Writing

Tips for the Floundering Tweeter

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

Tips for the Floundering TweeterAlthough, I’ve had a Twitter account for awhile now, I admit I’m not proficient in the use of Twitter. For one, it can be addictive and it’s hard for me to say anything in a 140 characters.  I’ve been working on my Twitter presence and thanks to Kevan Lee at Buffer for his article, Twitter Tips for Beginners, I have a number of tips to share with those of you who, like me, are still floundering beginners or,  just floundering.

Twitter Tips
  1. Unless you don’t want to get anything else done -Don’t read every tweet. According to Kevan, “If you’re following 100 people, you could see 2,200 tweets per day.”  I don’t have that kind of time.
  2. Use Lists: This is something I’ve used for some time now. I currently have nine lists, from writing to politics.
  3. Talk to people. If they tweet, re-tweet, mention, or favor a tweet – recognize them. Say something, after all, Twitter is about connecting with people. In the South, we call not responding – rude!
  4. Use a scheduler. I use Buffer and have for a long time.
  5. Make sure your profile is up to date, professional and says something real about who you are.
  6. Follow as many as you want and more if you can. You follow me, I’m gonna follow you. And, by the way, you can find me on Twitter @cofcmom.
  7. And, Thanks Kevan for this: No. 1 Rule of Tweeting: If you want everyone to see your tweet, don’t start it with an @ symbol. I didn’t have a clue.
  8. You’re not going to be shunned or cut off from Twitter world if you repost a Tweet more than once. Go for it. It’s okay. You might pick up a follower or two.
  9. Don’t forget the # hashtag, but don’t overdo it either. According to Kevan, when you use more than two #’s, engagement drops by 17%. Who knew you could # someone to death. Kevan has a whole article on the science of #hashtags. You can check it out here.

Here’s to Tweeting. I’ll see you on the Twitter playground. I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. And as always, you can follow me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Twitter @cofcmom, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

 

Related articles

Do You Make These 5 Mistakes?

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 8 Comments

14df47ff-a6a3-4856-b6c5-e0bc63f2a94d_zpsj2npso91I don’t know about you, but I hate making mistakes. I think the number of errors one makes in life should decrease exponentially with age. But then, nobody asked me.

Writing a novel, whether it’s your first or third, is not for the faint of heart. I’m on my first, and the more I read about writing, the more mistakes jump out at me and smack me in the head. Seriously? 

5 of the Most Common Mistakes Writers Make
  1. Write & edit at the same time – Oh Lord, I’m so guilty of this one. Every time I read another how-to, chapter one gets a makeover.
  2. No tension or conflict – Maxwell Anderson once said, ” The story… must be a conflict, and specifically, a conflict between the forces of good and evil within a single person. I think I’m okay with this one, but I’ll double-check – everyone loves a fist fight.
  3. Stereotyped characters – If your character is a bored housewife, give her a personality and quirks that make her anything but boring.  “Know more about your character than you let on. It’ll show.” Aaron Miles
  4. A main character nobody likes – I was told many times growing up, “If you can’t say anything good about someone, keep your mouth shut.” Okay, maybe that’s not a direct quote, but we all like to feel something good about the characters we read. In one of my stories, the main character kills her husband because he becomes a weak, whiny-ass of a man. I thought she might need a tweak or two (to become more likable) but, come to think of it – I know many women who would love her.
  5. Forgetting who you’re writing for – hint, it’s your readers. Fine, some write because they have to, whatever that means, or for catharsis – maybe sometimes. Whatever the reason you write, if the story doesn’t engage the reader you’re doomed and so is the story. So, make it believable. Don’t write when you’re bored; it’ll show. Give them a story that keeps them up at night, flipping pages.

More on mistakes writers make? Check out Steven James article in Writer’s Digest, 5 Story Mistakes Even Good Writers Make.

What about you? Are you guilty of making these mistakes? I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. And as always, you can follow me on Facebook at SheilaMGood and  Twitter @cofcmom.

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

  Mark Twain said, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”

 

 

Related articles

A Perfect Match

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 8 Comments

She read the names aloud as if one would speak to her; it’s me.

 “Ruby Red, Fire Engine Red, Startling Red, Kiss Me Red.”

Maybe she was wrong.

“Cheating Red.”

She raised the stick higher and ran it across the crumpled, red-stained shirt in her hand. It was a perfect match.

 

Related articles

Is Your Manuscript Ready for Primetime?

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment
-POP.jpg

You’ve finally reached the pinnacle, revisions are complete and  your query is perfect and your manuscript ready. You’re anxious to contact agents, but is it really ready for primetime?

Before you hit send, read Ryan Lanz’s, A Writer’s Path, 16 Query Tips From Literary Agents.

 

 

Related articles