Pause. Breathe. Think.

I've read a couple of interesting posts/blogs/tweets/whatever recently where I suspect the writer/blogger/whoever may have let their guard down for a moment.

Or maybe not.

I can't really believe that people would share things on the internet and ever expect it to be private, and yet some people write stuff that I wouldn't even say to my friends.

Is it the feeling of anonymity that one has when sitting at a keyboard and screen? Or is it simply that some people don't care about their online reputation?

OK, I admit it. I *do* have a writerly persona I try to project in the cyberworld. It's that of a professional writer who's serious about the 'craft' and wants to succeed. It's that of someone who is easy to work with. It's that of someone who is supportive and encouraging. Whether I'm successful at portraying this is a question for others.

Of course there are times when I feel negative about things, just like everyone, but I've made the decision to keep those moments to myself (and perhaps with one or two close friends) and not share them with the world at large. I wouldn't walk into my staffroom at school and say these things out loud. Why would I write them on my blog, or Facebook, or wherever?

And why would I sabotage my writing career by building a negative reputation?

There are definitely people whose works I have not bought because of their behaviour towards me or others, because of things they've said or written, or because of their arrogance. And there are those whose work I have bought because they seem like good people, or encouraged me, or took the time to simply chat with me at a con.

Is my persona false? No, it's authentic - because it's who I am, and it's similar to how I try to present myself in the real world.

But we sometimes need to remember to pause and take a breath before we hit the 'publish' button.