Writer Wednesday: The Use Of Social Media and Multiple Postings

Yes I am on social media a lot. I get asked this question often. " Why do you post the same thing multiple times a day?" The easiest answer is it's my job and it's how I market what I do. My platform as an author, i.e. my blog, books that I have released, other blogs, articles or people in the industry that I think have valid and insightful info I will post and re post frequently. (Although sorry about that double posts within like 2 minutes of each other. I was made aware of that and I think I have it turned off now.) So with this post I hope to offer some ideas and also explain the reason behind not only multiple post but the timing of those posts.

To Care or Condemn....How do we move past flowery words?

This beautiful painting is by Liz Lemon Swindle.  The story behind the art from Liz's website is such...The leaders of the Jews brought an adulterous woman before the Lord asking if she should be stoned. Christ simply said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

Convicted by their own conscience, the crowd disappeared leaving only Christ and the accused. “Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?” he said, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

How do we move past flowery insincere words to meaningful heartfelt love for those in our lives that sin? While I may sound like I have the answer for this. I learned from anothers example: Jesus. Such as in the story of the Jews and the adulteress his life was the example that we should learn from. So taking that into account I will put up some points to think about when you find your self quick to judge

• Pray: When you are made aware of someone who needs help ponder, pray and ask whatever deity or guiding light you call to first how you should proceed.
• Don't ask: When someone asks you for help or needs someone to listen and you know it's a direct reaction to perhaps a separation, divorce or bad decisions made on their part. You are not entitled to their information in payment for your empathy. (keep in mind if this person was to be in your home or is in need of things that could pose a threat to your family, yourself or possessions. Then proceed accordingly. Use common sense.)
• Don't imagine: As an author I know the power of imagination. From personal experience do not try and figure out what happened to this person. I can personally testify most often your conclusions are much worse than the truth. So don't do it!
• Like them: Try to find something to admire about them. Even if it's that they have great feet or bathe regularly. There is always something that you can find to hang on to to try and appreciate them. Attempt to look at them as a parent would a child or perhaps even as God would his child. 
• Be Prepared: Often times you will be met with social or public disdain by those who know some of the person's past indiscretions or who were offended by them. Another consequence to this type of care is the reaction of one who you have come to care about. They may feel confident enough to persevere, to become the person they could be and when that happens you will find a loyalty from them that lasts longer than any public or social disdain.

In conclusion this is no easy process and the farther away personally the person is from you the easier it is. However, I've had experience with this more often now than before (reference this post) and I can confidently say that I have gained some truly amazing friendships and understanding about people that have made me a better person and writer.


Have you ever been in this situation? If so how did you react?

The Power of Senses

I had the great privilege of attending a talk by the multitalented Jason F Wright in November of 2008. He was speaking on the power of the hand written letter. While his words were poignant and true...and I agree with him in every way...the same potential for power hold true in other sources I believe.


Here are some examples for me...




 Music: The careful combination of strings by the guitarist, the skillful ambidextrous movement of the drummer, the tickling of the black and white ivories of the pianist coupled with the lyrics that a talented vocalist harmonized together to create music has the potential to enrage, sadden, empower, impassion or calm me. As an author I find music in the background to be a necessity for writing.

Pictures: Photographs, book covers and art any kind of sight enjoying piece is a picture for me. Pictures are the physical ability to conjure up recollections of memories, joys, triumphs or defeats. The power of sight is so strong, as strong as hearing, that once spotted the thoughts can appear without warning. As an author a book jacket is essential. While I often don't even have anything in mind for a novel I am confident that I will know what the dressing is that I require for my book when I see it.


Words: Awww...just the letters of word make me sigh with pleasure. As an author this is my euphoria on earth. Words can do what music and pictures do and more. Here is what words have done for me tonight. Lately I have been dealing with personal struggles, doubts and frustrations. I believe that for every situation that there are appropriate people that are in your life to help you. Most times this is a spouse, but other times it could be a colleague, a close friend or a relative, perhaps even a professional...it all depends on the situation. Really don't you want someone who is qualified to help you?


