Lisa Hall-Wilson

Everywhere I go, I get asked about this social media platform or that. I’m not on them all, nor am I active on every one I have a profile on – but I try to stay informed. Obviously, I’m not an expert on all of them, but I am connected to a great blogging community and a few of them are experts.

Pick Your Poison

A word of caution…

Please, do not read this post and think of it as a to-do or must-do list. Don’t rush out and try to do them all. All of these platforms exist because they offer different things, and the people using them are looking for specific kinds of interaction. If you don’t play by the rules, you get kicked to the sidelines where no one else hangs out and you’ll be all alone. How sad.

A quick run-down by metaphor

Twitter is like the workplace watercooler – you check in a few times a day – meet someone new, have a couple of quick conversations, catch up on events/world happenings – and then you head back to what you were doing.

LinkedIn is the office. Professionals gather there looking for connections, networking, maybe a job – and answers.

Facebook is a living room or a common area at the dorm or the backyard barbeque – it’s where people go to hang out for a few minutes or an hour to connect with people they already know.

Google+ is… you know, I’m not really sure. I was an early adopter at G+ and have found a fabulous writing community there. Maybe G+ is like the ComicCon of social media platforms? I don’t know. There are a lot of professionals on there – but of all the platforms, this one still seems to be finding its niche.

Here’s a great infographic about who uses Facebook, Twitter, G+ and LinkedIn – and what they’re looking for on each platform.

Pinterest is the beauty salon or the mall – you go window shopping, flip through catalogs, gather ideas for a new renovation, a party, or a wedding. Pinterest is used by middle-class women, overwhelmingly, and is popular with the 25-54 age group and 60% have some college education. Is this who you’re writing for?

Triberr is like an aggregated news source that lets you be the know-it-all did-you-hear-about… star at the cafeteria lunch table, the backyard bbq or the watercooler.

If you’re writing for teens, chances are you won’t find many on Twitter. If you’re trying to connect with CEO’s, Facebook isn’t where they hang out. Know who you’re writing for, and where they hang out. Each platform attracts a unique audience. So, here’s a mashup of social platforms for writers, what they are, and how to use them to promote your writing.

Facebook – Facebook is my social media home – it’s where I hang out. I wrote this post about How To Use Your Facebook Profile To Market Your Writing, and that post includes links to a previous series that’s still mostly relevant I wrote on navigating Facebook. Here’s a recent mashup about how to tweak out your Facebook Timeline with a list of best-selling authors who are rocking Facebook to connect with fans.

Lisa’s skinny on Facebook: You can’t ignore Facebook, but you can’t automate it either. Facebook is not Twitter, it’s not Triberr, it’s not a blog. You need a strategy to connect with fans on Facebook that provides unique content. You need to know where Facebook falls in your marketing funnel, how you plan to engage fans – and what will keep them coming back.

LinkedIn – Jenny Hansen over at More Cowbell has a series of 4 posts about how to Make LinkedIn Your Happy Place and build a network on LinkedIn. Here’s a quick link to all 4 posts.

Jenny’s skinny on LinkedIn – I was active on LinkedIn long before I was on Twitter or blogging; most of my professional life resides there and the application has served me well (which is why I’m pimping it out to you)…Twitter and LinkedIn are both geared toward hooking up with the people you want to know. (Like editors and agents…just sayin.’) If you want to BUILD your network, you are simply going to do it faster on Twitter and LinkedIn…LinkedIn is more like attending a big conference – you’ve got people you’re scheduled to meet with, and they know people who know people.

Twitter - Marcy Kennedy (my cowriter) is the first person I turn to for Twitter advice. Marcy wrote a fun series on navigating Twitter: Top 5 Reasons To Join Twitter, 4 Things To Avoid So You Don’t Get Fed To The Twitter Sharks, How You Can Climb On The Twitter Lifeboat, and How To Avoid Wasting Time on Twitter. These were posted a while ago, but you can also check out More Cowbell for help with Twitter.

