Who are you?

Number of entries received for the 2007 InnermoonLit Award for Best Short-Short Story to date: 49

OK, I’m going to make a nagging suggestion today: writers and aspiring writers should have a current head shot and biography at their fingertips. I know, bios are a supreme pain to write and if you’re like me, you probably feel like a jerk writing about your accomplishments and how wonderful you are—and we all hate getting our picture taken.

I got to thinking about this because my dean (she’s ‘mine’ because I’m her assistant, see) has recently begun asking all faculty members to update their vitas each year when they complete their annual reports. Partly, it’s a requirement for the accreditors, but it’s also important for faculty to have current c.v.s when they go up for tenure, promotion, or post-tenure review, apply for grants, appear as speakers or experts, are nominated for awards, and, of course, if they should happen to need or want to go back out on the job market. The point being, it never hurts to have something like this at the ready.

If you’re new to writing, take some time to come up with a bio, even if it’s short. There’s also the old exercise where you fake it and write up your dream resume, which can be a very helpful way of spelling out your goals and figuring out concrete ways to move toward those dreams. Just don’t try to pass off your dream bio as your true bio. :p

If you’re more seasoned, it’s tempting to write your bio once and forget about it, but give it a read at least once a year, making sure to add all your latest accomplishments. You never know when a success will fall into your lap, and this way you won’t have to put something together under pressure but can just relax and fully enjoy the victory.