Writerly Tools: Pinterest

Yes, this is a Pinterest post.

If you've been following pretty much any blog for the last six months, you've already seen at least one version of this post, so you're welcome to move on. If not, stick around an I'll tell you how Pinterest can be useful to you (and your writing).

Now the idea behind Pinterest was to create virtual pinboards for everything that you as a user thinks is worth pinning. Get it? Pin + Interest = Pinterest. Haha.

At first glimpse, Pinterest looks a whole lot like Tumblr because the entire website is an explosion of pictures. This is why it took me so long to get interested. What was the point of dealing with another social website when it was so close to Tumblr? The answer to that question is because Pinterest is a bit more self-centered than Tumblr.

At its core, Tumblr is just another blogging platform, though it does have a huge emphasis on sharing content. Pinterest, on the other hand, is an easy way to organize online content that you enjoy. Tumblr uses want followers because they want to share their content, while Pinterest users seems a bit more focused on collecting things they like.

Make sense? Maybe a little interested to hear more? Good, since this is the part where I cut to the chase and tell you five reasons why using Pinterest might be in your best interest:

1. Pinterest is your inspiration board
   Remember when I did a WIP picture spam post? Well Pinterest allows you to easily cultivate images and ideas for your writing . . . or anything else really (and if you're curious, here's a link to my WIP board).
2. Pinterest is a haven for writers
   So many authors have Pinterest accounts that it's not even funny. Want to see what kind of things that Laini Taylor associates with Daughter of Smoke & Bone or Beth Revis's with her mysterious new WIP? Well now you CAN.
3. Pinterest lets you organize like a champ
   You can definitely have more than one pin board, which allows you to organize everything your heart's content. Want a board for every WIP? For the tastiest looking recipes? For everything related to comics books? Totally doable.
4. Pinterest makes browsing easy
   Of course Pinterest has the standard search function, but you can also scroll through pins based on genre/category. Better yet, you can follow other people's boards and let them find all of the best content online.
5. Pinterest is only what you let it be
   Maybe you'll use it for WIP inspiration, or maybe you'll use it to procrastinate from working on your WIP. Maybe you'll get some new hobbies or save every beautiful picture you find online. If nothing else, Pinterest is versatile.

Writerly Tools: Tumblr

Tumblr is one of those websites that is both inspirational and a superb time suck. It also took me a long time to appreciate.

Like many other writers, I think it's easy to find inspiration in all sorts of things: pictures, videos, comics, music, etc. What I didn't understand, was that Tumblr is home to all of these things if you know how to look. Actually, Tumblr is home to a lot of exciting and inspirational stuff. You just have to give it an opportunity.

Like all social networks, Tumblr is riddled with garbage, but it's surprisingly easy to avoid. We're not talking status updates like Twitter and Facebook. We're talking microblogging. This is like Blogger and Wordpress, but quicker and easier. Tumblr can be whatever you want to make it, depending on who you follow and what you post/reblog.

So now that I've maybe perked your interest, let me tell you a little bit more about it. Here, five reasons why Tumblr might be another social network that's worth your time:

1. Tumblr is the blogging alternative
   A lot of people have been burnt out on blogging, but Tumblr takes that familiar formula and twists it. Yup, Tumblr is all about stream-of-consciousness, quick and easy, micro-blogging. It lets you take images, words, anything, and lets your ideas speak for themselves.
2. Tumblr is simple
   Seriously. Tumblr is up there with Twitter when it comes to ease of use. This is definitely a good thing, especially when you consider how broad it's applications of use can be.
3. Tumblr can be your scrapbook
   You can post nearly anything on Tumblr, and thus, it's really easy to create a scrapbook of images relating yo your writing, or even a collection of writing exercises or flash fiction. Tags are specific to tumblelogs, so it's easy to keep everything organized.
4. Tumblr is a creativity goldmine
   Continuing on the scrapbook vein, you can find pretty much anything on Tumblr. Pictures, patterns, recipes . . . it's all there. And you can reblog and share all of it. So if you need to jumpstart your creativity, go peruse Tumblr for a while.
5. Tumblr is light hearted
   Tumblr loves kittens and memes and all sorts of silly internet-related things. Better yet, Tumblr lets you spread the joy with a simple click of the Reblog button. And frankly, this is a great way to escape the writerly angst.

On this blackest of Fridays

You know, I was going to write about Thanksgiving. Then I was going to write about Black Friday. Then I remembered how everyone always writes about holiday on their blogs, and after you've seen one post, you've pretty much seen them all. Besides, not all of you are American.

This is pretty much why I don't say anything about holidays on Squidink. It often gets to the point where the blog-o-sphere becomes saturated with a lot of the same sentiments, and I'd rather not bore you (and myself) with them.

