Is that clearer? or muddier?

@pauline (39) – the people I talked about in the blog in the past were almost always aware of what I was writing and okay with it (notable exception being ex-employer). So being “found out” by the people I write about is not the issue, my concern is that now these people can be identified by their own friends as a knock-on effect of my anonymity being lost.

Example: I once wrote about my little sister being hospitalised (really about Tadpole’s reaction to it) and many of her friends found out she was ill from my blog before she had chance to tell them. She didn’t mind, but it felt odd to me…

I’ve been a long time reader too – at the beginning I read because I identified with a lot of stuff you were writing (Brit married to a Frenchman, small kids in Paris etc.etc.), but the reason I still read is the quality of your writing. I like the way you can summarise feelings which can be so intense in just a few words or sentences.

Reading your post above, though, got me wondering – does this mean you’ll be doing (or have been doing) a sort of ‘triage’ in your writing? The good stuff goes into the book, for the ‘paying customers’, anything which is not deemed as being of high enough quality (by whom?) goes on the blog? I don’t mean to criticize at all – it’s your blog and your prerogative, naturally – but I was just curious…

BTW sorry for the slight overuse of hyphens in that comment, must be PMT messing up my train of thought…
:)

However I think this might not be the popular opinion, as allot of people seems to want to be famous even for nothing in particular and I understand with certain professions, being famous is a cost of doing business if your successful.

When I think about it, there might be some people I would want to tell, what a good job I thought they’d done or how much I enjoyed something they had written or performed in.

So I have the opportunity to ask (and maybe get answer from) some one who is about to be very famous:

Would it bother you if some one came up to you in the street or in a restaurant and told you how much they had enjoyed your Blog/Book(s)?

I don’t think it counts as talking behind someone’s back if you keep the edges blurred enough that it could easily be someone else.
If you start saying ‘my 6’4″ redheaded friend did ..’, then the friend in question should have been consulted about publication.

If you decide to post bits of fiction (labled or not), I’m sure I will enjoy your writing as much as now. And friends close enough to know the difference will enjoy the stories.

Fortunately for me, the man in my life not only accepts my blog, he embraces it, encourages it, gets a real kick out of it actually, and even adds in his own comments regularly. I went from using a pseudo for him to using his first name (mainly because I kept slipping up and typing his real name without realizing it!), and he’s fine with having been “outed”. Still, I am discreet when it comes to just how much I say about our relationship and especially HIS personal life or his work, which is not my information to disclose. After all some things should be private. So from that perspective I see nothing wrong with being selective about what does or does not make it to my blog.

In your situation, I would think things WOULD need to shift a bit for you, because in the past year, everything else has shifted whether you wanted it to or not. You’ll find the right balance. Just like you found the right boy.

Before long, she and all her friends will be using the Internet every day. Will her sweet comments, lovely songs and childish tantrums – and your frustrations and adventures – embarrass her or provide ammunition for bullying? Will she resent that you’ve told the world so much about her?

I don’t worry nearly as much about the effect your blog and books will have on your parents, sisters, friends and lovers, as I do about Tadpole and what it will all mean for her.