In the September 10th post, "It Takes a Village: A Storytelling Experiment Utilizing Social Media" (http://inscribingindustry.blogspot.com/2014/09/it-takes-village-storytelling.html), you read about the origins of our thrilling Twitter Tales activity, its participants and saw 23 of its posts. Now, you will read about the dynamic visual arts component involving the digital collage site of Polyvore (a social community with users spanning the globe and as of May 2014, about 20 million unique visitors each month). A contest was held between two art groups for two weeks, during which time artistically inclined users were encouraged to create art sets inspired by the first eleven individual Twitter posts from the story.
The idea was simple. We had our wonderful group of emerging and established authors, skilled storytellers, instructors and professionals that had generated the words, the engaging content from the 1st eleven posts. Having been on Polyvore for a number of years, I knew of the immense, diverse artistic talents of users, their incredible abilities for allegory and creative, soulful interpretation. 1+1=WOW. Yet we, I, couldn't have anticipated how amazing the results would be. The results from this synergistic combination of talented writers and amazing artists were nothing short of awe-inspiring and the reaction from entrants around the world was profound. Well over 100 Polyvore art sets were entered with enthusiasm, creative passion, emotion and dedication.
Contest entrants chose individual posts that resonated with them and created artistic digital collages based on the words. We had a number of instances where entrants ended up making one set for each post. They created powerful imagery that brought our story to new life through varied perspectives across continents and age demographics, showing the significance of unity—art and words, writers and artists, creative mediums and people combined. You'll get to read more about the activity and some of the participating writers' great reactions to the art component in upcoming posts.
Together, we—writers, artists and the readers commenting/supporting along the way—are all making a bit of history here that has implications for the future of art and writing in the digital world. Thank you for coming on this adventure. (Note: Stay tuned for the final Twitter post! We will be inviting everyone to vote from amongst three options!)
What you will see below are listed winning contest entrants with links to their winning sets (we also plan to have separate blog posts with slideshows of the sets). Some entrants have provided statements/quotes or replies to questions about the activity. The two groups the contest ran in were The Creative Coaltion and Words in Art. Deep gratitude is extended to group moderator, Jennifer Glass Wright (@colbysma) for the use of the groups during the two week period, her assistance, enthusiasm, support, time and insight. The sets were carefully judged according to how they reflected the posts they corresponded to. It was a terribly difficult task to do the judging. There were so many fabulous works of art made! In each group, there would typically be one set chosen to represent each individual Twitter post. As there are 12 winners to a group and there were only 11 posts to choose from, there were a few posts that had two winning sets. Again, sets from the two different groups were chosen based on how we felt they best illustrated the words of the individual posts (not limited to style or literal interpretation). We honor all of the entrants and also have collections of other entries we admired.
Enjoy reading the perspectives of our winners and seeing their work!
From The Creative Coalition group:
@sisilem (set: http://www.polyvore.com/all_metal/set?id=130172967&lid=3857202)
@blue2mato (set: http://www.polyvore.com/find_lock_key_fit/set?id=130230947&lid=3857202)
@incogneato (Joyce B.): (set: http://www.polyvore.com/lepetit_protector/set?id=129109860&lid=3857202)
"My art is formed predominantly by the natural world along with fantasies of possibility."
~How did you find this contest to be unique in comparison to other contests?
The writer's sentences stimulated a creative interpretation, unlike contests where the subject matter is named and defined.
~What did you enjoy most about the concept of being inspired by the words to make art sets that represented your interpretations of what you read?
Most of the writings were scintillating suggestions of a plot. The most attractive ones remained abstract, giving the artist full creative license.
~Did you feel more invested/interested in the story and what happens in it by being able to participate/respond to it through art?
That is a difficult question. Often reading is a highly intimate process, where one is given an opportunity to see into the author's thought processes and experience. It is like a pact, based on a premise of anonymity, where the writer is allowed full reign of expression. As such, the reader also interprets the writing based on his own ideas and experience. I have not experienced participatory
literature and art in the manner you suggest.
~Would you like to see/enter more contests like this?
Yes! I think this was stimulating for the artists as a group.
@mdesigns2012 (set: http://www.polyvore.com/pictures_worth_thousand_words--the_shield/set?id=129269644&lid=3857202)
@ellen-hilart: (set: http://www.polyvore.com/old_memories_haunt_me/set?id=129241300&lid=3857202)
"What a fascinating concept. You gave us all a reason to think out of the box and create such interesting sets. I'm proud to have my entries in this collection. As I said before, this was a most interesting, intelligent and challenging contest. This story is getting very exciting. I can't wait to read more and see the fusion of art and literature!"
~How did you find the contest to be unique in comparison to other contests?
I thought the integration of the polyvore contest and results [winners] being included in The Write Place such a great innovation. This concept has made being on Polyvore and creating, in my case many years (six), a validation of all that I have done here. I feel like I am being acknowledged for the creations I have made. Thank you for that!!!
~What did you enjoy most about the concept of being inspired by the words to make art sets that represented your interpretation of what you read?
Trying to make the visual fit the words in an abstract way without being completely literal. That was a real challenge to me, being the traditionalist that I am.
~Did you feel more invested/interested in the story and what happens in it by being able to participate/respond to it through art?
Yes. I love to read books and magazine articles, but sometimes when I'm reading instructions, manuals, etc. I tend to skip over much of the text. In this case, I had to actually read the entire excerpts to know how to proceed with the artwork. So, yes, I was more invested.
~Are you interested in following this story to read more of it and/or learn more about the writers?
Yes, I'd love to see how it ends. And, of course, would love to know more about the writers.
@niwi: (set: http://www.polyvore.com/2237_my_mind_raced/set?id=129738503&lid=3857202)
"This was one of the most interesting contests--what a fantastic adventure. I'm very happy I had time to take the challenge."
~How did you find this contest to be unique in comparison to other contests?
I love words, I love to read and I'm amazed about how different people can visualise events, places and characters out of a novel or a short story in so many different manners. I loved this contest because it allowed us to express and materialise what the words put into our minds.
~What did you enjoy most about the concept of being inspired by the words to make art sets that represented your interpretations of what you read?
I loved that I had to pick up clues out of the texts to guess about the characters, environment, era, country, etc... I loved the fact the story took place in these interwar years, sending us to the golden age of detective stories and Hollywood film noirs.
~Did you feel more invested/interested in the story and what happens in it by being able to participate/respond to it through art?
Yes, probably because for once I was allowed to express what this text evoked to me in a visual way, and collage is a very specific means of expression. You have to cope with what you find to express yourself; it is not like when you are able to draw or paint exactly what you have in mind.
~Are you interested in following this story to read more of it?
I'd love to know what happened to Mark, indeed, and learn more about these women in the story.
@gabrielle01: (set: http://www.polyvore.com/how_could/set?id=129376279&lid=3857202)
"I enjoyed the challenge very much and I like the new postings of the story on Twitter."
@ausie34 (Kris Rozelle): [note- This polyvore user's new account is @ni-ke; their original set on their former account was one of the chosen winning sets]:
"I'm an artist, poetry writer and art teacher for kids. Ever since I was five I have painted, drawn and used my gifts in art for others."
"Let me just say how honored I was to be a part of such a beautiful undertaking; thank you for your soul-wrenching effort putting together such a heart and soul gripping work readers will be transported in. When I first came upon the contest, I thought now there it is...all of my polyvore art is 'a picture worth a thousands words,' if you only spend the time to see the hidden meanings. I have always been told my art is a picture with many stories, but to illustrate others' work was an incredible experience."
~How did you find this contest to be unique in comparison to other contests?
This contest tied into the notion all art is based upon; a picture being worth a thousand words and illustrating a story; but it came alive through the illustrations, extrapolations and interpretations of others. In essence we got to peek into the minds of others as we all interpreted the same written words. This contest was both powerful and gripping!
