Prompt: What would your Wiki page say?

Posted byDenysePosted inUncategorized

The thought occurred to me today, as I’m preparing to write a memorial article, and also piecing together a biographical work, that so often when I Google something the first thing that comes up is a Wikipedia page. As a journalist and a biographer, I know better than to use Wikipedia as a primary source of information, but this morning, I started thinking – what if I were to write my own Wiki page? What would it contain, and what would it say about me?

My first thought was to write down everything I’ve accomplished. Wiki pages don’t say things like, “She always wanted to,” or “She thought she would have…” They also don’t say something like, “She never,” or “She didn’t…”

Though they may have some lawsuits, and controversies, Wiki pages are the public information we don’t mind that the world knows, and depending on who contributes to it, there can be things we do. There was a time when the obituary pages were the legacy we left behind. Before the internet and Google search engines, it took a trip to the library, wading through pages of the newspaper, or reels of microfilm to find information about someone’s history. Not so these days – Wikipedia – as unreliable a source as it is – has everything. So, what would my Wiki page say?

As the writer, I could add details about my birth, my education, my children, my marriage, and my career. (Or, perhaps someone else could chronicle my life for me – therein lies the unreliability.) What significant details would I add, and what would I prefer to leave out? The details I would put in would add to my life story, in case anyone were to ever want to write it. A Wiki page needs to be something more than an obituary, but less than an autobiography. While there should be answers to relevant questions, I think my Wiki page should leave room for research.

Some Wiki pages are short, with a brief sidebar that reads more like the reference card in a library, and others are longer, depending on the notoriety of the person. As an ordinary citizen, whose work is simply by-lined articles, an occasional longer biographical work, or perhaps a published novel, mine might be blessedly short, too. There’s no who’s who, or tattle-tale criminal history – unless someone were to catalog my driving record, and no disc or filmography to detail. The sidebar would include birth, and if it’s occurred, death, schools attended, and perhaps what I’m known for.

Occasionally, I use writing prompts to come up with ideas, but today my thought was “What would your Wiki Page say?” Any thoughts? Write your Wiki page and see what you come up with today.

Published by Denyse

As a writer, my passion is interviewing people and telling stories. For the past few decades, I've had the opportunity to do just that across a variety of media. Beginning in print journalism, I worked as a contract beat reporter for several years, later getting a Master of Arts in Journalism. I picked up magazine work as a freelancer, writing for a couple of lifestyles magazines, and even joining a graphic artist friend to publish our own city magazine. With the evolution of newspapers into the digital world, I headed back to school again, picking up a technical diploma in Digital Media Arts. There, I learned audio and video editing, content creation, blogging, and picked up part-time work in a couple of radio stations as a reporter and content producer. Later, I moved into television news, where I handled the news assignment desk. Writing is and always will be my first love. I continue writing features, interviewing people living their best lives, and telling the stories of those who trust them to me. I am a mom, a grandmother, and am blessed in marriage and life. My husband and I spend time on the water in the summer on our sailboat, and when I can, I am outside in nature on my bike, or walking my dog. I also think dirt therapy is the best kind, and will usually have my hands full with weeding and tending my flower beds.

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