A Self Made of Words: Crafting a Distinctive Persona in Nonfiction Writing

by Carl H. Klaus

Confident or fretful, solemn or sassy, tough or tender, casual or the self you project in writing—your persona—is the byproduct of numerous decisions you make about what to say and how to say it. Though any single word or phrase or sentence might make little difference within the scope of an entire essay or book, collectively they create an impression of who you are or seem to be—an impression that’s sure to influence how readers respond to your work. Thus it’s essential to take charge of how you come across on the page, to craft an appropriate persona for whatever you’re writing, whether it’s a personal essay, a blog, a technical report, a letter to the editor, or a memoir. In this wise and ingenious little guide, noted essayist Carl Klaus shows you how to adapt your self to the needs of such varied nonfiction, by varying his own persona to illustrate the distinctive effect produced by each aspect and element of writing.


Klaus divides his book into two first, an introduction to the nature and function of a persona, then a survey of the most important elements of writing that contribute to the character of a persona, from point of view and organization to diction and sentence structure. Both parts contain exercises that will give you practice in developing a persona of your choice. Challenging and stimulating, each of his exercises focuses on a distinctly different aspect of composition and style, so as to help you develop the skills of a versatile and personable writer. By focusing on the most important ways of projecting your self in nonfiction prose, you can learn to craft a distinctive self in your writing.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

98 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2013

Reviews

[Simon Stegall · Rating 1 out of 5]

As far as I can tell, this is the only book out there on how to construct a persona. It is so poorly written that I despair of ever learning how to construct one. Woe is me!

On second thought, maybe I'll go read a real book and pick up some real tips on how to be a real writer. Maybe I'll learn something about persona from the writers who had the best ones. You can't learn about writing from someone who can't do it. Peace.

[Kels · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a nonfiction workshop class.

This is the second Klaus book I've read in a workshop class and I really wish professors would stop using him. There has to be another author that writes about nonfiction writing and creating the persona. While his writing style when speaking of craft elements is precise, it's also very boring and the repetitive examples he uses of his own writing are dreadful. I never want to read his experiences with vertigo or a tonsillectomy again. I skimmed this book very quickly and did not absorb any of it.

[Jørgen Carling · Rating 3 out of 5]

The focus on how the author comes across in the text is refreshing and exciting and makes the book worth the read. It seems to have been difficult to retain this focus throughout, however, and some parts read more like a regular style manual - of which there are better options available. Also, some of the insights are banal: if you use sophisticated words, you seem sophisticated. But there are other parts that I genuinely learned something from.

[Becca Altimier · Rating 3 out of 5]

The examples provided are far less interesting than the elements of style themselves. Reading about the authors bout of vertigo over and over is tiresome and I found myself skipping the exercises and skimming the text in an effort to finish the book quickly.

[J. Michael Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was motivated to read this short book in order to give more thought to the “persona” I convey in my nonfiction writings. People who read my Sunday Posts report being as attracted to the persona as to the content. In every piece of nonfiction we write, we reveal a portion of our personality, our persona. We can either be intentional or unintentional in making that reveal. Klaus gets us thinking about the “self” we reveal in our writing and shows us techniques for either concealing or revealing more.

Different kinds of writing call for revealing different aspects of ourselves. I show more personality in my Sunday Posts than I do in an academic paper, where I reveal more of how the left side of my brain works.

The most helpful take from this book came in considering the impact of three kinds of writing: colloquial, informal, and formal. As a pastor, I’m often stuck in formal writing at those moments when I’m trying to be most instructive and persuasive about important issues. But this book helped me see that the people I’m usually trying to persuade are usually much more responsive to my colloquial style. I hope to use some of his techniques for improving those kinds of writing.

The book is short, but tedious many places. Klaus uses variations of the same autobiographical anecdote over and over to illustrate various points he wants to make. It is hard to stay interested.

But I got out of the book what I came for, and for that I’m pleased.

[Curt Bobbitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Klaus defines fourteen variables over which writers for any content and audience can exercise control. His clear definitions and encouraging advice complement examples from non-technical publications and his own personal prose. The variables include point of view, organization, diction, figurative language, sentence structure, and quotations.

[Jonathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

It does not fulfill the brief of teaching one how to craft an effective persona. Instead, Klaus goes into lengthy definitions of literary techniques that a good writer knows by instinct, even if they don’t know their specific names. The exercises are tedious, and at 80 pages, the book manages to repeat itself to the point of being infuriating.

[Honey Rand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Amusing, too. But you'd expect that from the guy who started the IOWA nonfiction track. Words, sentence, constructs and techniques are clear and easy to recognize. Better still, even for experienced writers, the examples and exercises drive home the points painlessly and playfully.

[Jennifer Louden · Rating 4 out of 5]

unique text like nothing I've ever encountered studying writing

[ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for ENGL 555; helpful advice and exercises

[charis caraballo · Rating 3 out of 5]

short. but it was fine, i guess.

[Lorena · Rating 4 out of 5]

super insightful read! love the prompts and the author’s tone!

[Dawn Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Heart Carl Klaus

Who says you need a 390-page text to get the job done? This petite craft book on persona is clear as a crystal. Succinct. Perfect. Exercises are useful. The writing examples he uses, largely the same few paragraphs rewritten to illustrate whatever concept he is highlighting in a given section, are helpful. This is a GOOD book.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would be a good book to own and use for writing exercises, but I can't say I was terribly impressed with the author's personal examples. It was easy to read, though, and I learned a few things from it for writing, so I have to appreciate it if only for that.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful book. I think I'd like to own it for reference when working on rewrites...I can see how it makes prose sparkle.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for nonfiction writers and for students crafting a distinctive and genuine college application essay.