I finally got around to joining Twitter last month... February 2012. I'd heard about it for years (of course) but the whole concept of Twitter seemed rather foreign. I've belonged to Internet discussion groups since 1998 and I joined Facebook in 2008 or thereabouts if my new timeline is correct, but Twitter? I didn't want to be limited to tweets of 140 characters... most of my sentences are longer than that.
Anyway... I told myself that this is the year I'm going to break out of my comfort zone and do more socializing... at least on the Internet. I figure that's a good place to start before branching off into the real world and actually talking to other people. See... if I had my way I'd probably sit in front of this keyboard composing stories most of my waking life.
Fortunately (or unfortunately whichever the case may be) no one thinks my stories are good enough to buy so I have to work in order to keep the electric turned on and the Internet connection functioning, otherwise I receive threatening letters in the mail. Not good, that. So I work part time in the real estate field trying to convince people to buy over-priced properties in an under-valued market... or is it the other way around? I sometimes get confused about it all. Luckily, if I put on a suit and tie people tend to think that I know what I'm going on about, otherwise...
So I took the Twitter plunge and joined up... at first I thought... who am I going to follow? I don't know anyone that twitters. So my account sat dormant for six or seven days while I contemplated Twitter suicide (is there such a thing?) and other scenarios that might alleviate or at least placate the feelings growing in my mind that I was utterly lost and alone in the Twitter universe, other than the Internet prostitutes who were nibbling at my Twitter feed.
By and by, though, I discovered other writers who were twittering... tons of them! Ah! I thought to myself... now that's why I joined Twitter. So I followed one writer, and then another, and pretty soon I started to feel I was part of something a lot bigger than I imagined it being.
It has come as a pleasant surprise that I am learning so much about the craft of writing. My only regret is that I wish I would have joined years ago. I do have a few concerns as my list of people that I follow grows... it seems rather difficult to keep up with all the tweets from everyone, and I'm only following 117 people at the moment. How on earth do people manage to follow thousands? I guess I'll figure that out as the time goes by... or not.
Either way, it's been fun! Thanks everyone!
Dan we have things in common. I started on Twitter just a couple months ago. First day I just listened then my quirky humor and writing style takes people back. Be happy in the day job, be great in all you do because the writing is part of you and you need to sustain her financially. Love the exerpt above. My twitter tips from a newbie:
ReplyDeleteBe you. You will find readers being yourself (you will also find crazies, mean people, people selling stuff you don't care about and hackers just as in life). Your goal is to find a posse of like minded people. Better if most the group is not writers- think about who you relate to in real life- say your profile customer in Real Estate come up with age job sense of self just as you would create characters. Talk about your books and life without selling, share, read others work that is (free because we're writers and need to be cost careful) then comment on work that you like and share it. Twitter does bring readers just corner up a group of ten and you are on your way. In time the books will sell. Just keep writing. Tell me what you want to RT (retweet)
Hi Caroline, thank you for writing! I agree it is better to maintain a broad range of associations in life and on Twitter although some people are naturally off putting to me... as you say, the crazies and the mean people. I've been sharing items of interest with others who might also get a kick out of them. We all are on a mission of learning here and the more we all contribute to that, the better off we'll all be.
ReplyDeleteI've been pushing myself to do more book reviews as well. I think the more we read the more we understand this craft of writing and by leaving reviews (especially for free downloads) we are helping other authors build their platforms and at the same time developing a new skill set of our own.
Thank you again for writing... it is very nice to meet you! And I am looking forward to reading your books!