How to choose your perspective

Before submitting a story on NailTeller, you will be asked to choose a perspective.

Your perspective helps readers understand whose point of view the story represents. Choose the option that most accurately matches the person whose experience is being told.

What is a perspective?

On NailTeller, perspective describes the point of view behind the story.

It is separate from your role.

Your role explains your connection to the nail industry, such as a nail technician, salon owner, customer, or family member. Your perspective helps readers understand whose viewpoint the story is told from.

For example, two people may both be salon owners, but one story may be told from a woman’s perspective while another is told from a man’s perspective.

There is no best perspective. Select the one that most accurately reflects the experience being shared.

Why choosing the correct perspective matters

The correct perspective gives readers important context before they begin reading your story.

It helps your story feel:

• Clear and easy to follow
• Consistent from beginning to end
• Believable and authentic
• Connected to the narrator’s real experience

For example, if a woman is describing her own experience working in a nail salon, choosing Woman helps readers understand the viewpoint behind the story.

If you are telling someone else’s experience, choose the perspective that matches the person whose story is being told—not necessarily your own.

Available perspectives

Woman

Choose Woman when the story is told from a woman’s point of view.

This may be your own experience or another woman’s experience that you are sharing with permission.

Example: A female nail technician describes how she handled a disagreement with a longtime customer over an appointment.

Man

Choose Man when the story is told from a man’s point of view.

Select this option when the narrator or main storyteller is a man, regardless of his role in the nail industry.

Example: A male salon owner explains what happened when two employees unexpectedly quit during the busiest week of the year.

Non-binary

Choose Non-binary when the story is told from the perspective of someone who identifies as non-binary.

This option allows the story’s perspective to be represented accurately without requiring the narrator to choose Woman or Man.

Example: A non-binary customer shares how a nail technician helped them feel comfortable while choosing a design for a special event.

Prefer not to say

Choose Prefer not to say when you do not want to identify the narrator’s gender perspective.

You can still tell a complete and meaningful story without sharing this information.

Example: A salon employee anonymously describes witnessing an argument between a customer and the salon manager but does not want to reveal their gender.

Tips for choosing the right perspective

• Choose the perspective that matches the person whose experience is being told.
• If the story happened to you, select the perspective that represents you.
• If you are sharing someone else’s experience, select the perspective that represents that person.
• If you witnessed an event, choose your own perspective when telling readers what you personally saw or heard.
• Use Prefer not to say when you want to keep the narrator’s gender private.
• Keep the same point of view throughout the entire story.

When writing about your own experience, tell the story using words such as “I,” “me,” and “my.”

When sharing someone else’s experience, make it clear whose story you are telling. Do not make it sound as though the event happened to you when it did not.

Common mistakes

Switching between “I” and “she” or “he”

Do not begin the story as though it happened to you and then suddenly describe the narrator as another person.

Decide whose point of view the story follows and keep it consistent.

Using your perspective for someone else’s story

If you are sharing another person’s experience, choose the perspective that represents that person.

For example, a man sharing his wife’s experience at a nail salon should choose Woman when the story is being told from his wife’s point of view.

Mixing multiple perspectives

A story may include several people, but it should have one clear primary viewpoint.

You can describe what other people said or did without changing the main perspective.

Confusing perspective with role

Perspective and role provide different information.

A person’s role may be Customer, while their perspective may be Woman, Man, Non-binary, or Prefer not to say.

Frequently asked questions

Can I tell someone else’s story?

Yes. Make sure you have permission when appropriate and avoid including private information that could harm or identify someone unnecessarily.

Choose the perspective that matches the person whose experience is being told.

Can I write anonymously?

Yes. You do not have to use your real name in the story.

You may also choose Prefer not to say when you do not want to share the narrator’s gender perspective.

Can I change the perspective later?

You may be able to update the perspective while editing your submission. Review the entire story after making the change to make sure the point of view remains consistent.

What if I witnessed the event but was not directly involved?

Tell the story from your own point of view and describe only what you personally saw, heard, or experienced.

For example, you might write, “I was working at the front desk when I heard the customer begin arguing with the manager.”

Choose the perspective that represents you as the witness.

What if the story includes both a woman’s and a man’s experiences?

Choose the perspective of the primary narrator—the person whose viewpoint guides most of the story.

You can still include the other person’s actions, reactions, and dialogue without changing perspectives.

What if I do not know which perspective to choose?

Ask yourself one question: “Whose experience am I telling?”

Choose the perspective that represents that person. When you do not want to provide this information, select Prefer not to say.