First-Person Perspectives

The best way to engage readers is to share stories they can relate to. First-person stories allow you to discuss a wide variety of topics in a way that is compelling, emotional, humorous or otherwise entertaining. There’s a time and place for all kinds of copy, but some of my best sites were enhanced by my own personal experiences.

However, you may experience some moral dilemmas when writing about your own experiences; I know I have. The key is to really think about what you plan on writing. What do you hope to accomplish? Who are you trying to help? If you’re having second thoughts about writing a first-person story, perhaps you could bank on your personal experiences to still generate compelling copy while leaving yourself out of it.

This site I did about interventions is one of my favorite first-person stories. This story really happened; I, of all people, had the pleasure of leading an intervention for a good friend named Mike. When retelling this story, I added enough details in my copy to make readers feel more connected. At the same time, I understand that alcoholism is a serious topic. I would never want to embarrass my friend. With that in mind, I kept my writing just vague enough so that nobody could uncover Mike‘s identity. Just in case.

Meanwhile, I’ve written first-person copy that is even more detailed -- yet also more vague -- than my story about Mike. When building a site about a mental disorder, I wrote about a close relative who is experiencing the same problem. Nowhere in the article do I name the relative, and nowhere do I use my own name, either.

Writing in the first-person can be fun and exciting. It can feel like writing in a diary. That said, always remember that the Internet is not a diary. Billions of people have access to your writings. The key to writing good, first-person copy is to never write anything that might bring harm to someone you write about. If you accomplish that, you’ll more than likely be able to share your personal stories with a clear conscience.

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First-Person Perspectives