down the writer's path

I write fiction. I don’t need no stinkin’ social network.

Most writers are solitary souls: they inhabit their own universe apart from the rest of the world. The clutter of life is a distraction. All this new social media network stuff is nothing but quicksand guaranteed to suck your attention away from the important work: the book. So why bother to plug in? For sure, fiction writers don't need Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and all the finely tuned and gently nuanced applications built to support these behemoths. Storytellers have been telling their tales for centuries without them. But is that the real question?

Except for a brief excursion now and then I stayed away from the new social networking world. I could see marketing application readily enough. I wasn't there. But then my fictional universe became populated with all these kids who were fully plugged in to the 21^st century. Their daily lives reflected the impact of this social networking and even governed how they interacted. I watched as their actions became a direct result of their use of Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and Live Journal. What's a writer to do?

Does it become a matter of research only? Should you skim the surface, assume you know what's going on, and skate on your fictional characters' assumed knowledge? Or do you take a deeper look at what's happening and actually experience it? For me the answer led to my having accounts with Twitter and Facebook and then branching out into some other applications. It meant reading more about this phenomenon of collapsed walls between people and allowing myself to fully experience its impact on how I socialize, work, and act. To monitor how I respond during the day and watch to see if it remained a simple tool or took on a deeper, more enhanced connection.

Today this galloping online networking is embraced by millions of people. The swift and intimate connection with strangers is accepted and even sought. But what does that mean at a deeper level? What does it say about us as we slide into a world where there are no borders, no walls, and no constraints? How do we respond? Are we even able to keep up with this constantly evolving world? And what does it mean for our characters and our plots? How does all this sculpt our characters in ways that we, as fiction writers, never had to tackle before?

As fiction writers we might sit behind our safe monitor and screen the world, safe in the knowledge that we inhabit an imaginary universe that never collides with reality. But can we afford this luxury? If we want readers to connect with our characters and to believe in the imaginary construct of our fictional world, shouldn't we at least experience what is going on?

You tell me. Have you peered past the distraction and noise of Facebook and Twitter to consider how it really shapes you, your world, and that of your characters? Leave a comment or enter the new world. You'll find me—and this blog—on Facebook. Or just bite the apple and Twit me.

What’s up with all this Twit and Luv stuff?

In the “just so ya know” department, I’ve stumbled across a couple of neat little applications that add some social media flavor to this blog. If you’re a social media maven, you’ll appreciate the addition of TwitThis and I’ll appreciate your ability to use it. If you’re a blogger, then using the CommentLuv application should make you an even happier camper. Ultimately what’s it all about is reader appreciation coupled with my efforts to make it easier to get the word out about my blog and what I write.

TwitThis makes it easier for anyone using Twitter to share Down the Writer’s Path blog and/or a specific blog post. It’s as simple as clicking on the button. Obviously for me the more easily I can help readers get the word out the better.

CommentLuv is a neat application for any reader who blogs or has a website. Since I’ve enabled CommentLuv on this blog, any reader who is signed up with CommentLuv can have a notice about their site or one of their blog posts appear automatically at the end of their comment. Why would I want to do that? Well, I’m hoping it will encourage more reader participation in the comments section. I like the idea of a notice about my last blog post appearing whenever I leave comments on other sites so I figure other bloggers and writers will appreciate the same. Here’s a copy of my comment CommentLuv signature from yesterday:

vikksimmons’s last blog post..A writer’s tools: Carrots, contests and chocolates 

At the end of each post in the footer, you'll also find the green "Share this" button that allows you to take advantage of about 20 social media sites including FACEBOOK. The net gain of both of these is increased traffic. Increased traffic equals a potentially larger readership. And a readership, any readership, is what it’s all about when you write because the process isn’t complete until the writing has been read and, hopefully, digested.  

And now for your St. Patrick’s Day Irish blessing: 

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

Links: TwitThis, CommentLuv

 

Internet Tools for Writers: What's your IP Quotient? Assessing your Internet presence

Social networking has changed the way writers present a public face and they must now consider their IP quotient or Internet presence when engaged in online activities. Writers, many who are by nature introverted and wary of any crowd numbering more than two, have long railed against the idea of professional networking and decried the amount of time stolen from their real work: writing. Today opportunities to get your name out and take part in social media networking don't even require you to leave your ergonomically well-worn chair--although having a computer and the ability to go online is a must.