~What did you enjoy most about the concept of being inspired by the words to make art sets that represented your interpretations of what you read?
For me personally, most of my work is inspired by music, which is a series of lyrics on a page. Likewise I was inspired by the words of the story for the same reason—they were powerful and heart-gripping and I wanted to illustrate the story because I felt connected to it.
~Do you feel that written works are made more powerful by being combined with visual art?
Definitely, ALWAYS! The more senses one can capture the better! Adding a visual component to TwitterTales made them come more alive! Art breathed more life into those literary words and gave them wings to fly in our imaginations.
~Did you feel more invested/interested in the story and what happens in it by being able to participate/respond to it through art?
The writing hooks you in and of itself, but the art takes you to a whole new level and it becomes more alive. I would have been interested and invested either way.
@ritadolce: (set: http://www.polyvore.com/picture_is_worth_thousand_words/set?id=129831971&lid=3857202)
"The contest was unique and challenging. I have it heard said,'that a picture speaks a thousand words'! Written works are made more powerful when visual art is added. I would like to see more contests like this."
@jennifer (Jennifer Mayr): (set: http://www.polyvore.com/as_silent/set?id=129051472&lid=3857202)
"I'm a science teacher at a boarding school, looking for artistic outlets wherever I can find them."
~How did you find this contest to be unique in comparison to other contests?
The challenge of working with someone else's story appealed to me, merging two art forms.
~What did you enjoy most about the concept of being inspired by the words to make art sets that represented your interpretations of what you read?
The words were vivid, yet mysterious, since I didn't know the entire story.
~Do you feel that written works are made more powerful by being combined with visual art?
I still love illustrated books. Maira Kalman and Peter Mendelsund have the right idea.
@leotajane (Jane Donnelly): (set: http://www.polyvore.com/answers/set?id=130162740&lid=3857202)
"This was the opposite of how I create so it was a bit difficult, however looking back, I had a great time. It was a learning experience and challenge that I appreciated the opportunity to be a part of with all my Polyvore artist community members."
~How did you find this contest to be unique in comparison to other contests?
This contest was unique in comparison to other contests by the fact we were given prompts about what we needed to portray in our sets. A story. Most contests do not have a narrative that continues as you create. The parameters of most contests involve using colors, a designer, an emotion, or express a particular event, feeling or sentiment.
~What did you enjoy most about the concept of being inspired by the words to make art sets that represented your interpretations of what you read?
We had words to use specifically and I enjoyed trying to incorporate these words with the images by using everyday objects to mesh the words into the piece, like visual metaphors.
~Do you feel that written works are made more powerful by being combined with visual art?
Depending on the story, what medium, what media, and how it's presented. I have been involved with artists who have asked me to create art for poetry written specifically for the art piece.
~Did you feel more invested/interested in the story and what happens in it by being able to participate/respond to it through art?
Yes, I felt responsible for giving the readers an idea of what is happening by my work of art.
Blog: leotajane.blogspot.com/
@aunt-kiki: (set: http://www.polyvore.com/had_to/set?id=128806317&lid=3857202)
"By day I am a freelance editor, but my real passion is art & art history. I do consider myself an amateur artist who dabbles in a variety of mediums including: poetry, photography, collage, mixed media (a la Polyvore). I feel most alive when I am creating and feel like I am wasting away if I don't express myself artistically in some form or another every day."
~How did you find this contest to be unique?
I liked trying to come up with a set that conveyed a few words and make it interesting and artistic, keeping true to the writer's intent while staying true to my own artistic vision & aesthetic. So that it's simultaneously theirs & mine, if that makes sense.
From the Words in Art group:
@incogneato (set: http://www.polyvore.com/an_element_decline/set?id=129329786&lid=3857145)
@tinky5870 (Tina Shearin): (set: http://www.polyvore.com/tick_tock-find_lock/set?id=129014776&lid=3857145)
"I'm a 40-something woman who believes in possibilities. A woman who has seen, for herself, that fate can pluck you up from one circumstance and plunk you right down in the middle of your heart's desire. If only you believe."
"I'm drawn to art because I think it's a unifying medium. When we look at a piece of art that speaks to us, we are not only seeing into the soul of the artist, but into our own, as well. We are all humans, struggling on our dark days and basking in the light of our good days. Art, more than anything else, in my opinion, can reflect the vast array of emotions that each and every one of us experience. The result? We know we aren't alone in the human condition. Someone else feels what we feel, sees what we see and has put it out there for ALL of us.
However, I found that the story came alive to me (due to the intriguing plot and brilliant contributions to the story-line) and so I needn't have worried--it just came about naturally :) Thank you for this opportunity to grow, learn and express myself."
~How did you find this contest to be unique in comparison to other contests?
I found that having a story already evolving was an entirely unique experience. With other contests, you have a theme or idea to leap from, but in this contest, you were drawing from someone else's imagination, so to speak. I found myself hoping that my set would reflect how that particular writer saw that scene in his or her own mind.
~Do you feel that written works are made more powerful by being combined with visual art?
Yes, I do. Some people prefer to be free to visualize the story in their own way, but others are benefited by visual aids, which results in their being drawn more deeply into the story.
~Are you interested in following this story to read more of it and/or learn more about the writers?
Yes, I'd love to follow it and intend to. I would also very much enjoy learning more about the writers.
@purplepandora (set: http://www.polyvore.com/mourn_later/set?id=128944683&lid=3857145)
@artfreak04 (set: http://www.polyvore.com/things_to_be_remembered/set?id=129519250&lid=3857145)
@kikilea (set: http://www.polyvore.com/untitled_1087/set?id=130045733&lid=3857145)
@niwi (set: http://www.polyvore.com/2238_how_bizarre/set?id=129761043&lid=3857145)
@eileen-d-mooncat (set: http://www.polyvore.com/picture_worth_1000_words_beginning/set?id=129340610&lid=3857145)
@chellcouture (Michelle Elsmore): (set: http://www.polyvore.com/right_then_it_hit_me/set?id=129522906&lid=3857145)
"I found it a great pleasure to participate in the contest. To be honest, I loved every minute creating for this contest and I could do it all over again. I find art very relaxing, it's like speaking without actually saying anything, you can express so much through art. Creating art to go with a story had me creating for hours to try and get the perfect theme to go with the words; it's like when you're reading a favorite novel... You always create the pictures and characters in your head. I really can't express how much I enjoyed taking part. I had so much enthusiasm, once I started I couldn't stop. It's amazing how many creations you can actually come up with for a few words..."
~How did you find this contest to be unique in comparison to other contests?
I felt you had more variation than it being a certain theme; having the words to go by in the creation made it feel like my own little movie in pictures.
~Are you interested in following this story to read more of it and/or learn more about the writers?
Yes, I found the story very interesting. Would love to read more of it, and it would be great to learn about the writers.
@my-time-is-now (Joeanne Meyes): (set: http://www.polyvore.com/red_flags/set?id=128829441&lid=3857145)
"I'm a 50 something year old woman who was able to legally marry the woman I love last May. I love to restore furniture, write (poetry, poems & stories), photography and of course Polyvore."
~How did you find this contest to be unique in comparison to other contests?
I found the competition unique because it made me think of the writer and how I might interpret their words. That was something different and challenging.
~What did you enjoy most about the concept of being inspired by the words to make art sets that represented your interpretations of what you read?
What I enjoyed most about the competition was that there were so many different kinds of ways you could do a set to interpret the words. Refreshing!!!
~Do you feel that written works are made more powerful by being combined with visual art?
I hadn't really thought about it before, but with this competition, when I saw all the different kinds of ways the words were interpreted by people's sets, I was amazed; and I do now believe that in this case, the pictures (sets) did make the words more potent and delivered the messages well.
~Did you feel more invested/interested in the story and what happens in it by being able to participate/respond to it through art?
