Hello, Readers!
I have a confession to make– until October I didn't have a Twitter, nor had I ever been on the app at all. After hearing how it was full of drama, conflict, and all of the exciting side effects of people dumping their emotions out on the internet, I decided that it simply wasn't for me. I like to keep it simple!
Cut to around October, when I suddenly woke up with a boost of motivation to set myself up for success in the writing world. I researched and researched, coming first to the conclusion that it was time to revive the blog– hello! Here we are!– and then reading up on the best social media for writers. There has to be one, surely, that best fosters an environment suitable for learning and connecting with other likeminded individuals. When the results all came up "Twitter," I knew it was time to steel myself and jump right in.
Having been active on there for around three months now, I can say with certainty that though Twitter can indeed be full of drama, it also hosts a supportive and kind writing community. No matter at what point in the day I start to scroll, I see no less than five #writerslifts (threads dedicated to following along with and championing each others achievements)! If someone posts about how they are discouraged with their journey and don't know whether it's worth it to keep working towards getting published, writers of all genres who may have never viewed that person's content before jump to the comments, smothering them in encouragement and sweet words. And the opportunity to follow published authors who have already established a presence in the publishing and Twitter world is too good to pass up! Many of them are apt to interact with followers as well; I can't tell you the joy it brought me to see that Jennifer Nielsen has twice read and interacted with what I've been up to online!
Though it can also be distracting– which I'll admit, it has at times kept my attention during my writing hours– it has the undeniable benefit of being a place that is full of people with a heart for the same things as yourself. I was thinking about the loneliness of writing the other day and how rare it is to meet people in real life that you can honestly relate to in literary career pursuits. No matter what raw emotion or experience you might share regarding storytelling, at least one person on Twitter will interact, telling you they understand exactly what you mean and are glad you shared. Regardless of how personal your revelations are, that is an affirming feeling to have!
If you are a writer and are looking to get in touch with the social media side of being an aspiring author, there is no better place to go than Twitter. It might be because we are all better with our words than pictures or it's a quick way of putting ourselves out there, but whatever the reason, it's worth giving it a shot.
Though I certainly can't claim to know everything there is to know about being a writer on Twitter, I have learned about a few of the hashtags that are most active and useful to follow/use to see the content you want: #amwriting, #amwriting______ (insert genre here), #WritingCommunity, #Writerscafe, #writing, #writerslift, and #writers. If you're looking to join BookTwitter as well (think Booktok): #booktwt, #amreading, #ReadingCommunity, #readingforpleasure.
And if you happen to be looking for me on there, you can find me at @marissacwrites! I try to post encouraging thoughts, interesting questions, relatable writing content, current reads, and blog updates. I hope we meet on there soon! If Life in Longhand sent you, let me know!
Wherever you choose to connect, I wish you a joyful and supportive community that rallies around you and pushes you toward your fullest potential.
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