As a writer I am constantly asking the question of how. How do I get published? How do I build a following? How do I keep from going nuts? There are enough questions of \u201chow\u201d to circle the globe four times and still have plenty left over. What\u2019s so frustrating is that most times people try to \u201canswer\u201d the question of \u201chow\u201d with a fluffy discussion of \u201cwhat\u201d. I’ve written about this in the past, but I’ve since made at least some progress towards an answer.<\/p>\n
One of the many generalizations I’ve fought with is the \u201cuse social media\u201d in answer to \u201chow do you build a platform?\u201d What, you just start plonking away like some kind on monkey? Is that all? Of course not \u2013 using social media effectively, especially Twitter<\/a><\/span>, is an art that I can only barely begin to imagine. My first \u201ctweet\u201d went something like, \u201cHey, I\u2019m here. Check out my website http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/qyo6x7<\/a><\/span>\u201d which, as I learned shortly afterwards, went into the black hole of cyberspace. I didn’t understand how it worked beyond some very raw basics.<\/p>\n So I turned to one of the other generalized \u201ctips\u201d \u2013 seek out forums. I\u2019d signed up for a few a long time ago but had been so busy looking for the forest I\u2019d missed all the trees. So I went over to absolutewrite.com<\/a><\/span> and found a section called \u201cBlogging and Social Networking<\/a><\/span>\u201d. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes and was tempted to just fire off my question in a new thread. I decided to read a little instead and am glad I did, for right on the front page was a thread<\/a><\/span> discussing Twitter. I jumped in and started reading and, suddenly, I felt energized in not being alone. The discussion had some wonderful information in it, but still focused on the \u201cwhat\u201d rather than the \u201chow\u201d. So I took a deep breath and responded with my question about the “how”. The discussion effectively turned enough that I started to see what kinds of things I should be sending out in Twitter. For example, tweeting aimlessly that I have a website is pointless. Using hash-marks and other tips from that thread to target my tweets resulted in some actual helpful return tweets and, sure enough, I’ve seen a distinct uptick in hits.<\/p>\n But part of being a forum member is giving back, and though I\u2019m not yet\u00a0the<\/strong><\/em> pinnacle of writing success, there are some things I can help with. On a different forum site I saw a this plea: \u201cI am approaching the final chapters of my first novel and find myself suddenly riddled with self-doubt about my ability as a writer.\u201d This set off alarm bells inside me as I\u2019ve been there, done that, not as a writer but as a human being. So imagine my horror when I saw folks suggesting that self-doubt was a good thing. As others pointed out, self-doubt is natural, normal, and happens to everyone, but to suggest that it should be embraced \u2013 not only no but hell no!<\/p>\n Self-doubt<\/a> is the enemy in every aspect of our lives. It is something that must be defeated, for only then can we take risks, learn from mistakes, move on and become better persons. This writer was so afraid of what people might think that she couldn’t finish her work and was looking for some kind of reassurance that she wasn’t the loser her friends said she was. And what did some of the thread participants say? That there was no way to help her unless they were able to evaluate her writing. Once again, not only no but hell no. Her immediate problem was that she was too afraid to put her work to the test thus, according to some, the situation was hopeless.<\/p>\n Well, it isn’t hopeless at all. The first thing she needs to be assured of is that the forum is comprised of writers who understand her situation. By definition that means she gets the benefit of the doubt. It also means that we don\u2019t need to put obstacles in her way with preconditions. I suggested that she has to put her self-doubt aside and put her work out for feedback. As I presumed everyone else in the forum is also a writer with a certain level of understanding, this seemed like a reasonable suggestion. Some didn’t see it that way and suggested I was telling the what without giving her the how, and the how wasn’t possible unless she put her work out for scrutiny.<\/p>\n I recognized the irony in the discussion well. As I said earlier, I’ve blogged about people trying to substitute what for how, but I realize there is a difference in asking how to use Twitter effectively and \u201chow does she put aside her self-doubt\u201d. The latter is like asking \u201chow does she get in the pool?\u201d The answer, as I asserted in the thread, is obvious \u2013 she just does. Whether she jumps in or eases her way in, does a cannonball, swan dive or helicopter is irrelevant. She either gets in, or she doesn’t. It really is that simple.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a writer I am constantly asking the question of how. How do I get published? How do I build a following? How do I keep from going nuts? There are enough questions of \u201chow\u201d to circle the globe four … Continue reading