I Hate Writing Bios and Other Random Thoughts
by Lisa A Kramer, in Writing
I've spent the morning trying to catch up on a variety of short projects while I wait for the next influx of grading which is about to invade.
Have I mentioned how much I hate grading?
But this isn't a post about grading, or a rant about the students who want to save their grades last-minute by making up work that should have been done months ago (I don't allow it) but still turn in final projects that show lack of effort, care, or learning. I'm not going to dedicate an entire post to that because it makes me feel like this:
Instead, I want to discuss the writing I absolutely hate to do, and that is writing Bios or About pages.
Why? You wonder. After all, many of my blog posts tell my story--the land of my blog is generally an autobiographical one (with snippets of fiction, fantasy, and fun thrown in).
When I blog about my life, it is an attempt to make meaning and help me understand my own journey. Sure I share the details, and try to be very honest about most aspects of my life, but in general I'm not trying to sum up who I am and what I've done in one post. I'm not doing that because I can't. I have no idea WHO I AM or WHAT I'VE DONE that defines me. Anyone who has followed me for any amount of time has witnessed the journey of me trying to figure it all out.
Yet, some of my upcoming projects wanted bios from me, and one wanted a head shot. One bio was limited to 250 words, and since it is for a writing project I felt like it needed to focus on writing--and, as of now, I'm not sure what credits of mine to emphasize. The second didn't give me a word limit (although they will edit for length if it is too long) and is for a theatre position so needed to have a slightly different focus.
My problem with writing bios is multi-layered:
Add to that the need to choose a headshot, for someone who dislikes getting in front of the camera (although I'm trying to be better about that) and this has been a morning of painful tasks. I couldn't decide when it came to the headshot, so I sent two and left the decision up to them. ;)
[caption id="attachment_6370" align="aligncenter" width="720"]
The shot taken two years ago.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_6612" align="aligncenter" width="579"]
A shot taken yesterday by Steve Kramer[/caption]
What are some tasks (writing or otherwise) that you know you have to do but you hate doing?
Have I mentioned how much I hate grading?
But this isn't a post about grading, or a rant about the students who want to save their grades last-minute by making up work that should have been done months ago (I don't allow it) but still turn in final projects that show lack of effort, care, or learning. I'm not going to dedicate an entire post to that because it makes me feel like this:
Instead, I want to discuss the writing I absolutely hate to do, and that is writing Bios or About pages.
Why? You wonder. After all, many of my blog posts tell my story--the land of my blog is generally an autobiographical one (with snippets of fiction, fantasy, and fun thrown in).
When I blog about my life, it is an attempt to make meaning and help me understand my own journey. Sure I share the details, and try to be very honest about most aspects of my life, but in general I'm not trying to sum up who I am and what I've done in one post. I'm not doing that because I can't. I have no idea WHO I AM or WHAT I'VE DONE that defines me. Anyone who has followed me for any amount of time has witnessed the journey of me trying to figure it all out.
Yet, some of my upcoming projects wanted bios from me, and one wanted a head shot. One bio was limited to 250 words, and since it is for a writing project I felt like it needed to focus on writing--and, as of now, I'm not sure what credits of mine to emphasize. The second didn't give me a word limit (although they will edit for length if it is too long) and is for a theatre position so needed to have a slightly different focus.
My problem with writing bios is multi-layered:
- How does one summarize a complex career and life journey in 250 words or so?
- How does one explain accomplishments without sounding like an egotistical jerk?
- How does one explain something she barely understands herself?
Add to that the need to choose a headshot, for someone who dislikes getting in front of the camera (although I'm trying to be better about that) and this has been a morning of painful tasks. I couldn't decide when it came to the headshot, so I sent two and left the decision up to them. ;)
[caption id="attachment_6370" align="aligncenter" width="720"]
The shot taken two years ago.[/caption][caption id="attachment_6612" align="aligncenter" width="579"]
A shot taken yesterday by Steve Kramer[/caption]What are some tasks (writing or otherwise) that you know you have to do but you hate doing?