Marcy’s skinny on Twitter: “My husband hates Twitter, and when I first joined, he mocked me mercilessly. To him, Twitter is just a place where celebrities indulge their narcissism, and obsessed fans drool over every character they type. And, I’ll admit, segments of Twitter are like that. What many people still don’t realize though is that not all of Twitter is like that, and there are many excellent reasons to join, especially for writers.”

Triberr – Jenny Hansen at More Cowbell is my go-to source for Triberr. She calls Triberr her New Time-Saving Social Media BFF and you can find a 3 part series she’s written on how to navigate and rock Triberr.

Jenny’s skinny on Triberr: “Triberr is an invite only website for bloggers interested in increasing their reach. When you get invited into Triberr, you are a member of someone else’s tribe and you have the capability to start 3 new tribes of your own. Triberr is a free platform which enables bloggers to band together and share in each other’s audience.”

Pinterest – oooh ahhhh *waves spirit fingers* Pinterest is the shiny new Ferrari on the social media block. August McLaughlin took a look at Pinterest for bloggers with 7 Keys to Success To Success: Pinterest and Blogging.

August on Pinterest: “Like many, I was hesitant about joining Pinterest…Though I dug the concept, it sounded like a time-sucker and more fun than vital. When I learned that it’s the fastest growing social media platform, a top referrer to retailers and appeals particularly to educated women, I figured it was time to research my brains out look into it. I’m so glad I did.”

Blogging/Platform – Yeah, OK – blogging isn’t a social media platform per se, but if you’re a writer you’ve probably been told you need to have a blog. And when I have questions about blogging, the very first place I look to for advice is Kristen Lamb – social media guru for writers. Kristen launched the WANA (We Are Not Alone) Love Revolution and created the popular #MyWANA and #WANABlogs hashtags on Twitter. This is one my favorite posts by Kristen – The Modern Author

Kristen’s skinny on Platform – “Social media is, above all else, social. It is a community…We all need love–writer love, blog love, or even just friend love. The Internet can be a scary place if you are doing this by yourself. Well, now you don’t have to. We are going to be your adoptive Internet family….your Twibe…Many of you guys are starting blogs. Others of you aren’t sure you want a blog and you might be watching and learning… #MyWANA might help making friends a bit easier.”

What social media sites are you on? Why have you chosen them? How are you working to build a community?

Lisa

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I’ve been added as a late faculty member to my favorite writing conference Write! Canada. Why is it my favorite? Because that’s where I got my start. I met so many fabulously encouraging people there who I connected with and have formed personal and working relationships with. These people helped me build my writing career. Virtually every editor I’ve worked with I’ve met in person at this conference. I met my co-writer Marcy Kennedy at this conference – in fact, this conference is one of the few times a year we actually see each other face to face.

Marcy and Lisa as Write! Canada attendees

But this year, Marcy’s not going. If you’ve ever met Marcy or I – well, chances are we were together. We go to virtually every conference together. And when we’re there we eat every meal together, we divide the classes we’re interested in and swap notes, we strategize together before we go. We even finish each others sentences. I’m very blessed to have such a great writing partner and friend. If you’ve never met Marcy, then you don’t know that of the two of us she’s the chatty one. She’s so much better at small talk and social niceties than I am – so I’m afraid I’ll flounder a bit here under the pressure. But, I’m only able to go for one day so – suck it up, Wilson! I’m determined not to be a wallflower!

Marcy and I were faculty together at this conference last year. She gave me permission to repost the blog post she wrote following our experience. (I’ve added a few extra thoughts.)

What Faculty Wish Attendees Knew About Writing Conference Appointments

(1) We can tell from a 15 minute appointment who is going to succeed and who is going to fail.

You probably think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. It’s that obvious.

So what are some of the factors signaling success in a person’s future?

• a willingness to learn and work hard
• questions showing an understanding of what I said
• the ability to tell me what you need my help with (or the acknowledgment you’re just starting out and aren’t even sure what your first step should be)
• evidence you did your research ahead of time (if you booked an appointment with me randomly, that’s not a good sign)

Lisa: Marcy is very right. The most enjoyable appointments were with the writers who had specific questions or were looking for specific feedback on a piece. It’s very difficult when someone sits down, slides a manuscript under your nose and says, “What advice can you give me?” That’s a difficult situation and hard not to feel like you’ve let the other person down when all you have is just 15 minutes to come up with something profound.

