Today was one of those days. I sat down to my computer, opened one my four e-mails, and had to attend to business.
What I mean by business is responses to inquiries, requests for me to do guest blogs, agreements to invites I’d extended to host writers and authors on my my blog talk radio show, Book Talk, Creativity and Family Matters. All good stuff.
But it took time.
Much like answering people who are now following me on Twitter with Thank-you’s.
This is what I do as an author and writer.
And much more.
Today’s world of the 21st century requires writers and authors to wear many hats. We must multitask.
And yet we cannot forget our writing.
Answering our Tweets, thanking our Facebook friends and fans, checking our goodreads and shelfari invitations, and then seeing what’s new to read make the new package of what we do.
Some bristle at this increase of activity to which it behooves us to apply our writing talent, time and energies.
I find that while challenging, these new social networking sites offer me one more place to extend my writing arm.
While there is youtube, the main form of communication on the Internet is writing.
I also learn a lot about what’s happening in the world, i.e. gain excellent ideas for new plots.
The challenge also makes me focus while providing a relief, thought not always welcomed, from keeping my nose to the grindstone of writing.
Like psychotherapists and mental health workers do our clients a world of good by coming out of our offices and examining the worlds in which we and our clients live, writers owe it our readers, potential ones, and our stories to see what’s truly taking place not simply in our minds, but in the lives of others.
Engagement and interaction with the physical and virtual worlds stirs our imagination in new dimensions.
While we must never forget our writing, we must also use new developments in technology that we cannot afford to ignore to our best benefit.
Have you taken a close look at what your friends and family are up to on Facebook?
What was last Tweet you read and/or re-tweeted? Who wrote it? Did you follow them? Did they follow you back?
I saw one today from a person who asked if dyslexia can leave you depressed.
Having a child who is dyslexic and being a psychotherapist, I immediately re-tweeted his question, started following him and the forwarded a brief message sharing what I’ve learned from my daughter.
Interestingly enough, the person presently lives where I grew up while I now live in their birthplace.
A new friend–Twitters love it when someone follows them. And nothing is more flattering than re-tweeting one of more of their Tweets–perhaps an idea for a story, maybe someone interested in reading my work. But most importantly I connected with someone that without the Internet, and social networking, I may have never met.
Do you use social networking as an author or writer?
If so, what sites are you on?
What have been some of your experiences been?
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