Hey guys! Sorry, it's been a while since I posted last, but here I am, once more! All vacationed and busied out. So let's get down to business, of course, the real reason why you're here.
So. Social Media. The destroyer, or savior, of writers. It really can go either way, depending on how you use it. I'm here to tell you about both ways, the one so you can avoid it and the other so you can utilize it.
The destroyer. How can Social Media, the big fat monster, destroy your writing? Simple, it distracts you from writing, and if you don't write on one day and say "I will make up for it tomorrow", let me tell you, you really won't. Normally it'll go "I'll make up for it tomorrow" and tomorrow comes around and it's even easier to put your writing off once more. And again. And again. And I really don't think I need to go on, because I think you get the picture.
I am going to tell you a secret to writing. It's the greatest secret out there, and the best thing about it is it's hidden in plain sight, and everybody says it, but nobody really listens to it. So open your ears, and get your brain juices ready for contemplation. Writers write. Whoa. Who knew, right? Just kidding, that's only the beginning of what I was going to say. Write every day. Don't ever put it off. If you think "I should write right now…" then think "But I'd rather do this…" MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. Red flag. You. Are. A. Writer. W-R-I-T-E-R writer. Like I said, writers write. If you put it off because you'd rather be doing something else then you need to think again. Are you a writer? Yes. (Or no, but I'm not touching that) Do you want to be published? Yes. (If not, I don't believe you) Will getting on Facebook RIGHT NOW to check what Mary Doe three states over is doing right at this very moment help you to reach your goal? No. I really, honestly, don't think so. Unless she's actually a character in your novel, but that's also not what we're talking about. The point is social media's destroying side comes under the sweet, well known name of PROCRASTINATION and DISTRACTION. Don't procrastinate, or get distracted. Do you have something important to do? Like school, or something (Or better yet, writing) then do that, so you can get to writing faster. Keep your goal in mind of being a published author (Or whatever your actual goal is) and DON'T LET GO. "Whenever you feel like quitting, remember why you started."
The savior. Now THIS is the tricky part. This is like walking a tight wire and you're walking over a vat of lava known as procrastination, so if you don't trust yourself to be responsible with your time online, then please don't attempt this.
Social media can help you grow your fan base. Get your followers hyped up about your book that's coming out. Talk about it. Hashtag #amwriting so other writers can find you. Trust me, writers are a very supportive group for the most part because they understand what you're going through. Share your experiences with writing. These past few things are mainly concerned with blogging, or Twitter, or Facebook. Now, Pinterest is a bit different because the uniqueness of it. You can create boards for your novels, pin pictures of what you envision your characters look like, pin quotes of what your characters could say. If people follow this board, once again, it would build a fan base. Not for a while because, just like all things, you must be patient. But I know that when I look at boards that are story boards, normally just the first time through, I want to read the book right off the bat. For me, it's better than reading the back of the book. You can find character inspiration, architecture inspiration, plot inspiration, seriously. Inspiration is very easily birthed on Pinterest. But all of these websites, for me in particular, are more distracting than helpful, so weigh your choice.
Another thing: No, I don't believe writers should be all work and no play, I believe the two are blended, in a writer's life. Everywhere you look you see story ideas, plot points, and mostly, character inspiration. I can't watch a movie without being inspired to write something that would be comparable, or better. I can't read a book without catching mistakes that should have been edited out. I can't go to Starbucks without analyzing at least ONE person. This is life as a writer. You lay awake in bed at night thinking about what next. How will your character climb that wall? Or how will that character die (Ehehehehe… *cough* sorry)? Or what if the bad guys win? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Writing is putting life down on paper, encrypted. If you don't pay attention to life and apply it's concepts to your work, you can never improve. What I'm trying to say is no, writers don't have all work and no play, neither do they have all play and no work. Their "play" and "work" are delicately intertwined, so yes, getting distracted on social media is not always a bad thing. Just remember what you want with your life, and social media should never be your destroyer. Just that annoying but fun and entertaining friend.
What do you think? Can social media help, or destroy? How?
Viola June HFA-DGN
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