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________________________________________________________________________I often receive "No Subject" emails from "Unknown Senders"--usually, with no message. I have to think these are the laziest spammers around or a glitch in the email system.
Yeah, right. I just can't wait to open a no subject email from Mr. or Ms. Unknown Sender--I can't wait to release the virus and downloader hounds on my files, such as they are.
Most internet users distrust anonymous bloggers and emailers, often with good reason. A lot of internet scammers hide behind fake names and anonymity.
However, anonymity has its rightful place in arts and letters. Many early works, such as ballads, folklore, and fables, are penned by the prolific "Anonymous."
In recent times, remember
Primary Colors? This tell-all "novel" was most delicious when the anonymous author was a source of speculation and buzz. Who was he or she? How close was the writer to the Clinton administration? The writer was obviously an insider, but most of the fun was in the guessing.
Once author
Joe Klein, then a
Newsweek writer, was "outted," it wasn't that much fun any more, and the buzz died down.
I'm not a famous or even slightly known writer; I simply choose to remain "Just A Writer" for the time being so that I can Tweet my story or novel, 140 characters or less, in real-time on Twitter. Given that writing directly on this very restrictive platform presents an inherent risk for a writer, I just feel more confident remaining anonymous while I experiment with new styles, take risks, and yes, even fail, without torpedoing my career (such as it is).
I started this project yesterday (May 14, 2009), and enjoyed a fruitful day--126 Tweets!
I realize that this pace will slow down significantly, but I was amazed at how much "stuff" resides inside my head. In fact, I'm shocked. Being anonymous is totally freeing (No, I'm not going to write p0rn, although one of my first followers--now ex-follower--was a p0rn0; he has been duly blocked). However, I will be able to explore issues that very well might feel uncomfortable if my name were known to the world.
The limitations of Twitter may just very well offer an important writer's tool because the small space forces writers to choose words carefully. On the other hand, sentences tend to be shorter and choppier, the pacing a bit monotonous. In addition, spelling errors cannot be corrected (without deleting and retweeting), and finally, maintaining continuity over the long haul could be a problem, although I purposely left a "seed" behind so that I can pick up where I left off.
From time to time, I'll come back here and report about my experiences.
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