Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Week 'o' Scandalous Revelations, Part 2: Truth and the Anonymous Blogger

One of the most frequently asked questions INTERN has gotten about this blog since its inception in April 2009 is "How much of it is true?"

When people ask this question, they are often referring to the more outlandish tales, such as yesterday's scandalous revelation or the time INTERN accidentally ingested part of Vampire Roommate's evil spirit absorbing tablets in her midday snack.

The funny thing is, the stuff that makes you say "Reaaaaally?" is the true stuff. It's the mundane details that INTERN has fiddled with—dates/times/genders/locations/ordering of events/identifying details of people and institutions—in order to respect the privacy of the people and institutions she's depicted. When she started this blog, INTERN was downright PETRIFIED of being discovered by her place of internment (she remains sworn to secrecy to this day). She therefore took great care to anonymize the crap out of every possible detail. Publishing's a tiny world, and there's a reason so many publishing bloggers are anonymous. Also, it's just plain fun.

There is also the matter of the untruths cooked up by readers' imaginations, which INTERN cannot control. Newcomers to this blog tend to assume that INTERN currently resides in New York City, when in fact she is writing this post from an abandoned houseboat on a small island off the Washington coast (and getting DAMNED SEASICK in the process). Recently, INTERN has seriously considered about adding some kind of sticker to her blog that says DOES NOT LIVE IN NYC, but that seems unnecessarily belligerent...

Then there are all those posts about writing, which are, of course, entirely fictitious.

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INTERN will be taking a break from Scandalous Revelations tomorrow but returning on Thursday!

3 comments:

  1. Abandoned houseboats make excellent writing retreats, as long as they remain afloat. Does your island have excellent bakeries? Hope so!

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  2. INTERN just looked at your profile and it appears we are on THE SAME ISLAND. Perhaps you could recommend an excellent bakery?

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  3. I wondered!! You can almost lob a clam shell and hit my house, a hop skip and a jump from the waterfront and just on the edge of downtown.
    Yes, bakeries abound here. For a quick sweet and a good cuppa jo, Blackbird and Pegasus are the best, and walking distance from any of the town-side marinas. For the best decadent french treats and wondrous bread, head down to Pane D'Amore, which is sort of south-ish in Lynwood Center. But they are forbidden by the establishment next door from selling coffee, so take your own if you head down there.
    And give me the hi-sign if we're standing in line together, or pass in the street!

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