Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Do You Blog Like You Talk?

I'll admit it: I'm a total geek. I was IM'ing with Husby (which we've occasionally done while in the same room with each other) and I realized that we both write differently than we speak, even to each other. I'm more relaxed, playful.

When I write for publication, I'm told I write like I talk. Readers have said they can "hear my voice" in articles and essays, as if I was delivering a speech or lecture instead of writing. When I blog, it's somewhere in between.

So how do you blog? If your readers were to meet you in person, would they recognize your blogging voice or style from talking with you? Would they never know because you show a side of yourself on your blog that you never do in "real life"? How is your blogging self different from your "real life" self?

I look forward to your answers! Feel free to pass along the question.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so totally blogging about this AND using it for my weekly meme at one of my message boards.

Thanks for the fascinating topic!

Pattie

Jack Steiner said...

I don't know. I used to do audio posts with some regularity. I don't remember whether anyone said much about it.

Jack Steiner said...

BTW, didn't mean to just talk about myself. It is a good question.

Yael said...

I've been told people can hear my voice as they read my writing. Of course, maybe they really are hearing voices....

Sheyna said...

Pattie - thanks!

Jack - that must have been before my time; I've not seen/heard those. And as far as talking about yourself, that's what I was asking for - bloggers to talk about themselves and how they blog vs. how they are "off the blog." You did fine. :-)

Yael - hearing voices is one of my favorite pastimes.

Jack Steiner said...

The last one was probably done sometime in the October/November time frame.

therapydoc said...

One of my patients who had found my blog came in to see me and said, OMG, it sounds JUST like you!

Sholom said...

That's a tough question to answer.
I use run-on sentences in blogging, just like I do in speech. There tends to be a more advanced vocabularistic ouvre in my writing, and a greater amount of multisyllabic words. I write in a conversational tone, but my spoken conversations have a heavy "written-word" influence; so it's a reciprocal relationship. I use far more vulgarity when speaking than when writing, but my real-life self is nothing at all like the asshole portrayed in my writing; y'all in the Jblogothingie would probably be quite shocked at what a niceguy I am in person.
When I'm writing, I have the advantage of being able to edit my words, which leads to a three-sentence thought being fleshed out to five paragraphs. I veer off-topic in both speech and writing; but in speech, I usually remember to go back and tie up loose threads.

Sheyna said...

Jack - I think I found that one. To my reader's eye, you sound more thoughtful on your blog and more... informal? relaxed? carefree? on your audioblog. Not that that means anything. :-)

TherapyDoc - LOL! Is that a good thing? Although from my POV, it is; it means your "voice" comes through recognizably. Thanks for your comment!

Sholom - Yes, I do the editing thing, too, though I occasionally do it when I speak as well, prompting others to give me the Impatient Eye. :-)