In a strange way I did feel more invested in the storyline. Maybe because I had the chance to participate and therefore felt more invested. I have looked in on the story a number of times checking where and how the story line was progressing.
Thanks for a unique and most enjoyable, not to mention challenging, endeavor.
@beggarmagik: (set: http://www.polyvore.com/untitled_2933/set?id=129953291&lid=3857145)
"The illustrations can enhance the author's vision. The words become clearer...the focus stronger. Gives a delightful added touch."
@texaspinkfox (set: http://www.polyvore.com/oh/set?id=130286293&lid=3857145)
@leotajane (set: http://www.polyvore.com/get_truth/set?id=130234247&lid=3857145)
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Friday, February 20, 2015
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
It Takes a Village: A Storytelling Experiment Utilizing Social Media
Beginning on June 23rd, eleven participants ranging from established novelists and instructors to newly published writers, started taking turns telling one story through Twitter posts. The activity, coined ‘Twitter Tales’, is a storytelling experiment that means to further define the role of social media in the writer’s life; addressing opposing beliefs, questions and myths. What we’ve discovered thus far dispels some commonly held views and forges new ones while raising questions about further possibilities. We will be sharing more about our revelations on this wild ride of creativity, but this post will introduce the players, the story and the start of our pioneering adventure.
So how did we end up in a 1920s LA noir? None of us rightly know. It happened along the way. That’s what is so fascinating about this whole endeavor. Yet perhaps it would be right to say that the story and the idea of the activity, all began with the original trouble-maker that had to go asking questions, researching and gathering recruits to investigate the idea of social media for writers. Not content with the conflicting information, the lack of available statistics and unexplored territories, she felt compelled to go on a crusade for answers to bring back for her readers. That fiery dame and her brazen ideas. I’m sure it’s no mystery who that troublesome broad is. (I just wish you’d pretended to wait a few moments longer to pin it on me.) Once I had my accomplices, I came up with 4 posts for the others to vote on as a beginning. There were no dictates or restraints on genre or premise. This was the winner: "A key, a ring, a license plate; all metal, all evidence of life, all that was left in the end. The element deemed 'the decline of matter.'"
We would each be moving this story forward one post, one turn at a time. It seemed that we could ‘play God’ in 140 characters or less. What we started to discover, however, is that this story had its own momentum and was teaching us as we went. The story formed a particular voice early on, despite 11 varied writers driving it. Though the story is now a 20s noir and has clear elements of that genre, it still transcends it with a contemplative literary tone. While checking that the story is historically accurate, what was interesting, is that the research for location, transportation and communication (telephone direct dial service) coincided with what we’d already written.
One writer was given a book on the 1920s as a gift right before the story landed in that time period. Another who hadn’t yet taken their first turn, said that they had family in the LA area at that time. When making an example art set to accompany the story on a digital collage site (more on the art component in posts to come), I chose a French song to play in the background for its sound. What I realized when I translated the lyrics was that it fit the characters’ feelings perfectly at that point in the story and I hadn’t known that ahead of time. Beyond the serendipity at work, a theme behind our magazine itself, we learned about ourselves and our roles.
As the complexity in the story arc rose, minute details of dates, objects, actions and emotional ties carried added weight. The dynamic challenge increases to cohesively construct the story 140 characters at a time, building upon one another’s words. The story’s life depends on how well we can all work together and as a result, it’s no longer about personal motivation deciding our course, but rather the needs of the story. We’re developing each other’s leads, solving each other’s mysteries and supporting each other’s paths. Writing is deemed an isolating profession—said to be even more so in the digital age. We create alone, we wrestle our own inner egos and censors. We are accountable to ourselves and make all the decisions. The work’s victories and struggles are individual.
Yet here, it’s all about coming together to do what we can and must to make our story survive and thrive. Like the game of Trust, we step in when it’s our turn, then let go and trust that the person following behind will securely catch what we’ve placed in their arms. There can be inherent challenges in this (both fun challenges that inspire and challenges that push us, adapting on our feet mid-sprint). With our great team, we are working collectively to craft a great story and share all that we’ve discovered. Isolated by writing? Nope. Isolated by technology? No—brought together. We’re putting the ‘social’ in social media.
The Story
Beginning: “A key, a ring, a license plate; all metal, all evidence of life, all that was left in the end. The element deemed ‘the decline of matter.’"
Charles Salzberg: That's all I had to work with. I've had less which turned out to be more than enough. 1st step: Find the lock the key fit. #TwitterTales
Diane McDonough: I had to get a grip & mourn later, forging those metals-ring, key, license plate-into armor that would shield me from all this. #TwitterTales
Jackie Dawn: Still, old memories were like old habits. I rolled the ring across my palm & remembered his words as he slipped it on my finger. #TwitterTales
Joseph Barro: My mind raced. My ears bled in a deafening ring. My vision returning more clearly. The plate read: CA. The date...could it be? #TwitterTales
Linda Emma: Impossible. Unrelated,yet totally relevant? How could its expiration be the same as his: April 18, 1923 #twittertales
Martin Crosbie: I grabbed the key. It was time to go back to the beginning, time to remember what he'd told me, time to finally seek the truth #TwitterTales
Pat Greene: Right then it hit me - how many truths or even lies like this had he kept from me? Had I known Mark at all? The phone rang #TwitterTales
Rochelle Shapiro: “Hello?” “Is Mark there?” a woman said. “Who is this?” I said. “Mark’s wife,” she said. I was silent as Theda Bara on screen. #TwitterTales
Stephanie Haddad: I had so many questions, but could only manage an “Oh?” I wanted to scream. But this woman was the only avenue toward answers. #TwitterTales
Terin Tashi Miller: "Mark's not here. He's gone." I said. It was true. "How did you get this number?" I had to keep her on the line. I had to. #TwitterTales
NMB: Don’t be coy. I know who you are. I don’t really concern myself with my husband’s dalliances or whereabouts. I want the key. #TwitterTales
Charles Salzberg: What makes you think I have the key? Even if I did, why would I give it to you? Perhaps we should meet and maybe work this out.#TwitterTales
Diane McDonough: Alright. But know that I hired a private eye and I have pictures that I’ll take to the FBI unless I get the key. Understand? #TwitterTales
Jackie Dawn: “Fine,” I said, though belief was shallow. “Meet me at the sign.” “Sign?” She asked. “Don't feign ignorance. You know which one.” #TwitterTales
Joseph Barro: The line disconnected. Headlights appeared through the canyon mist. A yellow cab? I froze. Run? I walked casually to the road. #TwitterTales
Linda Emma: Time to confront this hired PI. Even if those photos could topple an empire. It was just a house of cards – flimsy as the sign #TwitterTales
Martin Crosbie: He was from the old neighborhood, I knew him. With his rumpled coat + eleven-o’clock leer he was calling himself a PI now. #TwitterTales
Pat Greene: "When I saw the cab, I guessed that her PI had followed me here to Hollywoodland, but I never thought he would be you, John. #TwitterTales"
Rochelle Shapiro: "Marion, I know what happened to Mark. Get in." #Twittertales
Stephanie Haddad: My breath caught. Await an angry woman or trust a man I couldn’t trust. Old flames will be my downfall. I ducked into the cab. #twittertales
Terin Tashi Miller: I slid in the cab next to John. His hand rested on top of mine. Slowly, he turned my hand over. "Did you bring the key?" #TwitterTales
NMB: “Marion, I’m taking you to the bank right now.You’re going to open that safety deposit box.You’ll never have him or the money.”#TwitterTales
To be continued… Find out what happens to contemplative, sophisticated Marion, discover what Mark was up to and whether he’s dead or alive! (It seems a number of readers, etc. want his character to have been killed off, but you’ll just have to see.)
