“No matter how genuine you might think it sounds, your written self is an illusion, a stand-in for you,” writes Carl H. Klaus in A Self Made of Words. “And since it’s made of words, your persona can be made to sound any way you want.” In this guide, Klaus demonstrates how the nonfiction writer can learn to cultivate an intentional version of the “self.” Replete with examples and exercises, the book has two parts: a detailed introduction to the persona and an overview of the most important elements in writing—including diction, point of view, and sentence structure—that play a role in crafting a distinctive self.