There are a lot of other topics I like to avoid on this blog too. Politics. Religion. Complaining too much. Too many details on my personal life (not that they're super interesting anyway). I want to be positive here--not to look perfect or avoid debate or anything like that--but because I don't feel there's a point to lingering on the negative.

People like to cling to hatred too easily. We like to complain and gripe and get furious over the stupidest stuff. Just look at all of the people who hate Twilight. Why waste the effort to actively hate something when you can spend that time enjoying things you like? I don't know about you guys, but I prefer being happy instead of angry.

Especially on this blog, which is on the internet, which is gonna be around until time immemorial. *shrug*

So, speaking of blog topics to avoid, what kind of things don't you like to talk about on your blog? Is there anything you avoid like the plague? Or do you think I'm just being ridiculous . . . or even, dare I say, inappropriate? Tell me what you think in the comments.

Social writing is bizarre

One of the strangest things about NaNoWriMo* is the fact that it takes writing, an activity that is widely considered to be very solitary, and makes it social.

Super social.

What do I mean by this? Well, NaNo is many things. One of those things involves a lot of sitting in the same room with a bunch of people and NOT talking until the latest word sprint is over. There is intensive writing going on . . . en masse. To an outsider, it probably comes off as very creepy. Hilariously enough, I didn't consider this when I told you all to do it via video chat on Monday.

Anyway, some of you might argue that writing isn't completely solitary. And you're sort of correct. There are word sprint challenges on Twitter . . . well, there are a lot of awesome writerly things on Twitter. But these kinds of things still involve you yourself being alone in a room. Or alone at a table in a coffee house. Or even alone in your head as you children through legos at each other in the next room. Whatever.

Okay, well what about writing groups? Hmm, Sarah, what about those? Well, uhh, in my (admittedly limited) experience most writing groups are about sharing work instead of composing it on the spot. But I could be wrong here.

Either way! What I'm really getting at is this: Social writing is kind of weird and I want to know what you guys think about it.

So, distracting or encouraging? Do you like how it openly involves casual writers, or do you prefer to strictly converse with hardcore writers? Is social writing good for new writers, or does it create unrealistic expectations? Tell me what you think in the comments!

*An Aside: Apparently I'm never going to shut up about NaNo. Sorry. Only not.

Hanging out on Google+

Write-ins.

They are awesome. They are a combination of magic and sparkles and productivity. Or, well, maybe they're more like extreme ridiculousness combined with focused productivity. Either way, they rock because not only do you get to bond with other writers, but you also get some work done.

Unfortunately not all of us can host or attend a write-in. But that is what the internet is for!

Several months ago, Google+ entered the world and we all went crazy about it. Then everyone stopped caring because G+ is just another form of Facebook . . . and at this point it's just easier to hit up Facebook for those social networking needs. However, G+ has a feature that Facebook doesn't have: Hangouts.

What are Hangouts? Think video conferencing without having to actually pay for a program. *cough*Skype*cough* It's a little buggy right now, but it's a fantastic way to get a bunch of people together and write.

Maybe a video conference write-in sounds odd, but my local NaNoWriMo group has been doing this every night we don't have an officially scheduled write-in. Yes, we like each other's company far too much . . . but it has been pretty awesome. Trust me on this. And then think about hanging out with some people the next time you need a writing buddy.

So had any of you even heard of this Google+ feature before now? If so, have you had the pleasure of going to a hangout? What were you doing there? Just chatting, or something more productive? Tell me in the comments.

What do you think I should blog about?

So, blogging rocks. It's a nice way to subject you guys to my thoughts. And chat of course. Because that's always good. However, as of late, I've had a lot of trouble coming up with post ideas that seem interesting.

Seriously. I feel like the bag post is the ultimate low. But let's not talk about that.

Now, at this point some people might take a blogging break. But I'm afraid if I stray from my 3-posts-a-week schedule, then I'll just stop posting. Not because I don't like blogging (because, you know, I actually do like it), but because I'm lazy. Really. Those people that blog everyday? I secretly think they're crazy. Well, maybe intimidating is more the right word.

I guess what I'm really wondering is what you guys do when you can't think of anything to blog about? Do you agonize at your computer for hours or do you do other things until inspiration strikes? And what kinds of posts do you find interesting to read anyway? I'd love some feedback, so give me a heads up in the comments.

The Facebook announcement

Facebook isn't really my thing. I spend somewhere between five and ten minutes a day there, and even that's pretty low key. Twitter is my choice of social media. But a while ago Nathan Bransford wrote a pretty convincing post on making a fan page on Facebook, and after putting it off for several months, I've done it. I have submitted to the Facebook.

If you're even the slightest bit inclined, feel free to check it out. And, of course, I'd totally be cool with it if you Liked me. Think of it as an early birthday present.*

And if you're curious and/or wary about this whole Facebook fan page thing, apparently Facebook is taking over the world. Check it out:


The World Is Obsessed With Facebook from Alex Trimpe on Vimeo.