See new posts as we continue through the story arc and all of the posts thus far on Twitter @WriteplcWritetm. You can also read the story on Facebook through our page and the Twitter event page (updates are posted every three turns):
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Write-Place-At-the-Write-Time-literary-journal/345104540254.
Read about the thrilling visual arts component involving the digital collage site Polyvore in an upcoming post. A contest between two art groups was held for two weeks during which time artistically inclined users were encouraged to create art sets inspired by the first eleven individual Twitter posts from the story. The results from this synergistic combination of talented writers and amazing artists have been nothing short of awe-inspiring and the reaction from entrants around the world was profound. Well over 100 Polyvore art sets were entered with enthusiasm, creative passion, emotion and dedication.
The Players
Charles Salzberg is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Esquire, GQ, New York Magazine, the New York Times and other periodicals. He is the author or co-author of more than 25 non-fiction books. His novel, Swann's Last Song, was nominated for a Shamus Award. He has also written a sequel, Swann Dives In, and the third in the series, Swann's Lake of Despair will be published in October. His latest novel, Devil in the Hole, was named one of the set crime novels of the year by Suspense magazine. He has been a Visiting Professor of Magazine at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and he teaches writing at the Writer's Voice and the New York Writers Workshop where he is a Founding Member.
Diane McDonough is a poet and writer who has been published in numerous journals. She won first prize in the PrimeTime Cape Cod 2013 Poetry Contest and has exhibited her poetry in responsive art exhibits, including the current 2014 Poetry and Art Show, Wickford Art Association. Diane, who worked as a high school educator for over 25 years, has a B.A. in English and an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology. She lives in the village of Marstons Mills on Cape Cod with her husband and their two dogs.
Jackie Dawn received a bachelor's degree in creative writing and literature from Hofstra University in 2007, where she was also the recipient of the Eugene Schneider Award for Prose. Her work has appeared in several literary journals, including Susquehanna University's The Apprentice Writer. She lives in New York, where she works as a senior editor in marketing and as a freelance writer. In addition, she is a co-moderator of and contributor to a weekly fiction blog. She is a dedicated shoe and book addict, and is currently working on her first novel.
Joseph Barro resides in Southern California with his wife and family. He is a high school teacher, as well as a lifelong musician, songwriter, recording, and performing artist. Joseph has written hundreds of songs, a variety of recorded albums, and has just begun writing short stories for publication. He just recently celebrated his first publication with his short story “Bodies” featured in the Winter/Spring 2014 issue of the literary magazine thewriteplaceatthewritetime.org. Joseph is now participating in a social media storytelling project entitled #TwitterTales with a variety of other writers. Follow Joseph on Twitter or contact at the following address:
Twitter: @MrJBarro
Email: josephbarro@me.com
Linda Emma is an author, educator and educational marketing writer. She creates client content and supervises a small team of freelance writers, helping them to hone their individual skills and styles while always maintaining the client voice. Linda also works at a small New England college where she has served as instructor, writing tutor and learning consultant. In the spare moment or two she can eke out of any week, she pens posts to a tongue-in-cheek titled blog Kidssuck.net and tries to still maintain a relationship with the fictional characters of her forthcoming second novel. She is married with two children who always inspire.
In a press release, Amazon called Martin Crosbie one of their success stories of 2012. His self-publishing journey has been chronicled in Publisher's Weekly, Forbes Online, and Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper. His non-fiction work How I Sold 30,000 eBooks on Amazon's Kindle: An Easy-To-Follow Self-Publishing Guidebook, 2014 Edition has been called “A must-have go-to reference book for self-published writers.” He's also the author of My Temporary Life – Book One of the My Temporary Life Trilogy, My Name Is Hardly - Book Two of the My Temporary Life Trilogy, Lies I Never Told: A Collection of Short Stories, and Believing Again: A Tale Of Two Christmases. You can learn more about Martin at:
www.martincrosbie.com
Connect with him at:
martin@martincrosbie.com.
Pat Greene is originally from Ireland but has been calling New York home for the past twenty five years. He earns his daily crust working in the very unique and demanding, yet very exciting NYC construction industry. In his spare time, he likes to write and you can read some of his short fiction @TheWritePlaceAtTheWriteTime.org
.jpg)
Rochelle Jewel Shapiro’s first novel, Miriam The Medium (Simon & Schuster), was nominated for the Harold U. Ribelow Award. Her novel, Kaylee’s Ghost (Amazon and Nook), is an Indie Finalist. Her latest short story collection, What I Wish You'd Told Me, has just been published by Shebooks. She’s published essays in NYT (Lives), and Newsweek and in many anthologies. Her poetry, short stories, and essays have appeared in The Coe Review, Compass Rose, The Griffin, Inkwell Magazine, The Iowa Review, Los Angeles Review, The MacGuffin, Memoir And Moment, Negative Capability, Pennsylvania English, The Carolina Review, and more. She won the Brandon Memorial Literary Award from Negative Capability. Shapiro is a professional psychic who currently teaches writing at UCLA Extension.
http://rochellejewelshapiro.com
Stephanie Haddad is a wife and mother of two by day, a freelance writer and author by bedtime. She is the author of four romance novels, including the Amazon top-ten hit A Previous Engagement. Stephanie also enjoys writing short stories, some of which appear in the virtual archives of The Write Place At the Write Time. Now that her youngest is nearing age 2, she's hoping to dedicate more time to her fiction writing, including a paranormal romance series in the works.
Terin Tashi Miller spent many of his formative years in India, the child of anthropologist parents. Since then, he has lived and worked in a variety of countries in Europe and Asia. His writing has appeared in guide books, international magazines including Time and Geografica Revista, and newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News and The Los Angeles Times. Born in St. Louis, Mo., and raised in Madison, Wis. and several provinces in India, he currently lives in New Jersey.
Nicole M. Bouchard is Editor-in-Chief and founder of The Write Place At the Write Time literary journal. This is a role she has enjoyed for six years, connecting with incredible creative individuals. She is a member of the National League of American Pen Women. She began her writing career in journalism at a regional entertainment publication with pieces including interviews with Broadway actress Marie Danvers and singer/songwriter Jewel Kilcher. Combining magazine journalism editing experience with her fiction writing and passion for literature, she turned her interest toward the literary world. Her portfolio includes best-selling authors such as Janet Fitch, Dennis Lehane, Arthur Golden, Alice Hoffman Joanne Harris, Mona Simpson, Melanie Benjamin and a number of creative professionals. She served as one of the editors on the small press panel at The Fourth Annual Mass. Poetry Festival in 2012. Ms. Bouchard has recently enjoyed branching out into freelance substantive and developmental manuscript editing. She still writes as time allows, assembling a short fiction collection and working on a novel.
So how did we end up in a 1920s LA noir? None of us rightly know. It happened along the way. That’s what is so fascinating about this whole endeavor. Yet perhaps it would be right to say that the story and the idea of the activity, all began with the original trouble-maker that had to go asking questions, researching and gathering recruits to investigate the idea of social media for writers. Not content with the conflicting information, the lack of available statistics and unexplored territories, she felt compelled to go on a crusade for answers to bring back for her readers. That fiery dame and her brazen ideas. I’m sure it’s no mystery who that troublesome broad is. (I just wish you’d pretended to wait a few moments longer to pin it on me.) Once I had my accomplices, I came up with 4 posts for the others to vote on as a beginning. There were no dictates or restraints on genre or premise. This was the winner: "A key, a ring, a license plate; all metal, all evidence of life, all that was left in the end. The element deemed 'the decline of matter.'"
We would each be moving this story forward one post, one turn at a time. It seemed that we could ‘play God’ in 140 characters or less. What we started to discover, however, is that this story had its own momentum and was teaching us as we went. The story formed a particular voice early on, despite 11 varied writers driving it. Though the story is now a 20s noir and has clear elements of that genre, it still transcends it with a contemplative literary tone. While checking that the story is historically accurate, what was interesting, is that the research for location, transportation and communication (telephone direct dial service) coincided with what we’d already written.
