My birth name isn't The Undercover Hipster. My parents didn't have a fascination with detective stories and the beatnik subculture. I came to call myself it because it's literally how I have come to think of myself. How I have come to see myself in this ongoing debacle in a subculture I grew up in.
I grew up a nerd. I grew up playing video games, reading comic books, and watching anything from sci-fi to fantasy to dystopian mutant apocalypse horror. I cosplay and attend conventions whenever I can scrape enough money together. And my fangirling abilities are over nine-thousand. Nerd culture gave me an armada of worlds to escape reality. I have even found family and friends all over the world through being a nerd.
I have been solid in my identity for a while, but that wasn't always the case. In the past, there have been times when I have faltered. If drama arose in the community, I was the first one out. I would go undercover, donning my best hipster, goth, jock -- really, anything -- persona to escape the canon fire.
In recent years, I have changed. I thought that by going undercover, I would be safe. But, I was wrong. I realized that doing nothing was going to accomplish just that: nothing. I decided to use my talents of disguise to help. By donning my invisibility cloak, I am able to quickly and quietly collect evidence.
And this is where you find me -- at a chapter in my life where my identity has shifted. Where it's no longer a banal social label, but a badge of camaraderie and change. A badge that has been tattooed on my soul: hidden from view, but burning brightly.
I have been solid in my identity for a while, but that wasn't always the case. In the past, there have been times when I have faltered. If drama arose in the community, I was the first one out. I would go undercover, donning my best hipster, goth, jock -- really, anything -- persona to escape the canon fire.
In recent years, I have changed. I thought that by going undercover, I would be safe. But, I was wrong. I realized that doing nothing was going to accomplish just that: nothing. I decided to use my talents of disguise to help. By donning my invisibility cloak, I am able to quickly and quietly collect evidence.
And this is where you find me -- at a chapter in my life where my identity has shifted. Where it's no longer a banal social label, but a badge of camaraderie and change. A badge that has been tattooed on my soul: hidden from view, but burning brightly.
Hi Undercover. I found your autobiography fun, lighthearted and very optimistic. I imagine you'd (hopefully) describe yourself the same way.
ReplyDeleteEven though I liked your laid back writing style, I didn't love that you were writing in the third person. I found it a bit distracting, but only because it was obvious, to me anyway, that it was you writing the piece.
I also wish that you had included some more information and details about your life. For example, you wrote, "She still dreams of one day living abroad in a tiny loft flat in her favorite city." I wish I knew what city you were talking about. It also would've been great to hear about the other places you've already been. I also have no idea what cosplay is (I had to look it up). I think it would've been cool if you had described your favorite cosplay character, or if you described this world a bit more and why you felt you fit into it so perfectly. As a reader, perhaps these details couldn't resonated with me, and I could've seen similarities between us.
Can't wait to read and learn more about you!
~Twin B
Hello Undercover, sounds like you've had a lot of experiences and still dream of more. Alas, the creative mind is never satisfied. I like that you include a lot of what you wish you could do with your life. Try spending some time fleshing out what your life is like. Describe your family. Was your dad in the military? Was your mom a volunteer or have a career of her own?
ReplyDeleteTry cutting down on the superfluous like this: "In high school, The Undercover Hipster found graphic design and photography. And that was the moment that everything fell into place. She had finally found a form of art that fully allowed her to express herself. She ended up going to college for her BA in communications, focusing on graphic design and new media. Along with graphic design, The Undercover Hipster found the wonderful world of cosplay. Her childhood days of dress up were rekindled with this nerdy subculture turned mainstream. When she wasn't working towards her BA, she was working on the next big costume for the next big con. And it's a hobby that she continues today along with photography and graphic design." This graf can be tightened up in a few sentences.
You give a lot of information without giving us short, specific detail. Yes, everyone's a critic, right? Also, for the uninformed, please tell us what a COSPLAY is. Is it a role in a comic book? As you can see I am in the dark about this subject and comic-con stuff, so enlighten me because I am intrigued by your creativity.
-Mad Mom
Thank you everyone for the awesome comments!
ReplyDeleteI'm working on a re-write all weekend and I'm hoping to get everything set up this week
Hi Undercover,
ReplyDeleteYour biography is cute, lighthearted and fun! I found the stylistic strike-throughs amusing, and your voice endearing. I get a very clear, very relate-able picture of who you are through reading this (I am a slightly more grown-up gothy gamer/anime nerd), which I think is a great start.
That said, I do wish it had been in first person, as Twin B pointed out, and also agree that you left our some of the pertinent details! As Mad Mom points out, you do have superfluous items in there that could be cut down – the details you provide are more about life as it was moving around you and less about how you interacted with it. Does that make sense? Maybe try writing the most basic of basic bios as a practice. "I am 23, love cosplay, photography, graphic design and travel. The most important part of my childhood was X. I hope to X someday." Start from the bottom up!
Hope this helps,
VM