I don't deny that you guys will eventually get a writerly tools segment on Facebook, but until then, what do you think about using Facebook as a marketing tool? Have you made yourself a fan page on Facebook? Or does that niggling sense of egotism turn you off? Tell me in the comments.

*In case you were wondering, my birthday is on the 25th. :)

ETA (06/22/11): Haha, ironically Nathan Bransford posted about Facebook today too, only he was questioning its downfall.

Writerly Tools: Twitter

Twitter.

Next to Facebook it's one of the largest social networks out there. And, unfortunately, it kind of has a bad rap.

Why? Because too many people talk about what they cook for dinner every night. Like all social networks, Twitter should be more about other people than about yourself. That's what makes things interesting--not what dinner. Of course, if you're a foodie, then things are a bit different, but whatever.

Let's just cut to the chase: Twitter is more than it appears to be, and if you let yourself experiment with it, you'll end up having a lot of fun. Twitter is a marketing, researching, sharing, friendshiping tool. News breaks on Twitter. People become friends on Twitter. Contests are held and charities are born on Twitter. And yes, sometimes we just want to talk about what we had for dinner. But only when it's interesting. And not all the time. (ETA: And if you need an example of Twitter's power, Laini Taylor explains #YAsaves quite nicely)

So let's get down to business. Here are five reasons why Twitter isn't a complete waste of effort for writers:

1. Twitter is a social butterfly
   A lot of writers and industry professionals are on Twitter and you're free to communicate with them. Really. Not only that, but there are few strings attached, so it can be anything from a minor interaction to a newfound friendship. Communication is key!
2. Twitter is all about sharing
   It's easy to find something interesting on Twitter because people post interesting info all the time. It's a marketing dream and fantastic for promos and contests. At the same time, you don't want to alienate your audience by spamming them with links all of the time, so don't be posting links every five seconds.
3. Twitter is super accessible
   Yeah. Twitter is like Facebook. It's available on pretty much every electronic device in existence. However, you can customize your experience with one of the dozens of available Twitter clients. A lot of people swear by TweetDeck, but I prefer Echofon.
4. Twitter has hashtags
   Hashtags are basically the love child of search terms and blog post labels, but at their most frivolous they're like ironic asides. Anyway, some of the best ones for writers are #amwriting, #wordmongering, and #askagent.
5. Twitter is 140 characters
   Don't give me that look--this is important. As writers, we need to be concise and to the point. No unnecessary purple prose for us. Twitter forces you to choose your words carefully, and that's something we all need practice with.

Writerly Tools: Goodreads

So this week we're talking about a website instead of a computer program, and the website in question is Goodreads.

I know a lot of you are groaning now. Goodreads is for readers and this is supposed to be a section about writerly tools. Not readerly tools.

Yet, one of the easiest ways to improve upon your craft is to read. When you pick up a book all you need to do is pay attention to what the author does. How does he form a sentence? What hints of foreshadowing does he lay early in the story? How does he show instead of tell. There's so much to learn from published authors that you can't get unless you're reading.

Besides, I understand. In fact, I resisted signing up for Goodreads for month, and when I finally did, nothing seemed very special. Just another website. But after a few weeks of tentative messing around, I'm slowly getting a little obsessed. So let me give you five reasons why Goodreads isn't as terrible as you might imagine:

1. Goodreads organizes books
   If you're neurotic like me, the idea that you can digitally make book lists is amazing. I particularly love the "to-read" shelf because everything I've been meaning to read is there and organized beautifully. Not only that, but inputting information allows you to see how many books or pages you've read in the past year!
2. Goodreads is a good time waster
   Because sometimes we need to waste time. At least wasting time looking at books is better than surfing articles on Wikipedia or StumbleUpon, right? It is. There are dozens of lists on Goodreads cultivating books, and there's no way you can spend some time on that sight and not find something that looks interesting.
3. Goodreads' reviews are written by people that care
   Yes, there are those people that give five stars to every book they read to be nice. There also those people who give five stars to everything by a certain author, whether the book has even been written or not. But you will not see Amazon reviews on Goodreads. You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones that complain about customer service or slow shipping and have nothing to do with the book. These reviewers actually care to some extent, and that's awesome.
4. Goodreads makes it easy to find books
   There are times that I read a short story and then want to read something by that author. Fortunately, Goodreads links everything together in an easy-to-use interface that makes finding books about a thousand easier than combing Amazon.
5. Goodreads is a social network
   I know, I know. You already knew that. But Goodreads' status as a social network is one of the things that makes it fun. Because it's more specified than Facebook will ever be, you will always be able to find a fellow reader that likes the same things as you do. There are lists of recommendations, there are quizzes to do, and there are famous people to stalk--all of which are fun, social networking things.