Constant Content

Ed,

I'd like to use a personal illustration in an article without changing from second or third voice. Would the following be acceptable?
"When her kids were young and fighting, this author used to..."

Or would it be better to make up some fictional name I can attribute the story to, to maintain voice? I don't really want to do that, but I'm also sensitive to clients who may want to purchase full rights, and personal references by authors might be off-putting.

advice?
Emma

Hi Emma,

Yes, that's okay. If you are still worried about inserting a personal experience, you might set up the situation like this:

"When your kids were young, and they squabbled, you might have tried to . . . "

Thanks,
Ed

Hmm... Yes, that might work. I'm only hesitant because I wrote out the paragraph as an intro before I consulted you, and now I'm too attached to it. :) I'll set this one aside until after the weekend, and by that time I'll be over it. I have a 50% chance of not liking it when I read it again, if my memory and experience is correct.

Thanks!

Emma,

I use you, your, you're, and several others in articles that actually sell. For example:

"What you should first look at when when changing your computer's power supply is whether it's 20 or 24 pin. A 24 pin motherboard power cord will wind up costing you more if you have to buy a 20 pin adapter."

You only have to stay from first person (I, we, me, etc.). Unless, of course, it's for a public or private request, and even then it may not be allowed. The submission guidelines are quite clear on first person narrative.

I learned while writing satire that if you interject anything like, "It's my opinion that..." you'll probably get that article rejected. In news and satire you can sometimes add, "In this writer's opinion..." and get away with it if it's an op/ed piece.