Style, Star Trek, and Demons...

Neil Gaiman NOT Tim Burton

Every once in a while I like to go over the favorites on my Twitter account because often I've opted to star more than just Grumpy Cat pics and retweets of stuff Jimmy Falon says. 

Usually I have set aside links to wonderful advice from fellow writers, agents, even other industries...all with the intention of somehow using it to make me a better writer, marketer, editor...

So since I am going on four days straight of nonstop writing and am a bit fried at the moment...I thought I'd see what I've starred and pass on any blogs, articles, or videos I found particularly helpful.

We all know this is just procrastination on my part...but bear with me. There's some good stuff in here.

For one, the most recent, is a post by Agent Rachelle Gardner on How to Create a Style Sheet for Your Manuscript.  I've done this for the past few books and I cannot tell you how helpful it is!

Here is a Tweet from J. Leigh Bailey in which she extols the virtue of The Star Trek Way to Avoid Saggy Middles. The blog is Tara Lain, and is on a restricted setting, but the article itself is actually spot on. If you're having a problem with  floundering mid-story chapters then give this one a read.

Kristen Lamb, of course, always has great writing advice and her post about Driving the Demons to the Surface is amazing. Its all about torturing your characters and bringing about motivations and core personality via action not telling. This is a MUST READ...I'm serious. Go there now.

Rachel Thompson over at @badredheadmedia posted a link to Galley Cat's article on Free Sites to Promote Your eBook.  Its a great list of sites and strategies for all authors, from brick and mortar to
indy digital.  Take a look.

There are of course thousands of other posts out there to help you no matter what season of writing you are in. From concept to cover reveal, research to revisions...

Hope these links help. Now GO WRITE!

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!

Twitter Schmitter - How To Remain A Reclusive Writer

You're a writer. What care you for social media like Twitter? But, its expected now by agents and publishers and so you've signed up for an account while shuddering at the thought of your inner writing sanctum being invaded.  Well fear not... I'm here to help you rid yourself of those pesky followers. With Seven Simple Steps...you too, can tank your Twitter following!


Step One: Make sure your account is locked so that no one you follow can follow you back. This keeps your Tweets confined to you and your family members -- who call if they have anything to tell you. Excellent start so far!


Step Two: Choose your name like you're trying to encrypt your identity. Don't make your Twitter handle your real name...or that of your blog. No! That's too easy for others to catch on to who you are. Make it something like H82Twt so that you remain true to your reclusive writer persona.


Step Three: Use the lines in your profile to make obscure statements and claims instead of telling people who you are and what you do. Death to all Palladins...Me like chocolate...Joss is Boss. These are all excellent ways to hide your true identity. Be creative!


Step Four: Take a strangely cropped picture of just your eyes or maybe an avatar of you as a purple dingo and use that as your profile photo. That really helps to ward off recognition. You don't want people to recognize the picture on your book or blog as that of the person they've been interacting with...no, no!


Step Five: Follow the Rule of Five...Make sure you either Tweet every five minutes or every five days. That's the magic number. This enables you to flood the feed of prospective readers and writer buddies with absolute junk...and then you disappear for days. Trust me...this works wonders!


Step Six: Ignore others. Don't retweet interesting blog posts, contests, funny articles, or anything that might be of interest to other people or help them reach others. Remember, the goal is to remain unengaged with the world at large.  Also...if someone does follow you...DO NOT FOLLOW BACK. That will just encourage them.


Step Seven: Stay away from searches!  Don't look up topics that interest you like #amwriting or #writetips. These discussions and Tweet threads will suck you in and you'll be tempted to answer someone's question, comment on their Tweet, or otherwise join in. Don't fall for it!


There are of course, many other ways to sabotage your Twitter account. Keep in mind that while these methods are effective, they are not foolproof.  


Bots will eventually follow you and it is your duty to open their direct messages about phones and pet meds and CLICK THE LINK....this spams all of your four followers!  They love that.


If I have missed anything, feel free to leave your suggestions for successful Twitter tanking in the comments. 


All kidding aside, writers can gain a lot of good from Twitter. I've heard about contests, open calls for submissions, and new agents on the block, all from Tweets. I've connected with writers going to similar conferences, been introduced to critique groups, and learned about extremely helpful blogs via Tweets. Social media can be an advantage.  The trick is balance. Make sure you leave time for your first love...writing.

How To Create A Twitter Following - Guest Post

If you go back in time just a decade ago, you'll see people going to college to learn marketing skills that have absolutely nothing to do with the reality of the modern media. 

Today, being able to waste a bunch of time on Twitter is really more useful from a marketing standpoint than any college learning regarding demographics and market trends. 

In other words, having a strong Twitter following is really one of the most important aspects of running any kind of successful business on the web today. Here are ten tips on creating that following.

Follow Everyone Back

If someone follows you, follow them back. No exceptions. Even following back a spam bot can be helpful if a dozen other people followed them back, too.

Design a Great Avatar

Your userpic is the reader's first impression of you. If it looks dull, people are less likely to read that tiny little snippet of text sitting next to it.

Follow the Big Names

Even if you don't care what they have to say, follow the big social media people, the "opinion leaders" you can find listed at Twittercounter and other social media ranking sites. Even if you could care less, Twitter is all about big numbers.

Send @Messages to the Big Names

Ninety nine percent of the time, they're not going to answer you, but that doesn't matter, because here's the trick: people will see that you're sending those messages to some famous person and think "This person must be big, they know (insert celebrity name here)." It's total baloney, of course, but it works.

Link, Link, Link

Don't just say "this a hilarious video", link to it. Link to interesting articles, pictures, videos, songs, everything. If sixty percent of your Tweets are just links, you're doing something right.

Be an Expert

People are a lot more likely to look for Twitter accounts focused on a subject they take an interest in than a Twitter account simply dedicated to your own personal thoughts and ramblings. If you know a lot about video games, movie news, antique furniture, whatever, milk that knowledge, and once you've made a name for yourself, don't be afraid to have controversial opinions. Nothing doubles your followers like a controversial 

Tweet.

Tweet and Tweet Again

Most people who use Twitter check their accounts at the same time every day. If they're following a hundred other accounts, then there's a good chance that your Tweets will be pushed off their page by the time they sign on. Post your best Tweets a couple extra times throughout the day to push them back to the top for those who haven't seen them yet.

Use Multimedia

The more pictures, videos and mixed media you link, the better.

Use Easy Tools

There are all kinds of apps you can get for your phone and your web browser to make Tweeting incredibly easy, keeping you in the loop and letting you text tweets in half the time.

Be a Twitter Junkie

Don't be afraid to be one of those people with their nose constantly buried in the phone, it helps.

We can say what we will about Twitter, but the bottom line is that it's one of the most effective marketing tools ever created, and if you're looking to develop an audience or get your piece of the market share, you'd be crazy not to take advantage.

Nicole Rodgers has been blogging about online marketing for 3 years, she blogs about a variety of topics such as ways to heat map a website to how businesses can utilize a budget worksheet.  

Photograph by Rosaura Ochoa.

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.