Electric Cocktails

Me Skyping

Yesterday I was farting around on Twitter because I was supposed to be writing and I am the master of avoidance.  Anyway, I follow a lot of writers and I'm always amazed at the awesome advice I come across in those 140 character bursts.

For example, I read this post by Elizabeth Vail on Heroes and Heartbreakers site about painful pasts and tortured heroines.  It was really helpful and since I didn't follow the website, I would never have come across it if it wasn't linked by @elizabethscraig who I find to be one of the most informative Twitterers in the industry.  You should check out her Mystery Writing is Murder blog too.

I said all of this at a party I attended last night. Some of the people knew I was an author and asked me about getting started. Every time I said that it was important to connect with other writers via Twitter or Blogs I got the raised brow.


Isn't that a time waster? I was asked.  Well...sometimes. But mostly it is not. Mostly...its an incredible asset to a writer.

Why? Because I connect with other people serious about their work. I network and hear industry news tidbits I find helpful information like what press is looking for submissions at the moment.  I get funny anectdotes and hear whats going on with whom...Its a giant cocktail party/golf game with my peers.

Business people do it. Doctors do it. Politicians do it. Teachers, not so much, but they hang out in the lounge and eat junk food and gossip, which is the same. (My husband is a teacher so I have it on good authority.)

There are a lot of reasons to hang out virtually. I've learned so much from writers further in their journey than I. I've been reminded of why I write by people just starting out.  I've made friends, realized how cool Steampunk is, and arranged to hang out at conferences.  

None of that is a time waster. Its an investment in your career as an author.  So get out there and follow and post and Tweet.  You just might like it. :)

Until next time...Go Write!

Survival Wednesdays - Twitter

My husband doesn't understand my Twitter fascination. He likes FaceBook and reading Blogs, but not Twitter. He thinks it's just a way to update your friends on what you ate for dinner.  The fact is, Twitter can be one of the best ways to grow as writer.

I'm not talking about working on brevity with its 140 character limit. I'm talking about connecting with other writers and industry blogs to keep abreast of whats going on in the publishing world.

You see, a many writers will Tweet things that are extremely helpful to you as a writer that you may not come across on your own. In neat little bits, you can get information on helpful articles, upcoming contests and conferences, new releases, even things that bug agents...so you don't make those mistakes.  People Tweet about blogfest you can join or critique circles.

And if you don't want to "Follow" a ba-zillion people, you can follow someone's "List." That way you can stay abreast of what's going on by glancing at what people on that list are talking about...its easy, manageable chunks of information.

The idea of what at RT or OH or Via in a Twitter post is can be confusing and a little intimidating.  For a great downloadable pamphlet by a truly funny guy, you should visit Brent Ozar's Blog. He explains everything from how to manage your account to how to reply...its a great step-by-step guide for the Twitter newbie.

Just know that people who regularly Tweet about writing often pass on some really great tidbits of information. I don't have the time to peruse all the Writer's Digest and Publisher's Weekly issues that come across my desk. But I do have a few seconds to scan the posts and click on an interesting link.

I encourage you to take a look at what's out there. You might be surprised. For instance, this post over at Burrowers, Books & Balderdash, first came to my attention as a ReTweet.  It's about why your first chapter is even more important in the Kindle Age. The blog post is both fascinating and instructive. Now that's something I can use.

What do you think? Is Twitter too much of a time waster for you? Do you find it helpful or frivolous? Let me know what you think.

Until next time...Go Write!

Photograph by Goto.

Networking

Coffee
Originally uploaded by SomeDriftwood

Okay, so here's the thing...I'm part of this critique group called the Sunday Morning Romance Writers. We get together every other Sunday and go over selections of our novels that we've traded and pre-read. I give my opinion on whether or not Lord Stunningly Handsome would realistically fall for Lady Shy-But-Gorgeous. I get to hear about why my characters are too prickly, or not prickly enough for their profession. Its all very motivating. Only thing is...there's just two of us that show up. Me and a woman that writes Regency Romance. I've learned a lot about corsets.

Our numbers are, as of yet, on the small side. Sitll, one great perk is that the eople watching is so great during this time. I can't tell you how many study groups, mommy groups, old people that read the newspaper and don’t talk groups, seem to keep our exact schedule. I’ve taken to jotting down the weird quirks for my characters. There’s a guy, who I think is learning to be a phlebotomist that smacks his Splenda packets against his thumbnail exactly five times. Every packet, every time. He takes like twenty in his giant cup of coffee. He apparently also hates raisins with a passion.

I wondered how one coffee shop attracted so many unusual people until I realized the other day, that if the authorities were watching my friend and I, we’d be in trouble. She talks about daggers, sabotage, and usurping the throne. I’m constantly asking her what she thinks the weight threshold in an air duct is, or if she knows how to pick a lock. Easily misinterpreted stuff.

All this to say that even though right now its just me and another dedicated writer showing up for our critique…semi-circle, that’s okay. I know that this is what I am supposed to do. I have faith. We’ll both make it. Until then, though our network is limited, it's definitely valuable to me.