4 Challenges To The Writer’s Persona

Some would argue that the writer’s persona is the most difficult thing to alter. What is the persona? Persona is derived from the Greeks and it is the voice or mask that a writer uses for a particular purpose.
The writer’s persona influences the reader’s reaction by helping the reader to feel close to or distant from the characters. All writers are humans and all have arrived at their writing desk through individual journeys. These journeys will influence the writer’s persona.
However the writer has four challenges when developing his or her persona that may be deleterious to the work:
1. The writer’s mannerisms. Every one has unique mannerisms. Some are likeable and others are not so likeable. If a writer is essentially a shy introvert, his or her writing will most likely reflect that unless a conscious effort is made to eliminate it. Writers need to remember that their persona is not as important as the story. Show the reader what is going on and he or she will enjoy the journey. If the writer is a gregarious outgoing personality who likes to make sure that everyone is having a good time, he or she may find it easier to write first person narration because the reader has no trouble understanding. This same person may find it difficult to write excellent third person narrative.
2. The writer’s trivialization impacts his or her writing. It may also confuse the reader. If the writer has built up a character and the narrator makes fun of him or her, it confuses the reader. The narrator should remain impartial and even though he may mislead, he should not outright lie! This is more noticeable in objective forms of writing.
3. The writer’s sentimentality may influence the way that he or she writes in the third person narrative as a commentator. The reader may think that the narrator is willing the wrong horse to win the race. Most readers quickly form a view on how the story is unfolding. Sentimental remarks detract from the story and may confuse the reader.
4. The selection of the tense of the verbs. Most stories use the past tense however when recalling flashbacks the writer needs to be careful not to confuse the reader. The best advice is to make the narrator remain consistent with the tense. The present tense is sometimes used by writers to convey a sense of immediacy. However the overriding preference by readers is the past tense. Avoid passive verbs because action verbs show what is happening.
The management of the writer’s persona is a challenge for some. The few points above are a guide to some of the common pitfalls.