creative writing school
Module 8: Identity
structure
Introduction
Theory
Inspiration
Creative writing exercises
Stay grounded & motivated
Share your text with us
Theory
Inspiration
Creative writing exercises
Stay grounded & motivated
Share your text with us
introduction
We live in a world obsessed with binaries. Right and wrong. Male and female. Self and other. Our thinking, language, and institutions are structured around dualities that define, separate, and limit. This binary structure extends to identity, reinforcing the idea that a person must be one thing or another, a fixed self with a singular, coherent narrative.
Yet, identity is far from singular. We contradict ourselves. We shift between roles, contexts, and moods. We house within us a multiplicity, and yet we struggle to embrace this plurality, often feeling compelled to reduce ourselves to a singular, stable construct. This reduction is both a social and cognitive survival mechanism—society demands clarity, consistency, and legibility. But art, literature, and creativity flourish in ambiguity and contradiction.
To write from a pluralistic perspective means to reject the limitations of binary thinking and instead to embrace fluidity, fragmentation, and simultaneity. In this lesson, we will explore how moving beyond duality to pluralism can enrich creative writing, with a particular focus on the work of Fernando Pessoa and his practice of creating multiple, fully realized alter egos.
Yet, identity is far from singular. We contradict ourselves. We shift between roles, contexts, and moods. We house within us a multiplicity, and yet we struggle to embrace this plurality, often feeling compelled to reduce ourselves to a singular, stable construct. This reduction is both a social and cognitive survival mechanism—society demands clarity, consistency, and legibility. But art, literature, and creativity flourish in ambiguity and contradiction.
To write from a pluralistic perspective means to reject the limitations of binary thinking and instead to embrace fluidity, fragmentation, and simultaneity. In this lesson, we will explore how moving beyond duality to pluralism can enrich creative writing, with a particular focus on the work of Fernando Pessoa and his practice of creating multiple, fully realized alter egos.
theory
Western thought has long been structured around the concept of dualism. This tradition can be traced back to Plato’s theory of forms, Descartes’ mind-body split, and even structuralist linguistics, which emphasizes oppositional pairs (good/evil, presence/absence, life/death). While binary structures are useful for categorization and communication, they also impose false divisions.
Philosopher Gilles Deleuze challenges this in "Difference and Repetition," advocating for a rhizomatic approach to identity—one that recognizes multiplicity rather than hierarchy or opposition. Similarly, Judith Butler’s work on gender performativity dismantles the binary framework of gender, revealing it as an unstable, shifting construct maintained through social repetition.
Literature, too, resists singularity. Consider the fragmented self in modernist works—Virginia Woolf’s "The Waves," where identity dissolves into a chorus of voices, or James Joyce’s "Ulysses," where the boundaries of the self stretch and blur. These works reflect a pluralistic understanding of identity that is closer to how we actually experience the world: as shifting, layered, contradictory beings.
This lesson invites you to experiment with multiplicity in your own writing—not as an intellectual exercise, but as a way to liberate your voice, to engage with the self as an ever-evolving constellation rather than a fixed entity.
Philosopher Gilles Deleuze challenges this in "Difference and Repetition," advocating for a rhizomatic approach to identity—one that recognizes multiplicity rather than hierarchy or opposition. Similarly, Judith Butler’s work on gender performativity dismantles the binary framework of gender, revealing it as an unstable, shifting construct maintained through social repetition.
Literature, too, resists singularity. Consider the fragmented self in modernist works—Virginia Woolf’s "The Waves," where identity dissolves into a chorus of voices, or James Joyce’s "Ulysses," where the boundaries of the self stretch and blur. These works reflect a pluralistic understanding of identity that is closer to how we actually experience the world: as shifting, layered, contradictory beings.
This lesson invites you to experiment with multiplicity in your own writing—not as an intellectual exercise, but as a way to liberate your voice, to engage with the self as an ever-evolving constellation rather than a fixed entity.
inspiration
Fernando Pessoa is perhaps the most radical literary example of pluralistic identity. Rather than writing under a single persona, he invented over 70 "heteronyms"—fully developed alter egos, each with a distinct biography, philosophy, and writing style. These were not mere pseudonyms but entire selves, each with independent creative lives.
Among the most well-known:
Pessoa even wrote letters between his heteronyms, crafting relationships, disagreements, and a literary universe in which they coexisted. This radical approach allowed him to explore contradictions without seeking resolution. Instead of being "one writer," he became an entire literary community within himself.
Pessoa’s practice raises essential questions for us: What if we didn’t have to choose a single voice? What if our writing could accommodate multiple perspectives without seeking synthesis? What if, instead of resolving contradictions, we let them speak?
Among the most well-known:
- Alberto Caeiro, a pastoral poet who rejected intellectualism and sought truth in nature. His work is simple, clear, and profoundly anti-metaphysical.
- Ricardo Reis, a stoic classicist, inspired by Horace and advocating for detachment and discipline.
- Álvaro de Campos, a modernist, highly influenced by Whitman and Futurism, embracing the chaos of industrial life.
Pessoa even wrote letters between his heteronyms, crafting relationships, disagreements, and a literary universe in which they coexisted. This radical approach allowed him to explore contradictions without seeking resolution. Instead of being "one writer," he became an entire literary community within himself.
Pessoa’s practice raises essential questions for us: What if we didn’t have to choose a single voice? What if our writing could accommodate multiple perspectives without seeking synthesis? What if, instead of resolving contradictions, we let them speak?
creative exercise
- Invent at least three alter egos. Like Pessoa’s heteronyms, they should not just be names but entire literary identities.
Develop:- Name, age, background
- Aesthetic preferences
- Writing style (e.g., minimalist, baroque, surrealist)
- Philosophical stance
- Emotional temperament
- Write a short piece from each alter ego’s perspective.
- A manifesto
- A diary entry
- A letter to another alter ego
- A poem in their distinct voice
- Let them interact.
- Write a dialogue between two of them.
- Have them critique each other’s work.
- Imagine them attending an event together—how would they experience it differently?
- Reflect on the experience. What did you discover? Did one feel more natural than the others? Did any surprise you?
stay grounded and motivated!
"Working with plural identities can be exhilarating, but it can also feel destabilizing. You might question which voice is “yours,” or whether multiplicity weakens rather than strengthens your writing. This is normal. Remember:
So step into the multiplicity. Let the contradictions breathe. Find the power in plurality."
—Anna Ádám
Founder of the School of Disobedience
- Plurality does not mean incoherence. It means depth, contradiction, richness.
- You are not losing yourself. You are expanding.
- Every writer contains multitudes. The most compelling works arise from embracing this fact rather than resisting it.
So step into the multiplicity. Let the contradictions breathe. Find the power in plurality."
—Anna Ádám
Founder of the School of Disobedience
Photo: Galsi Bogi