The Internet raises the stakes of the familiar Las Vegas slogan of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What goes on the Internet stays on the Internet--forever. It's prudent to consider how you will present yourself and your work when you're online visiting sites, leaving comments, and participating in social networks. Just as a person has a public and a private face, so too, for the Internet.

Writers take up all sorts of IPs. Some are curmudeonly such as Grumpy Editor. Others choose to use the Internet as an extension of their writing freelance business such as Georganna Hancock at A Writer's Edge and Lillie Amman. What happens, though, is that all too often no thought is given to the trail being left behind. Things said and done impulsively often boomerang. In the early days when email groups were all the rage, it wasn't uncommon for editors and agents to receive messages from group members tattling on those writers who wrote disparagingly of the agents and editors. Today writers offer opinions without realizing the wider ramifications of what is being said and left online for perpetuity. Anyone can Google their name and read a history of what has been said about them.

The Internet is a trickster that gives off a pervasive sense of immediacy and intimacy and implies privacy where none exists. It is nothing more than a vast illusion. There is no privacy. Writers would do well to remember that.

Growing numbers of writers, myself included, are taking advantage of social media networks such as MySapce, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and JacketFlap. These are great vehicles to get the word out about books, book tours and signings,and publishing experiences. What's important to remember is that their use leaves lasting footprints. Go where you will but remember: step lightly.
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FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, Jacketflap

Down the Writer's Path launches first Facebook ad campaign

One of the concerns of any blogger has to be readership. But doesn't that become a concern for most writers? The first question generally revolves around defining who the reader is. Once that is figured out the really big question is where to find them. If you've noticed my Facebook profile on the left, then you know I'm a new Facebook player. In the last month I've discovered two things important to this blog. DWP now has its own Facebook page with a growing "fan" base, and today I used the Facebook "create an ad" application to launch my first ad campaign. The information below is contained in the ad that began its foray into the sea of Facebook writers and readers a few hours ago. We'll talk more about social marketing but right now I'm happy to see the list of fans growing. If you have any experience with social media marketing, let me know.     

The Writer's Path

Writers inhabit their imagination,

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industry. Read the DWP blog and

become a fan.

The Prayer of Jonah: Introducing my new blog

Today marks the introduction of my The Prayer of Jonah blog to the blogosphere. The Prayer of Jonah is a new writing endeavor--well, not so new to me but new to the world--that I've created to capture my more spiritual and faith-based writings. I created the blog back in 2004 when I first took up the ancient art of iconography. Since then I've posted infrequently as I worked out the definition, nature and purpose of this particular blog. If you visit the site, you'll quickly see its scope. You'll find my ruminations on the book Book of Jonah and the prophet, reflections on my spiritual journey, and rants chronicling my experience as, I admit, a rather reluctant caregiver. Obviously these offerings will attract a different readership from you here at Down the Writer's Path or that of My Dancing Pencil so a new blog was born.

Priming the pump of the writer's well

Finally, my creative juices are stirring. I know this because I spent all day yesterday cleaning and reorganzing my office. After years of experience, I've learned that prior to starting a project or reigniting the writing habit, the embers stir releasing fits and spurts of movement that often result in rather mundane tasks such as cleaning the office, reorganizing files, or developing a strategy, plan, or to-do list. Admittedly I've had some false starts this year but I remain hopeful that I can somehow gather the strength, focus, and discipline to jump the hurdle and rejoin the race.

The good news is that I've been pretty disciplined in posting to My Dancing Pencil, my new blog dedicated to my experiences on eBay. One reason why I enjoy blogging is because I equate it to running musical scales. Developing blog posts are finger, eye, and brain exercises anchored in the realm of writing. I like the sound of my keyboard chuckling along as my fingers trip across the keys creating words, sentences, and paragraphs. I enjoy reading and revising the posts. They're not long enough to be daunting but still demand attention to the detail of word progression, sentence logic, and reader enjoyment.

