by Christina Hope

Created on: February 22, 2009

Writing with authenticity

Authenticity means, according to Webster, "genuine, real".

Well written words , with sincerity, move us to tears, a hearty laugh, or simply cause us to stop and think. All valuable and worthy goals of someone's time reading, wouldn't you agree?

When I read, I want to be informed, entertained and enlightened. I want to feel as if my time spent reading was worth the investment of my time. When I write, my goal is to provide the reader with the same return on their investment.

Writing with authenticity has become a lost art. It's become way too easy for people to skate by with sensationalism, exploiting subjects they haven't one bit of experience. If you have never been to Spain, don't try and convince me you have with a personal review based on someone else's experience. Honesty is the key. Most people can spot showboating a mile away, right? (Like when someone chooses the word "showboating", it's kind of pretentious, don't you think?)

Some helpful hints for writing with authenticity:

Convey the message with emotion as well as clarity. We're really talking about substance versus style, quality over quantity. If a piece doesn't invoke some kind of an emotional response, the words are relegated to rambling blather. Remember Charlie Brown's teacher? "Blah, blah, blah, blah"?; No more valuable than a car with an empty gas tank. A meaningless voyage in an endless ocean of missed opportunities.

Move your reader:

Fluffy words and random pictures don't move people. Feelings do. We need realism. Make us believe it could happen to us too. Or better yet, make us believe it's all about us. Involve us. Invite us in. Give us a tour. Otherwise, what is the point? A piece on gardening should make me want to run outside and plant roses until I have no more space left in my yard! Show me not only your expertise, but enthusiasm for the subject.

Peak my interest with your curiosity. What made you want to write about this topic anyway? Light a path of well placed clues, show me the way. However, don't build me up only to leave me hanging, that's not fair.

Don't confuse me with suppositions or hyperbole. Give it to me straight. And don't shout at me, I'm right here.

If you provide valid arguments, we can agree to disagree. Avoid cooking up a half baked argument loosely founded on weak opinion serving absolutely no purpose. Controversy and rhetoric are wonderful tools when used with respect and intelligence. If you succeed at educating me first, you'll have a better chance at influencing my opinion.

Food for thought:

Writing with authenticity takes courage. Any time you receive an emotional response from a reader, you have achieved authenticity. If they were engaged enough with your piece to form a response or opinion, you've achieved lift off.

If authenticity isn't your goal, then why are you writing? The world has plenty of pretenders and wannabees as it is, why bother writing more of the same?

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