Marcy and Lisa in Times Square for the Writers Digest Conference - 2012

What makes these so important?

Hard work and teachability trump talent every day. Lisa: *high five – so true!

Asking questions (or taking notes) shows that you’re listening, digesting, and are likely to apply what you’ve learned later.

If you know what you need my help with, you know your weaknesses. Recognizing them is the first step in fixing them.

Researching my background and areas of expertise wasn’t difficult. If you signed up with me randomly, it’s a warning sign you’ll also query agents and editors randomly.

Lisa: And both us are very accessible online – and so are most writing conference faculty. Having someone sit down with me and say – ‘So, what do you write?’ makes me wonder if they know what they really want/need from me because it would have taken five minutes to look us up on Facebook or our blogs.

We hope that the ones we see potential in will contact us later, even if only to tell us how things are going. I felt invested in some of the people I met this weekend, and even if I never hear from them again, I’ll be here, behind the scenes, rooting for them to succeed.

Lisa: Absolutely! As a newby conference goer I was so intimidated – I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of contacting faculty after the conference. I remember most of the faces I met even last year – and for the most part we’re happy to help.

(2) There’s nothing in it for us. We don’t even get paid to be there.

Although we get a small amount for any critiques we do before the conference, it’s not enough to cover the time we spend on the critiques, let alone our time at the conference. And we don’t get paid to come to the conference (in fact, we pay to come–albeit with a discount). We also don’t have our lodging or travel expenses paid for. Monetarily, this weekend was a loss for me.

The one and only goal of our advice is to help you succeed. Take what we say seriously. We’re there because we’re experienced professionals. Lisa: Yep! Couldn’t have said it better.

Marcy and Lisa at Mount Hermon Writers Conference - California 2011 Our room was at the top of a very big hill - I had to take a moment to tease Marcy about all the luggage she brought.

(3) Don’t take it personally – we’re just tired.

Faculty members put in 14 hour days. On Friday alone, Lisa and I put in 17 hours, including teaching a class, an impromptu workshop, almost 4 hours of one-on-one appointments with attendees, a working lunch, a working supper, informal meetings . . . you get the picture.

Lisa: Remember that we’re writers too and both introverts. Being ‘on’ for that long is exhausting. We’re excited to be there and we want to help as many as we can, but we’re human and we’re tired. Please don’t take it personally if we don’t give you the answer you’re looking for, or seem to brush you off. It’s truly not intentional. That’s why we’re so open to being approached through social networks after the conference. It’s about making a connection.

(4) We find it overwhelming (and flattering) that everyone knows who we are.

I’m really not cool enough to be that well known. In fact, I’m geeky and clumsy and boring more often than I care to admit. (If you don’t believe me, just ask my family.)

Lisa: We met so many readers last year who had never left a comment or reached out through Twitter or Facebook. It was truly humbling, but affirming that all our efforts were helping people. You have no idea how much we appreciated that. I can only assume that for most faculty, it’s the same thing. Especially for the American agents and teachers conference organizers take the time and expense to have come to Ontario.

Writing is such a lonely occupation – please don’t assume that you’re the only one who’s struggling to figure it all out.

Have you been to a writer’s conference? What do you wish writer’s conference faculty would remember about attendees? What have you sometimes wished you could say to a faculty member?

Lisa

Subscribe to this Blog or Like my Facebook page for writing links, upcoming course information, and encouragement. Or just hang out with me by subscribing to my profile for a more personal connection. I never post more than once or twice a day. If Twitter or Facebook aren’t your thing – shoot me an email. I love hearing from you! lisa@lisahallwilson.com

If you enjoyed this post, make sure to connect with Marcy on her blog, on Facebook, or Twitter.

