Social Media Carnage

How do we keep all the social media from devouring us - and all our time?

Daunting, Difficult, and…and....  Dastardly !

Especially as writers we Try to find time to keep on writing.   [Or like Some of us - work on getting back to it.]

We are told we Have to establish a social ‘identity’ and …. Blah, blah, on and on.   Most of us are familiar with the rest of that refrain.   [if not, comment below, and I'll fill it in for you]

What is never quite clear is how we are supposed to integrate it / shove it / shoe-horn it into our probably already over-crowded time-pressed lives.

Not whining.  Really.  I’m well aware I am Very blessed, and don’t have it as difficult as some.  But that also does not mean my life is dripping roses skipping down a bucolic lane to a mansion.  Totally efficient and spotlessly clean of course.   With clean, and folded, laundry.    [Hey, I can still dream.  Course I might add a cook to that dream also....]

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we expect.   Or maybe, like, Ever turn out way we expect.   So we get creative and write our happy endings.  Right?   

Okay, so we don’t have our happy endings. Yet.  We can still hope and dream.  And see what we can work on in the meantime.

Which means working out the Social Media kinks in our time lines / lives.

I came across this, that might help a little.  

20 Tips to Tame the Wild Social Media Beast

Has some interesting tips that you might find useful.

Even as Writing Helps they can be useful -

# 1    Don’t expect to be Perfect.        Enough said.   Even as Writing Advice.   Keep Working toward it, but don't expect it.  Especially on your first draft.    ...maybe even your second one.

And some of the others are worth mentioning --- and applying to a Writing Life as good Writing Advice.

Take care of yourself.    

Know your audience.

Prioritize what Really matters.    Or my add to it - what really matters to You.

Realize you can’t do everything at once.   

Like Writing and Social Media and Everything else.

Yeah, you’ve heard / seen about all the studies about multi-tasking, right?   Myth.   We - None of us are very good at multi-tasking.  No matter What we think.   And according to what I saw recently those that believe they Are really Good, are the worst.

But since I'm not going to convince you with that on this post, on to next advice point ....

And most of all, take #19 to heart.      Connect With Like Minds

James River Writers in Richmond, Virginia gives a great opportunity with its programs for writers in the area.   From the Writing Show - Tomorrow Night, Thursday, January 31^st - and each month through August on the last Thursday of the month.   To Writers Wednesday the 2^nd Wednesday of Each and Every month, where everyone casually mingles and shares ideas and commiserations on such things as this.   And the Conference in October.     Not to mention several things along the way, so keep check on the JRW website for more ways to Connect with Like Minds!

There are other interesting links and info’ on the post so feel free to go check it out….. It Would be nice if you came back here and shared what caught your eye.  That I might need to take a second, or third, look at.

And since I still have ‘reality’ of laundry to take care of and the rest of it, I have to go and attack it right now.  Before it attacks me.

And if I am not at the Writing Show tomorrow night send a search party.    Bring chocolate.

James River Writers Conference Session

I’m back.  For a few minutes.  Then I must rush off again.

This is a new year for everyone, including for James River Writers non-profit organization.  After celebrating 10 years at the Conference last October, change is in the air.   Oh wait, that was snow, then sleet then …70 degree weather. Really.  For couple of days.  Or hours.     [Is wind chill really 38 degrees, can that even be at 70+ degrees, or is the weather even messing with the Weather Channel too much?]       JRWs changes will last longer.

James River Writers very popular Writing Shows starts up again on this Thursday evening, January 31.  So hope to see you there!

Author Twitter Chats have already started back up - don’t miss them.

Writers Wednesday get togethers are going strong.  Second Wednesday of every month, check the locations to see if we’re near you.  But come anyway, no matter where.  Always fun.

And of course the Conference in October.

To keep up with everything going on be sure to sign up for the JRW newsletter, and check the website often.

Since this is a new year - okay so I’m still trying to clean up last year.   I don’t believe I’m the Only one still doing that.  I realized in all the hectic whirl that became my life last year I didn’t post notes and links, to one of my sessions from the Conference.

I do apologize for not getting to it before.  Since it was a Great session.   *Grin*

So here it is -

JRW Conference Part 4

Sunday, Oct. 20, 2012

Point of View
Erin Blakemore
Eleanor Brown
Allan Wolf

Explore issues of person, narrative voice, form, tone, and tense while discussing the narrators who carry your story.

Notes :

Overall -  Tell the story you have. that you need to tell, the way you need to tell it.  According to how many points of views you need, even if it's 24, or 48, or first person plural.

Erin Blakemore      

How she had to find it within herself to answer the question of who was she to write this book.

Eleanor Brown   

This is her actual query letter sent to get her agent.  With her agent’s comments.

"My query letter is actually here:

That’s what I used to find my agent!" 

And her agent she got from this query letter gives her comments there also.

Evidently 101 queries, or several more, is the charm, she said she queried hundreds.   So DON’T give up!

Allan Wolf 

RT @KPMadonia: @AllanWolf100   wish I had taken myself serious earlier.   Surround yourself with positive people.  Find & trust your voice    #JRWC12

There were Lots of Great things / info’ tweeted at the Conference at #JRWC12

And I’m sure there will be more things this year - including Author Twitter Chats. 

Tune in on Twitter      #JRWC13

So stay tuned - to JRW - and here!

Whistling through an empty house?

Wow.  Seems a bit odd being here after such a long absence.

Perhaps I have been seeing too much Downton Abbey but I feel like this is an empty house I should quietly enter, remove my hat, and stare around at the dust covers and drifting leaves being blown in the door behind me.

Sigh.

I have been meaning to do better, to visit here more often.  I have Thought about it.  But other things have pulled me away, doing other things.

I could make promises to be here posting more often and have witty scintillating things to say, but then that would sound more like a feckless secret lover flitting off to more exciting things and people.  

……Hmmm, Well, since I feel like I’m alone here most of the time anyway, and this is sort of one of my less talked about ‘secret’ things, might not be that far off I guess.

But no time to linger for now.  I must be off again.   My cup of tea is ready to sip and I must flit on to other things to do.

Bye for now.

*Kiss Kiss*