One writer was given a book on the 1920s as a gift right before the story landed in that time period. Another who hadn’t yet taken their first turn, said that they had family in the LA area at that time. When making an example art set to accompany the story on a digital collage site (more on the art component in posts to come), I chose a French song to play in the background for its sound. What I realized when I translated the lyrics was that it fit the characters’ feelings perfectly at that point in the story and I hadn’t known that ahead of time. Beyond the serendipity at work, a theme behind our magazine itself, we learned about ourselves and our roles.
As the complexity in the story arc rose, minute details of dates, objects, actions and emotional ties carried added weight. The dynamic challenge increases to cohesively construct the story 140 characters at a time, building upon one another’s words. The story’s life depends on how well we can all work together and as a result, it’s no longer about personal motivation deciding our course, but rather the needs of the story. We’re developing each other’s leads, solving each other’s mysteries and supporting each other’s paths. Writing is deemed an isolating profession—said to be even more so in the digital age. We create alone, we wrestle our own inner egos and censors. We are accountable to ourselves and make all the decisions. The work’s victories and struggles are individual.
Yet here, it’s all about coming together to do what we can and must to make our story survive and thrive. Like the game of Trust, we step in when it’s our turn, then let go and trust that the person following behind will securely catch what we’ve placed in their arms. There can be inherent challenges in this (both fun challenges that inspire and challenges that push us, adapting on our feet mid-sprint). With our great team, we are working collectively to craft a great story and share all that we’ve discovered. Isolated by writing? Nope. Isolated by technology? No—brought together. We’re putting the ‘social’ in social media.
The Story
Beginning: “A key, a ring, a license plate; all metal, all evidence of life, all that was left in the end. The element deemed ‘the decline of matter.’"
Charles Salzberg: That's all I had to work with. I've had less which turned out to be more than enough. 1st step: Find the lock the key fit. #TwitterTales
Diane McDonough: I had to get a grip & mourn later, forging those metals-ring, key, license plate-into armor that would shield me from all this. #TwitterTales
Jackie Dawn: Still, old memories were like old habits. I rolled the ring across my palm & remembered his words as he slipped it on my finger. #TwitterTales
Joseph Barro: My mind raced. My ears bled in a deafening ring. My vision returning more clearly. The plate read: CA. The date...could it be? #TwitterTales
Linda Emma: Impossible. Unrelated,yet totally relevant? How could its expiration be the same as his: April 18, 1923 #twittertales
Martin Crosbie: I grabbed the key. It was time to go back to the beginning, time to remember what he'd told me, time to finally seek the truth #TwitterTales
Pat Greene: Right then it hit me - how many truths or even lies like this had he kept from me? Had I known Mark at all? The phone rang #TwitterTales
Rochelle Shapiro: “Hello?” “Is Mark there?” a woman said. “Who is this?” I said. “Mark’s wife,” she said. I was silent as Theda Bara on screen. #TwitterTales
Stephanie Haddad: I had so many questions, but could only manage an “Oh?” I wanted to scream. But this woman was the only avenue toward answers. #TwitterTales
Terin Tashi Miller: "Mark's not here. He's gone." I said. It was true. "How did you get this number?" I had to keep her on the line. I had to. #TwitterTales
NMB: Don’t be coy. I know who you are. I don’t really concern myself with my husband’s dalliances or whereabouts. I want the key. #TwitterTales
Charles Salzberg: What makes you think I have the key? Even if I did, why would I give it to you? Perhaps we should meet and maybe work this out.#TwitterTales
Diane McDonough: Alright. But know that I hired a private eye and I have pictures that I’ll take to the FBI unless I get the key. Understand? #TwitterTales
Jackie Dawn: “Fine,” I said, though belief was shallow. “Meet me at the sign.” “Sign?” She asked. “Don't feign ignorance. You know which one.” #TwitterTales
Joseph Barro: The line disconnected. Headlights appeared through the canyon mist. A yellow cab? I froze. Run? I walked casually to the road. #TwitterTales
Linda Emma: Time to confront this hired PI. Even if those photos could topple an empire. It was just a house of cards – flimsy as the sign #TwitterTales
Martin Crosbie: He was from the old neighborhood, I knew him. With his rumpled coat + eleven-o’clock leer he was calling himself a PI now. #TwitterTales
Pat Greene: "When I saw the cab, I guessed that her PI had followed me here to Hollywoodland, but I never thought he would be you, John. #TwitterTales"
Rochelle Shapiro: "Marion, I know what happened to Mark. Get in." #Twittertales
Stephanie Haddad: My breath caught. Await an angry woman or trust a man I couldn’t trust. Old flames will be my downfall. I ducked into the cab. #twittertales
Terin Tashi Miller: I slid in the cab next to John. His hand rested on top of mine. Slowly, he turned my hand over. "Did you bring the key?" #TwitterTales
NMB: “Marion, I’m taking you to the bank right now.You’re going to open that safety deposit box.You’ll never have him or the money.”#TwitterTales
To be continued… Find out what happens to contemplative, sophisticated Marion, discover what Mark was up to and whether he’s dead or alive! (It seems a number of readers, etc. want his character to have been killed off, but you’ll just have to see.)
See new posts as we continue through the story arc and all of the posts thus far on Twitter @WriteplcWritetm. You can also read the story on Facebook through our page and the Twitter event page (updates are posted every three turns):
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Write-Place-At-the-Write-Time-literary-journal/345104540254.
Read about the thrilling visual arts component involving the digital collage site Polyvore in an upcoming post. A contest between two art groups was held for two weeks during which time artistically inclined users were encouraged to create art sets inspired by the first eleven individual Twitter posts from the story. The results from this synergistic combination of talented writers and amazing artists have been nothing short of awe-inspiring and the reaction from entrants around the world was profound. Well over 100 Polyvore art sets were entered with enthusiasm, creative passion, emotion and dedication.
The Players
Charles Salzberg is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Esquire, GQ, New York Magazine, the New York Times and other periodicals. He is the author or co-author of more than 25 non-fiction books. His novel, Swann's Last Song, was nominated for a Shamus Award. He has also written a sequel, Swann Dives In, and the third in the series, Swann's Lake of Despair will be published in October. His latest novel, Devil in the Hole, was named one of the set crime novels of the year by Suspense magazine. He has been a Visiting Professor of Magazine at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and he teaches writing at the Writer's Voice and the New York Writers Workshop where he is a Founding Member.
Diane McDonough is a poet and writer who has been published in numerous journals. She won first prize in the PrimeTime Cape Cod 2013 Poetry Contest and has exhibited her poetry in responsive art exhibits, including the current 2014 Poetry and Art Show, Wickford Art Association. Diane, who worked as a high school educator for over 25 years, has a B.A. in English and an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology. She lives in the village of Marstons Mills on Cape Cod with her husband and their two dogs.
Jackie Dawn received a bachelor's degree in creative writing and literature from Hofstra University in 2007, where she was also the recipient of the Eugene Schneider Award for Prose. Her work has appeared in several literary journals, including Susquehanna University's The Apprentice Writer. She lives in New York, where she works as a senior editor in marketing and as a freelance writer. In addition, she is a co-moderator of and contributor to a weekly fiction blog. She is a dedicated shoe and book addict, and is currently working on her first novel.