I’ve been forced to ask myself this question over the last couple of weeks. Why do I write? What are my ultimate goals? Why do I sit alone everyday for hours at a time staring at my laptop screen, and what do I hope to gain from it? Why do I dredge up experiences I’d rather forget, talk to people who scare me, and endure the blank stares of family and friends who say, “I don’t get it. What do you do?”

Why? What’s your goal?

I’ve been seriously pursuing a career in writing for five or six years now, and by that I mean – sending queries every month, writing every day, learning craft, reading industry blogs and craft books, attending conferences near and far, giving and getting critiques, taking courses and classes online, doing free internships, etc. Why do I do that? Is there a point to that long apprenticeship? What’s my goal at the end of the day?

Almost every writer I’ve ever met started writing as a teenager. Some writer’s conferences are offering teen tracks, but that isn’t always accessible to teens who want to write. Here’s some writing advice on starting a story I wish I’d had as a teen sitting alone in my bedroom hoping someday someone other than my mom would read them and like them.

I love that scene from the Fellowship Of The Ring where Gandalf screams at the Balrog: “You shall not pass!” Awesome. That was a game changer scene – it ratcheted up the conflict several notches. Does your main character have a line in the sand, a personal boundary past which they will not cross? Don’t be subtle – give them a shove off the cliff.

Brandilyn Collins in her book Getting Into Character talks about making secret promises. Ever whispered a vow in the dark of the night, tears streaming down your cheeks? Maybe you were caught in the middle of a messy divorce. Maybe you experienced a trauma of some sort, the kind that haunts you – and down deep inside you made yourself a promise so that hurt never happens again: I will never…

Description is my Achilles heel. My writing tends to be so sparse it’s practically naked, and to make up for that lack I’ve done some pretty embarrassing things in the pursuit of details.

It’s fun to go back to my earliest manuscripts and see how much my writing’s improved. And then shake my head – I showed that to an agent? *smacks head* Live and learn. But those stories have taught me a lot – and one of the lessons I’ve learned is that description and sensory details are things I have to consciously add in, adding layer after layer with each edit. And then my co-writer reads it and says, ‘You need more description.’ lol. So, I’m still learning.

Connotation is a layering trick writers use to add unspoken meaning. It’s all the stuff a word says without saying it. It’s the writer’s job to be as economical as possible and make words pull double duty.

When someone drags their past into a situation we say they’ve got baggage. Every word has baggage. Every word has a past, an association, a history, and that’s brought with it into your work. Sometimes that baggage belongs to the reader – you can’t help that, sometimes it’s a historical event or etymology.

Anger is a fabulous emotion to give your characters, but it’s not a simple emotion. There are many shades of seeing Red. Everyone gets angry, we get irritated, ticked off, peeved, angry, and enraged – but how much do you know about this emotion?

Anger is one of those universal emotions that it should be impossible to write a novel and not include in some form or other. Anger motivates, intimidates, inspires change, fights back, breaks hearts, and it can mend things. But, because it’s universal, writers don’t think they need to learn more about it. Everyone’s experienced anger, many kinds of anger – but that makes the writer’s job more difficult because if it’s not done well, if you don’t dig deep to keep it authentic, every reader will know it.

Nothing is sweeter than having your hard efforts recognized by your peers, is there? Blogging is one of those activities that (in my opinion) requires you to lay everything out there for the world to comment on and possibly criticize. There’s a great deal of vulnerability expressed every time the ‘Publish’ button is pressed.

Today I’m blogging over at Girls With Pens continuing our genre/sub-genre blogging blitz. Today, I’m looking at what it takes to write for the inspirational fiction market.

Second only to romance in terms of book sales, earning $759million in 2010 according to the RWA, inspirational fiction is a growing niche market worth paying attention to. Just as there are ‘rules’ for writing in any other genre, inspirational has its own staples and inviolable rules. In Canada and the USA, inspirational fiction includes any religious or faith-based writing, however an overwhelming percentage of that category is Christian fiction.

Written primarily for a conservative (traditional) Protestant Christian audience, the conventions for this genre are largely determined by the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association), and are specific and largely inflexible. Read more…