What about you? Do you have the equivalent of musical scales in your writing aresenal? If you blog, how do you view the process? And how can you tell when your writing well is being stirred?

Internet Tools for Writers: Brainstorm a new word

Next time you want to challenge a writer friend, see if they can spell and define the word "susurrus." That's today's offering in the Visual Thesaurus Word of the Day. I signed up for Thinkmap's daily offering not only for the definitions, spelling, and word fun, but also because this tool offers a mindmapping representation of the day's word. But don't stop there. Make use of the "Look up a Word" feature. I'm a big fan and heavy user of mindmapping. Have been ever since Tony Buzan's book came out in the late 70s. I find mindmapping helpful in every aspect of writing and have been known to mindmap an entire novel's structure or a full day's workshop on writing. For example, when I'm working on some aspect of a character I'll look up the word description and see how other things relate. This simple process stimulates further creative thinking and often reveals hidden and wonderfully layered aspects to the work you're doing. Stop all that cyber susurrus and give it a try.

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More info: USING FURL; USING OUTLOOK, USING GOOGLE ALERTS, USING GOOGLE DESKTOP SEARCH,USING THE BLOG READING LEVEL TOOL

Internet Tools for Writers: What's your blog's reading level?

Ever wonder what the reading level is for your blog? Sooner or later someone out in cyberspace comes up with a way to answer all your questions. I ran this Down the Writer's Path's URL through The Blog Readability Test. Not only did I get an answer, I received the code for a rating badge. -- UPDATE 04.09.08: This post made MySpaceNEWS. Please vote. -- -- More info: USING FURL; USING OUTLOOK, USING GOOGLE ALERTS, USING GOOGLE DESKTOP SEARCH

Internet Tools for Writers: Comb through your computer clutter with Google Desktop Search

Several times lately I've needed to find a bit of information stored away in an old email or lost file. What once sucked up hours of time now happens in a blink. Using Google's Desktop Search tool, I'm able to unearth anything tucked away in some obscure file or buried in a pile inside that nest I call a hard drive. Check out this page for all the features and you'll see how helpful this tool can be. It's a handy tool that sits quietly waiting to help you out at a moment's notice. I don't know about you but anything I can find that will free up time for more writing is a good thing.

--UPDATE 04.09.08: This post made MySpace News. Please vote here.
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More info: USING FURL; USING OUTLOOK, USING GOOGLE ALERTS

City Blogging: A new media trend in travel writing

I've resumed posting over at blogHOUSTON, a weblog dedicated to “Houston politics and current events, local media, and thoughts on the city’s cultural and entertainment options.” My niche is primarily arts and entertainment with a strong literary slant, of course. Not being up to date with the local music scene and being that rare individual in today's visual society who does NOT go to films, I generally leave those reports to the others. Thankfully, Houston is a big city with a large appetite for culture and entertainment so there’s plenty of venues and subject matter left. It's nice that all that Houston research for the travel books continues to pave the way for additional writing projects even today. Five years ago I would never have said I'd be part of a group blogging about Houston. I had barely heard mention of writers providing content material for major online corporate sites such as MSN City Guides or Expedia. For me, blogHOUSTON is a great fit. No pressure in posting, and I can share info about places and events that catch my attention.

Kevin Whited, editor and web guru for blogHOUSTON, has done a great job in executing his idea for a blog about the city. He cites the now-defunct LAexaminer.com (run by blogger/journalist/musicians Ken Layne and Matt Welch) and LAobserved.com as inspiration. Of course, Kevin's own highly praised PubliusTx personal blog had to have provided some creative sparks. I ran across his earlier blogs several years ago and we exchanged a few emails prior to the launch of bH. I followed the blog’s early days and appreciated it when he linked to this site and mentioned my work. Eventually he suggested I join them. Trust me, I was flattered. It took a while but eventually it happened. Then life became a bit more complicated and postings everywhere dwindled. But recent events have opened up new writing time and I’ve keyboarded my way back to his blog. Here are the links for last week's posts. Read ‘em and comment if you’ve a mind to.

Surprise! Gas prices are up.
Have a bloomin’ buggy weekend at BUGstravaganza!
Murder by the Book hosts a triple header that ends with Lee Child