My friend that I find myself turning to for sometimes even just a distraction from the doubts in the form of a laugh or even advice on a problem they are qualified for, hasn't had much time for me. And as the large silence of their nonreplies pile up the doubts intensify and the sadness creeps in. Are they ok? (I always start with this worry.) Am I bothering them? There are plenty more because I am neurotic like that.

Once I asked that question Am I bothering you? The response was one that brought me great comfort. It was simplistic and honest...probably not even something they thought much of as they typed. For me it's message and it's delivery are an ongoing comfort...stored away safely to call upon as needed.

What is it that does it for you Dear Reader?


Bri

Authors Can't Be With A Bubba

As an author relationships for me are more in depth. I analyze body language and speech long after the conversation ends. It's a bit of a chance being an author's friend. You never know if you will be the inspiration for a character or not. It's even harder to be in a relationship with an author. Because you are always competing for their attention.

It has been my great opportunity to befriend several authors over the years. In that process I have come to a conclusion about those in our field. They are either in a rock solid, love you for life relationship or they are not. There is no in between. Well let me rephrase that they may date a lot, that does not constitute a relationship.

I'll use my relationship for example. My husband at one point was a primary caregiver for our children while I wrote for hours and hours a day. That was in the initial stages of my writing. I have a better balance now. However, when there are deadlines to meet and people depending on your words other responsibilities fall to the wayside. As an author's significant other you have to accept that...and as an author you need to do everything you can to make up for it.

Being an author in today's world means you are more accessible to the people in your life. Unlike if you were a executive who goes to the office and then comes home. It is understood that they are not to be bothered unless on breaks or in emergencies between the hours of 9-5. As an author you won't get that...unless you set up those boundaries.

Here are some examples of what some of my colleagues do. J. actually has an office in the little town he lives in and does most of his writing there. He has been known to stay there for days when a deadline loomed or to travel to a friends cabin and steal away until done. V. actually goes to another country for one month every year. (Yeah I know what you are thinking JEALOUS) Then there is J she has a pretty good schedule with her kids where she either works in her home office or goes to the library. I think on most Saturdays you will find her at the local library.

Now both of the J's in that scenario are married with supportive and understanding spouses. (Sorry V no offense) One of the J's actually travels extensively on book tours and speaking engagements. Here's the true point to this post. Those same spouses had the supportive mindset BEFORE success.

I have met so many writers online, in groups or at a conference that have a drive and a passion to pursue a writing career. When I ask them why they haven't they all say, "I don't have time."or "When the kids are older." However, the one that infuriated me the most was from one woman. She told me her husband said she could use "her time" for writing and that when she was successful and making money she could devote more time to it.(I swear when I picture this man he hasn't bathed in a month, one of his overall snaps is broke, has chew hanging from his greasy too long beard and his name is Bubba.)

What really did it for me though was the look on her face. It was the same look I saw so many times for other writers who gave different excuses. I considered that they may all have something in common there, an unsupportive partner.

I'm not usually one who doesn't speak my mind...so the guilt of quietness was a foreign concept to me. It's like an ulcer to my mind to be silent. So in an effort to relive myself of emotional heartburn I will say what I should have to her and several other authors.

If you are in a relationship with a "Bubba" right now and they say things like "when you are successful" you need to decide what you really want. Because there will never be any success because your will never get the support that you need. If sharing your knowledge opinion and imagination is something you dream about at night, something that hounds you like a bookie does a debted gambler....Bubba's gotta go.

Bri

PS Cheer up you can always make up the partner you really want. Remember you are an author.

Seclusion can be inspiring...

Poster created by the uber talent of Ricky Ross

Sometimes you simply need to check out. Authors, artists, musicians and even you need to recluse yourself from the world at times. There are mutiple reasons for self induced reclusion. A person may need a break from stress, emotional turmoil or certain people in their lives. An artist may hide themselves away in a studio creating their latest peice of soulful inspiration. The next club stomping hit may be mixing away now as we speak by a muscician within the confines of their studio.