Joseph Barro resides in Southern California with his wife and family. He is a high school teacher, as well as a lifelong musician, songwriter, recording, and performing artist. Joseph has written hundreds of songs, a variety of recorded albums, and has just begun writing short stories for publication. He just recently celebrated his first publication with his short story “Bodies” featured in the Winter/Spring 2014 issue of the literary magazine thewriteplaceatthewritetime.org. Joseph is now participating in a social media storytelling project entitled #TwitterTales with a variety of other writers. Follow Joseph on Twitter or contact at the following address:
Twitter: @MrJBarro
Email: josephbarro@me.com
Linda Emma is an author, educator and educational marketing writer. She creates client content and supervises a small team of freelance writers, helping them to hone their individual skills and styles while always maintaining the client voice. Linda also works at a small New England college where she has served as instructor, writing tutor and learning consultant. In the spare moment or two she can eke out of any week, she pens posts to a tongue-in-cheek titled blog Kidssuck.net and tries to still maintain a relationship with the fictional characters of her forthcoming second novel. She is married with two children who always inspire.
In a press release, Amazon called Martin Crosbie one of their success stories of 2012. His self-publishing journey has been chronicled in Publisher's Weekly, Forbes Online, and Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper. His non-fiction work How I Sold 30,000 eBooks on Amazon's Kindle: An Easy-To-Follow Self-Publishing Guidebook, 2014 Edition has been called “A must-have go-to reference book for self-published writers.” He's also the author of My Temporary Life – Book One of the My Temporary Life Trilogy, My Name Is Hardly - Book Two of the My Temporary Life Trilogy, Lies I Never Told: A Collection of Short Stories, and Believing Again: A Tale Of Two Christmases. You can learn more about Martin at:
www.martincrosbie.com
Connect with him at:
martin@martincrosbie.com.
Pat Greene is originally from Ireland but has been calling New York home for the past twenty five years. He earns his daily crust working in the very unique and demanding, yet very exciting NYC construction industry. In his spare time, he likes to write and you can read some of his short fiction @TheWritePlaceAtTheWriteTime.org
Rochelle Jewel Shapiro’s first novel, Miriam The Medium (Simon & Schuster), was nominated for the Harold U. Ribelow Award. Her novel, Kaylee’s Ghost (Amazon and Nook), is an Indie Finalist. Her latest short story collection, What I Wish You'd Told Me, has just been published by Shebooks. She’s published essays in NYT (Lives), and Newsweek and in many anthologies. Her poetry, short stories, and essays have appeared in The Coe Review, Compass Rose, The Griffin, Inkwell Magazine, The Iowa Review, Los Angeles Review, The MacGuffin, Memoir And Moment, Negative Capability, Pennsylvania English, The Carolina Review, and more. She won the Brandon Memorial Literary Award from Negative Capability. Shapiro is a professional psychic who currently teaches writing at UCLA Extension.
http://rochellejewelshapiro.com
Stephanie Haddad is a wife and mother of two by day, a freelance writer and author by bedtime. She is the author of four romance novels, including the Amazon top-ten hit A Previous Engagement. Stephanie also enjoys writing short stories, some of which appear in the virtual archives of The Write Place At the Write Time. Now that her youngest is nearing age 2, she's hoping to dedicate more time to her fiction writing, including a paranormal romance series in the works.
Terin Tashi Miller spent many of his formative years in India, the child of anthropologist parents. Since then, he has lived and worked in a variety of countries in Europe and Asia. His writing has appeared in guide books, international magazines including Time and Geografica Revista, and newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News and The Los Angeles Times. Born in St. Louis, Mo., and raised in Madison, Wis. and several provinces in India, he currently lives in New Jersey.
Nicole M. Bouchard is Editor-in-Chief and founder of The Write Place At the Write Time literary journal. This is a role she has enjoyed for six years, connecting with incredible creative individuals. She is a member of the National League of American Pen Women. She began her writing career in journalism at a regional entertainment publication with pieces including interviews with Broadway actress Marie Danvers and singer/songwriter Jewel Kilcher. Combining magazine journalism editing experience with her fiction writing and passion for literature, she turned her interest toward the literary world. Her portfolio includes best-selling authors such as Janet Fitch, Dennis Lehane, Arthur Golden, Alice Hoffman Joanne Harris, Mona Simpson, Melanie Benjamin and a number of creative professionals. She served as one of the editors on the small press panel at The Fourth Annual Mass. Poetry Festival in 2012. Ms. Bouchard has recently enjoyed branching out into freelance substantive and developmental manuscript editing. She still writes as time allows, assembling a short fiction collection and working on a novel.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Part I Question 4 of Interview Series on Non-Fiction Markets With Writer Noelle Sterne, Ph.D.
Feelings and Experiences With Social Media
4. What are some of your feelings on and experiences with social media?
The minimal mention of social media in my responses to the previous question (Part 1 Question 3,: PR Strategies for New Audiences and Regular Readership) was all too blazing (don’t pretend you didn’t notice). I have long been a social media-phobe: wary, avoidant, even cringing. Protective of my writing time—not counting browsing the home-page headlines and clicking through thumbnails of the celeb red-carpet gowns—I’ve loathed to set foot into a face, tweet, or blog of my own. But, with the publication of my book Trust Your Life (pardon the plug), I’ve had to reconsider. So now I’m sidling near the water’s edge, if not holding my nose and jumping in.
Call me recalcitrant, reactionary, antediluvian, scared—you’re right. The main fear, and danger, is that all this e-media and blogging, like previous impulsive volunteering to cook casseroles for the entire firehouse crew or help rebuild a buddy’s transmission, will devour writing juice and energy. Most of us whittle out precious writing time, and I, for one, have to “warm up,” whether it’s with the above small secret pleasures, a few (writing-related) emails, or quick notes for one of my novels always in development.
The allure of social media devours your time. Never mind the inexplicable fascination to keep reading and clicking on the endless links of another’s site. And read the comments. And respond to the comments. And respond to the comments on the comments. And then, with your writing allocation almost evaporated, realize you haven’t even done your own biweekly blog entry . . .
Jane Friedman, a writer, editor, speaker, and blogger I much admire and have referred to earlier, is a master of social media. In her blog, provocatively titled “There Are No Rules”
Don't start everywhere at once. Start with what you truly enjoy. Pick one thing and try it for a little while, and if you're not really enjoying it, look to something different. Otherwise, you won't find time (it'll feel like work).
In other words, you don’t have to scoop up the whole smorgasbord in one huge mouthful. You don’t have to force yourself to continue. You won’t get left behind. Social media sites, and their ever-increasing spawn (delicious, Digg, Dribble, Fubar, StumbleUpon, Twitpic, Quechup, DailyMotion, Flixter, Kaboodle, LiveJournal, Twuffer, LinkedIn, Myspace, Zooppa, YourSpace, GimmeSpace, GetOutaThisSpace . . . and I made up only the last three), will continue to multiply like progeny of Dr. Seuss.
If you do indulge, get very clear on why you’re contemplating or running full tilt into social media. What do you want to gain? And give? As you probably already know, the sites range from those who crave to feel loved and surrounded by 14,739,265 “friends” to those promoting products. Writers, I’ve noticed, generally want to (a) connect with other writers; (b) find writing camaraderie and support; (c) share what we’ve learned with other writers; (d) learn of developments, news, and leads in the field; (e) help and encourage other writers, (f) give our work readership; (g) have our work critiqued, honestly and gently; (h) critique others’ work, hopefully the same; and (i), or maybe (a), attract agents, publishers, and buyers of our work.
All fine. No justification needed. Just clarify your purpose(s) and decide, per Shelton’s advice, which media to use for different reasons. See also Patricia Fry’s extensive and level-headed suggestions for writers on real-world and virtual promotion of all kinds in her own blog (http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/).
Another great guide is the article I referred to in the last post, Christina Katz’s “50 Simple Ways to Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day” (Writer’s Digest, March/April 2011). As her title indicates, so you don’t contract SMO, Social Media Overwhelm, mark out a few minutes a day, a plank at a time. But be careful—even in the 140 characters on your Twitter page, slightly spiteful gossip about an agent who rejected you may backfire when you send your proposal to another agent who’s a friend of the first and happened to peek at your acid tweets.
