The Social Writer by Nevada McPherson
Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Nevada McPherson as she shares with us “The Social Writer.” Enjoy!
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How do you use social media? To keep in touch with family and friends? To build your writer platform? To show off pics of your new puppy?
I mainly use it to share pictures and articles that I like. Recently, I’ve started using it to help me increase my level of accountability for my writing and art projects.
Of course I like to get new followers as much as anyone, but all that aside, some part of me feels that if I put an announcement about an upcoming project on social media, I really have to complete it when I said I would.
In past posts I’ve discussed using a corkboard to keep track of projects and submissions, and saying I’ll do something on social media is just another method of making sure I get it done.
Why Be A Social Writer
I’ve found that if I put it on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, I tend to feel like if I don’t hit my target/ deadline, etc. that I’d better step up my game since I announced somewhere that this would be happening at a particular moment in time.
Do people really pay attention to such announcements? I don’t know; some do and some don’t, but the important thing is that I do, because the more I make myself accountable, the more likely I am to take concrete action, and that leads to more things being in motion in my writing life.
When it comes to personality types, I am an introvert. Sometimes even the act of posting on social media is an effort that requires overcoming shyness and some level of fear, no matter how small.
I chalk it up to putting myself out there, even if I know deep down that my post is just another tiny fragment in the vast mosaic of everything else on the internet. Nevertheless, it is something that leads to action and that makes it well worth the effort.
Spending too much time on social media can be a notorious method of procrastination, but in today’s world of book marketing and brand building, it’s also a necessity.
Social Writer as a Step in the Journey
No matter the publishing method one chooses, one is expected to utilize social media to gain readers and exposure.
This fact of the writing life leads me to believe that no matter what the response to my posts regarding likes, followers and comments, it’s another step in the journey, another promise to myself, another crumb along the path to not just saying I’ll do something, but to being able to say, “I did it!”
Happy writing!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Originally from Georgia, Nevada McPherson lived in uptown New Orleans for many years and now lives with her husband Bill and rescue Chihuahua, Mitzi in Milledgeville, GA where she is a professor of Humanities at Georgia Military College. Nevada received a BA in English/ Creative Writing and an MFA in Screenwriting from Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge. She’s written over a dozen feature-length screenplays, one short screenplay, a short play, short stories and two graphic novels, Uptowners and Piano Lessons. Queensgate, the sequel to Uptowners, is her third graphic novel. For more information, visit www.nevada-mcpherson.com.
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