Then there is the author, the writer, the blogger and the poet, whatever you call them, they are all creaters. I remember when I wrote the first draft of my novel, Glazier. My day began at 4:30 AM. I walked 40 miles a week. I would get lost in my novel playlist. (I have a playlist of music for every novel I write.) The music of my iphone played out in my mind like the background music of my own personal movie. The theatre being my mind. I lived off peanut butter crackers and diet pepsi. I wrote close to 8 hours a day. If I wasn't writing I was reading.


The point is I almost completely checked out of my life. My husband became a single parent for a while. My grandparent's thought I had fell off the side of the earth. My friends and aquaintances thought I was a having a breakdown. Or an affair. The rumor kept changing.


I had no deadline except for the desperate need to know how it ended. Imagine what it's like for people with deadlines. When I finally surfaced a few months later I was happy. I had created something uniquely mine. With that being said I was hesitant of who I shared it with. Luckily I got over the nervous novel jitters pretty quick. My desire to share it with others overcame my fear of rejection. Any serious author knows about rejection.

You're not alone. We have all had them. Whether it was from the all too common query reject or a bad review. The sting is still the same. I have several creative friends, mostly other authors. Their silence is the fuel behind this post. It is also a warning for my own friends and family.


If an email is sent and I don't respond. I'm writing. If I post a status update on Facebook or Twitter and I don't respond to your comments. I'm watching my internal movie. If I post a blog and don't respond to your comments or likes. I'm creating. Take note that it's nothing personal. I'm not in a fetal position on the floor of my too small apartment. Niether am I in any other position with another man that isn't my husband. That was for those gossips from last time.



Keep this in mind if you have any friends that fall under this category. I'm sure they are simply creating as well. Have patience. The best part of having a part time reclusive friend is that you are one of the first to see their latest masterpiece. More often than not it's always worth it.I promise.


Bri

What's up with YA fantasy?

Saturday was a good day. I had a date day spending time with my husband. We did some religious activities together and then, in our Sunday best, had a nutritious meal at the local McDonald's. As we ended our morning and went our separate ways, we both had errands and obligations to attend to, I suddenly found myself at the mall. Then just as suddenly I was knee deep and happily surrounded by my addiction. The Words. What my husband rather unaffectionately calls books.

I went to the store with the intentions of finding a cooking/diet book. Nevertheless, I found myself bouncing back and forth between the historical romance section and young adult fantasy section. I decided to purchase a book in YA about werewolves. I spent $20.00 on the hardback.

I left the book store so eagerly I almost forgot my original errand in the mall. I was bustling with the potential the new "words" could provide. I went straight home and did my chores quickly and saw to any potential needs my children might come up with so as not to be interrupted and thus igniting my Medusa like attributes.

Then I sat back on my super soft, down padded bed and snuggled up to get my fix. I must admit that what first attracted me to this book was the cover. This jacket was alluring, pivotal and beautiful. So you can imagine my utter dismay as I opened the book and ran my fingers along it's inner pages. I did not feel a smooth lattice work of equal proportions. The pages look like something my six year old cut out then put together with a stapeler. They are all misshapen and roungh edged.

Nevertheless, because of the junkie I am, I press forward. I made it to chapter 3 and could tell that I wasn't really happy with the way things were going. What do you think I did? What would you do? Remember I am a junkie. I read on. At about 11:00pm I was half way through the book and had met my breaking point.

I had endured several aspects of the story that I could look past. However, when the characters were being forced into situations of sexual abuse by authority figures of the straight and homosexual nature I was officially done. Not only am I done I will get my money back.

I used to read YA because I thought it would fall better within my ideas of moral reads. That is not the case anymore. The saddest thing about the whole ordeal is that this is not the first time this has happened. It is acutally quite common. There are also several common denominaters in my experiences as well. If it's YA fantasy set in modern times then it going to have something offensive to my own personal convictions more often than not. Why is that? Do teenagers really find joy is such sad and unacceptable behavoirs? Isn't fiction supposed to be fun? I will say when I do find the not. It's like finding a hidden snickers bar days after Halloween is over. Unexpected, satisfying and oh so sweet.


PS. I have purposely left the name of the novel out of this entry. I believe what I believe. Those are my personal opinions. I refuse to review a book in any form whether negative or positive when I cannot even finish it.