My Swerves Through Social Media
But on the Facebook and Twitter types of media, I rebel at the easy “friends.” The camaraderie may be warming, mutuality soothing, and connections, well, connecting. But are the clicked-on “friends” really friends? Are you expected to send 58,436 birthday gifts or Smashbox cards to your FB friends? Or receive them?
Who needs, or wants, so many friends? Writers, blatant introverts (if that’s not an oxymoron), usually don’t. We’re an odd breed, living in a world outside (or inside) the physical, and relatively self-sustaining. Sure, we need companionship every so often—but for me my significant other provides almost all I need, supplemented occasionally by the local Starbucks barista.
If you haven’t already discovered, or admitted, your true reclusive nature, look up the hilarious and squirmingly true essay by Jonathan Rauch, “Caring for Your Introvert”
Reflecting here, I see that virtual socializing, after all, may present us introverts the best of both worlds. To “interact” or “visit,” we don’t need to get cleaned up, find an unwrinkled shirt, or remember to chew with our mouths closed. We can end the assignation with a click of the mouse instead of a tip to the parking attendant or a lame excuse about having to rush home to feed our pet squirrel.
I branched out and read a writer’s blog the other day, by the multifaceted novelist Jacquelyn Mitchard. Her bestsellers include books for adults, young adults, and children, and her blogs are excruciatingly touching, wry, and honest. I had to admit, with more than slight jealousy, that these blogs were little gems.
Mitchard’s blogging, I realized, is the form at its best—a window into a creative life, its perils and struggles, the dark side of fame, the wrestlings with relationships, and humanity to which we can all relate. The blog is part catharsis, part letter to a best friend, part journal, part memoir, part essay. Mitchard’s, whatever it does for her, also teaches and moves us.
I don’t know how much time she spends at it. But I do know that a quality blog cannot help but take time—like any good piece of writing. Others may not agree. In an article touting the benefits of blogging for promotion, the writer confided he spent only a half-hour on his blogs twice a week, and they were rarely more than 50 words.
Does he stick to that? Does it do his thoughts justice? Could I live with such slapdash entries? Not likely. I take seriously everything I write (even non-Hallmark birthday greetings), and the demands of social media dictate attention and focus, just like any other piece of writing. I cannot (or will not) give less than my best and heed Shelton’s admonition to do what feels good.
So I hesitate to blog and enter the other social media. And yet, I cannot deny the truth of what so many articles point out: this is a great way to connect with colleagues and readers, to publicize your wares and services. Never in the history of communication, publishing, or promotion have such avenues existed, and they will only proliferate. No need to prove it—plenty of support can be found in the ever-more-outrageous site names; almost any issue of any writers’ magazine, newsletter, and blog (ahem); and the increasingly specialized books (see Fry, for example: Promote Your Book: Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author, Allworth, 2011; and Penny Sansevieri, Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet, Cosimo, 2009).
Not easy, granted. But the consolations are many. First, our conviction produces commitment to quality in our writing, whether blog or novel for submission to the National Endowment for the Arts fellowship program. Second, we reap that incomparable feeling that we’ve done our best. Third, our depth of writing almost guarantees that we’ll doubtless touch many who read our blogs. Fourth, we practice the undeniable discipline of the recommended minimums for effectiveness, from two to three times a week and at least 500 words. And fifth, more practically, we can metamorphose our blogs, with only a little coaxing, into full-fledged articles (one of Mitchard’s blogs I loved appeared as an article in Spirituality & Health; Fry has converted many blogs into articles).
Notwithstanding all these perks, I must admit that the promised regularity alarms me. But, hell, I did Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages daily (okay, mostly nightly) for seven years, produced 1200-1500-word columns monthly for three publications (each column took two weeks from first note to final draft). And for over three years have shown up almost on time for my twice-weekly gym workouts.
The blog, then, is not a dashing-off but a sinking-in, a diving-in with the same grateful fullness we bring to our poems-in-draft and novels-in-progress. To write with such understanding and acceptance, whether in many or few words, phrases, or characters, we raise the standards of social media. We honor our profession, dedication, and talent. And we honor our readers and fellow writers by blogging to our best.
An essay on Noelle’s own recognition and reframing of the past appears in The Moment I Knew: Reflections from Women on Life's Defining Moments (Sugati Publications, August 2011). On August 28, 2011, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm Eastern time, Noelle will moderate a national book salon of authors in this volume discussing their work and women writing. The discussion is on Firedoglake: http://fdlbooksalon.com/ Readers are invited to participate.
4. What are some of your feelings on and experiences with social media?
The minimal mention of social media in my responses to the previous question (Part 1 Question 3,: PR Strategies for New Audiences and Regular Readership) was all too blazing (don’t pretend you didn’t notice). I have long been a social media-phobe: wary, avoidant, even cringing. Protective of my writing time—not counting browsing the home-page headlines and clicking through thumbnails of the celeb red-carpet gowns—I’ve loathed to set foot into a face, tweet, or blog of my own. But, with the publication of my book Trust Your Life (pardon the plug), I’ve had to reconsider. So now I’m sidling near the water’s edge, if not holding my nose and jumping in.
The Time Eater
Call me recalcitrant, reactionary, antediluvian, scared—you’re right. The main fear, and danger, is that all this e-media and blogging, like previous impulsive volunteering to cook casseroles for the entire firehouse crew or help rebuild a buddy’s transmission, will devour writing juice and energy. Most of us whittle out precious writing time, and I, for one, have to “warm up,” whether it’s with the above small secret pleasures, a few (writing-related) emails, or quick notes for one of my novels always in development.
The allure of social media devours your time. Never mind the inexplicable fascination to keep reading and clicking on the endless links of another’s site. And read the comments. And respond to the comments. And respond to the comments on the comments. And then, with your writing allocation almost evaporated, realize you haven’t even done your own biweekly blog entry . . .
Jane Friedman, a writer, editor, speaker, and blogger I much admire and have referred to earlier, is a master of social media. In her blog, provocatively titled “There Are No Rules”
(http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/), Friedman always shares sane and sound advice. Her June 13, 2011, entry relates highlights of the recent Writers League of Texas Agents conference. Friedman quotes one of the speakers, Rusty Shelton of Shelton Interactive, in the race to tweet and re-tweet and writers’ use of social media:
Don't start everywhere at once. Start with what you truly enjoy. Pick one thing and try it for a little while, and if you're not really enjoying it, look to something different. Otherwise, you won't find time (it'll feel like work).
In other words, you don’t have to scoop up the whole smorgasbord in one huge mouthful. You don’t have to force yourself to continue. You won’t get left behind. Social media sites, and their ever-increasing spawn (delicious, Digg, Dribble, Fubar, StumbleUpon, Twitpic, Quechup, DailyMotion, Flixter, Kaboodle, LiveJournal, Twuffer, LinkedIn, Myspace, Zooppa, YourSpace, GimmeSpace, GetOutaThisSpace . . . and I made up only the last three), will continue to multiply like progeny of Dr. Seuss.
If you do indulge, get very clear on why you’re contemplating or running full tilt into social media. What do you want to gain? And give? As you probably already know, the sites range from those who crave to feel loved and surrounded by 14,739,265 “friends” to those promoting products. Writers, I’ve noticed, generally want to (a) connect with other writers; (b) find writing camaraderie and support; (c) share what we’ve learned with other writers; (d) learn of developments, news, and leads in the field; (e) help and encourage other writers, (f) give our work readership; (g) have our work critiqued, honestly and gently; (h) critique others’ work, hopefully the same; and (i), or maybe (a), attract agents, publishers, and buyers of our work.
All fine. No justification needed. Just clarify your purpose(s) and decide, per Shelton’s advice, which media to use for different reasons. See also Patricia Fry’s extensive and level-headed suggestions for writers on real-world and virtual promotion of all kinds in her own blog (http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/).
