this time.

Maybe its because I come from a different generation, but I’ve never been totally comfortable with everybody being all up in my business. And I still believe when someone confides a secret to someone, you keep that secret.

I feel my secrets are mine to reveal as I feel necessary, and some are just not an open topic I want to be discussed by the world at large.

I once revealed some secrets to someone I thought was a close friend, only to find them posted online on a message board two months later.

Talk about a breach of trust.

And to this day she still doesn’t understand how betrayed I feel about her doing that.

Not to mention that once something is revealed online, it’s pretty much out there forever now.

Which brings me back to my initial question. How much do I reveal on this blog to make it relevant and readable, yet still retain some privacy to my life? I guess it will have to be a line I tread as I write here.

I’d love to know what you think. Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

[photo courtesy of Paul Brunskill]

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About zengrrl

I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!

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Comments: 2

  1. Jeff Wetherington August 11, 2012 at 1:32 am

    I think that it’s a different line for each of us. Some are comfortable with revealing more, some with less. Whatever that line is, it has to be one that you are able to live with. Having been burned once before, it will probably be difficult to do reveal much again.

    • zengrrl August 11, 2012 at 9:19 pm

      That’s very true, Jeff. I want to be very open on this blog, but at the same time, I have to remember once on the internet, it’s out there forever.