Another great guide is the article I referred to in the last post, Christina Katz’s “50 Simple Ways to Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day” (Writer’s Digest, March/April 2011). As her title indicates, so you don’t contract SMO, Social Media Overwhelm, mark out a few minutes a day, a plank at a time. But be careful—even in the 140 characters on your Twitter page, slightly spiteful gossip about an agent who rejected you may backfire when you send your proposal to another agent who’s a friend of the first and happened to peek at your acid tweets.
My Swerves Through Social Media
I’ve tiptoed into social media. Cautious exploration of sites, to my shock, reveals that not all chronicle the steps in making today’s tuna sandwich with yesterday’s pickles or blab about Lady BlaBla—er--Gaga. To my surprised chagrin, I’ve found not only the dreadlocked drummer on Facebook and Twitter but also the Chinese silk painting restorer and Stradivarius aficionado. Many of these sites, to my additional shock, are constructive, informative, and downright inspiring, such as those of The Write Place At the Write Time (the literary journal's official facebook page with over 875 fans, Twitter account @writeplcwritetm and the Inscribing Industry blog) and various individuals (see, for example, Tama Kieves’ or Tom Zender’s).
But on the Facebook and Twitter types of media, I rebel at the easy “friends.” The camaraderie may be warming, mutuality soothing, and connections, well, connecting. But are the clicked-on “friends” really friends? Are you expected to send 58,436 birthday gifts or Smashbox cards to your FB friends? Or receive them?
Who needs, or wants, so many friends? Writers, blatant introverts (if that’s not an oxymoron), usually don’t. We’re an odd breed, living in a world outside (or inside) the physical, and relatively self-sustaining. Sure, we need companionship every so often—but for me my significant other provides almost all I need, supplemented occasionally by the local Starbucks barista.
If you haven’t already discovered, or admitted, your true reclusive nature, look up the hilarious and squirmingly true essay by Jonathan Rauch, “Caring for Your Introvert”
(http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/03/caring-for-your-introvert/2696/). Recognize anyone? (You may want to slip a printout under the pillow of your own significant other.)
Reflecting here, I see that virtual socializing, after all, may present us introverts the best of both worlds. To “interact” or “visit,” we don’t need to get cleaned up, find an unwrinkled shirt, or remember to chew with our mouths closed. We can end the assignation with a click of the mouse instead of a tip to the parking attendant or a lame excuse about having to rush home to feed our pet squirrel.
Quality Blogging
A friend whose views I generally admire has no use at all for blogs and steadfastly maintains that they’re universally inane or downright stupid time-wasters and written only by low-self-worth fame-cravers. But reluctantly reversing my own former aversion, I’ve found that certain blog sites, like certain FB and TW sites, can be highly nourishing—such as this one, those of spiritual teachers (like Wayne Dyer) and of the New Yorker staff. These are the models I cling to.
I branched out and read a writer’s blog the other day, by the multifaceted novelist Jacquelyn Mitchard. Her bestsellers include books for adults, young adults, and children, and her blogs are excruciatingly touching, wry, and honest. I had to admit, with more than slight jealousy, that these blogs were little gems.
Mitchard’s blogging, I realized, is the form at its best—a window into a creative life, its perils and struggles, the dark side of fame, the wrestlings with relationships, and humanity to which we can all relate. The blog is part catharsis, part letter to a best friend, part journal, part memoir, part essay. Mitchard’s, whatever it does for her, also teaches and moves us.
I don’t know how much time she spends at it. But I do know that a quality blog cannot help but take time—like any good piece of writing. Others may not agree. In an article touting the benefits of blogging for promotion, the writer confided he spent only a half-hour on his blogs twice a week, and they were rarely more than 50 words.
Does he stick to that? Does it do his thoughts justice? Could I live with such slapdash entries? Not likely. I take seriously everything I write (even non-Hallmark birthday greetings), and the demands of social media dictate attention and focus, just like any other piece of writing. I cannot (or will not) give less than my best and heed Shelton’s admonition to do what feels good.
So I hesitate to blog and enter the other social media. And yet, I cannot deny the truth of what so many articles point out: this is a great way to connect with colleagues and readers, to publicize your wares and services. Never in the history of communication, publishing, or promotion have such avenues existed, and they will only proliferate. No need to prove it—plenty of support can be found in the ever-more-outrageous site names; almost any issue of any writers’ magazine, newsletter, and blog (ahem); and the increasingly specialized books (see Fry, for example: Promote Your Book: Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author, Allworth, 2011; and Penny Sansevieri, Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet, Cosimo, 2009).
Lifting the Blog Fog
Tiptoeing closer, I’m still shy of FB and TW and have accepted colleagues’ kind cross-promotion offers to announce my book and appearances on their pages (I return the favor in reviews and mention of their works). Next, though, in the slip stream of the brave leap of Ms. Write and this blogsite, is my own blog. Among the 417 projects in every stage of development, I’m nevertheless bent on blogging only as an equally serious writing endeavor, not a rote assignment of 50-100-142 dribbling words to fill the virtual page. Rather, like Mitchard, I aim to produce little gems.
Not easy, granted. But the consolations are many. First, our conviction produces commitment to quality in our writing, whether blog or novel for submission to the National Endowment for the Arts fellowship program. Second, we reap that incomparable feeling that we’ve done our best. Third, our depth of writing almost guarantees that we’ll doubtless touch many who read our blogs. Fourth, we practice the undeniable discipline of the recommended minimums for effectiveness, from two to three times a week and at least 500 words. And fifth, more practically, we can metamorphose our blogs, with only a little coaxing, into full-fledged articles (one of Mitchard’s blogs I loved appeared as an article in Spirituality & Health; Fry has converted many blogs into articles).
Notwithstanding all these perks, I must admit that the promised regularity alarms me. But, hell, I did Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages daily (okay, mostly nightly) for seven years, produced 1200-1500-word columns monthly for three publications (each column took two weeks from first note to final draft). And for over three years have shown up almost on time for my twice-weekly gym workouts.
Writer’s Blog
So, I have come to see the blog as an intelligent conversation between and among writers and other creatives, as Cameron calls us. This perspective makes the blog nothing less than—pardon the gravitas—a trust. It’s a pledge between writer-blogger and writer-reader to speak honestly and helpfully, to exchange empathically, and to respond thoughtfully and (one hopes) eloquently.
The blog, then, is not a dashing-off but a sinking-in, a diving-in with the same grateful fullness we bring to our poems-in-draft and novels-in-progress. To write with such understanding and acceptance, whether in many or few words, phrases, or characters, we raise the standards of social media. We honor our profession, dedication, and talent. And we honor our readers and fellow writers by blogging to our best.
© 2011 Noelle Sterne
Bio: Author, editor, writing coach, and spiritual counselor, Noelle Sterne has published over 250 articles, essays, stories, and poems in print and online venues, including The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Writers’ Journal, 11.11, Soulful Living, and Unity Magazine. With a Ph.D. from Columbia University, Noelle for over 28 years has helped doctoral candidates complete their dissertations (finally). In her new book, Trust Your Life: Forgive Yourself and Go After Your Dreams (Unity Books), she uses “practical spirituality” and examples from her consulting practice and other aspects of life to help readers let go of regrets, relabel their past, and reach their lifelong yearnings. She will be speaking about her book and responding to callers’ questions August 15, 2011, at 2:00pm Central time on Unity Online Radio’s Village Events and Voices, hosted by Dean Ted Collins
An essay on Noelle’s own recognition and reframing of the past appears in The Moment I Knew: Reflections from Women on Life's Defining Moments (Sugati Publications, August 2011). On August 28, 2011, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm Eastern time, Noelle will moderate a national book salon of authors in this volume discussing their work and women writing. The discussion is on Firedoglake: http://fdlbooksalon.com/ Readers are invited to participate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)