Blog Tour Stop: Why Twitter Matters, from Annalisa Crawford

It's been a year since my novella Cat and The Dreamer was published! There have been lots of changes in my own life in that time, and I started to wonder what else had changed...

Thank you Jade for inviting me over today!

Today's topic: Twitter!

When Cat and The Dreamer was published I didn't have a Twitter account - everyone else in the world did, everyone else used their accounts to tell each other about their new book releases... I relied on a solitary tweet by Hubby. I was on Facebook, I had a blog - why did I need Twitter too?

I succumbed in June, and it wasn't even with professional reasons in mind. I'm not sure what swayed me, but I've been having a blast ever since. I can now tell the world all those witty things I think during the day that would be otherwise lost. I can (and did) share my thoughts about the Olympic opening ceremony, along with the rest of the world. In fact, it was that was the evening I unfollowed my first person, because he insisted on tweeting about his book release while everyone else was talking Olympics.

Best of all was watching TOTP2 over Christmas. I was alone, but I took to Twitter and shared my thoughts about Wizzard, The Pogues and Kirsty McColl, and some rather strange dancing snowmen #TOTP2, yeah! And it was fantastic. Lots of people all thinking the same as me, how great is that!

It was because of a Twitter conversation that I took part in NaNoWriMo this year, and now have a great new project to work on.

It was because of Twitter that I've met some great new people, and have a heavy metal guitarist following me. (I wish Blogger would support cheesy-grin smileys because I really want to put one here!)

It's also very useful for those silly little research questions you have and can't find the answer to on Google. For one story recently, my character was being poisoned and I'd already written his symptoms when I realised I didn't know what would cause them. I got my answer via Twitter because the question was retweeted until I found the expert I needed. I think it was an expert, it might just have been someone who'd poisoned people!

Are you on Twitter? Has it changed your life?

Please follow me, using the link below!

About Cat and The Dreamer

As a teenager, Julia survived a suicide pact, while her best friend Rachel died. Julia’s only escape from her guilt, and her mother’s over-protection, is her imagination. When Adam arrives in the office, Julia’s world takes a startling turn as she realises reality can be much more fun than fantasy. Finally she has someone who can help her make the most of her life. But can she allow herself to be truly happy?

Cat and The Dreamer is available on Kindle UK, Kindle US, Kobo, Nook, iTunes/iBooks, and via Vagabondage Press.

Annalisa Crawford lives and writes in Cornwall with a good supply of beaches and moorland to keep her inspired. She finds endless possibilities in the relationships between people. Several new projects are on the cards for 2013.

Find her on her blog, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

A Nightmare, Uninterrupted

Last week, I revealed that I was finally moving into my new house, which has been mine for three months. After extensive work and a lot of waiting, I'm in. And, sadly, the terror I was feeling last weekend blossomed into complete hysteria by Tuesday, 4 pm Eastern Standard Time. 

A House Without Internet

That was when, after 3 hours on the phone with an ISP that I really shouldn't name, I was informed that my Tuesday appointment would not be honored. Not on Tuesday. Not on Wednesday. Not on Thursday, either.

At 4 pm Eastern Standard Time this past Tuesday, I came to realize I wouldn't be going two days without Internet -- a scenario that already had me scared witless -- I would going without for a whopping five days.

And maybe more. I was given several different answers over the course of multiple phone conversations. So when will I have the Internet again? When will I be able to post regular Writing 101 posts again?

Your guess is as good as mine. While I wait to be reconnected, I'll be halfway inside various boxes that are scattered throughout my house. Look for an exciting guest post coming to the blog tomorrow!

The Best Review Ever?

"I can honestly say it's one of the best self published books I've read."

"One of the best, most exciting mysteries."  

Emily at Confessions of a Bookaholic, a great reviewer and friend of the blog, has posted her option of The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2). Visit her blog to see what she had to say about the book!

Jade's Quadruple Feature

Head on over to my pal Christopher Fischer's blog to read reviews of all four books in the Deck of Lies series, plus an in-depth interview with me! See if you agree with his opinion of Justice, The Tower, Death and Judgment. 

Guest Post: The 5 Decades of a Writer's Life

Author Lisa Fantino dropped by today to share her unique insights after 5 decades of being a writer. Stay tuned for a future review of her popular book Amalfi Blue, coming soon to the blog. In the meantime, see what Lisa had to say about her 50 years of writing...

The 5 Decades of a Writer's Life

Some people are born opera stars.  Some folks are natural athletes. I am a lifer when it comes to writing.  I received the all important tools of the trade, a typewriter and a tape recorder, for my third Christmas and so it began. Now, with the release of my memoir, “Amalfi Blue, lost & found in the south of Italy,” it puts this long passion for writing in perspective.

With the success of the book, come the requests for advice from aspiring writers, people who have not yet earned a penny from their hobby.  I call it a hobby because that is all it will be for most people because there is a true difference between just writing words or creating a world with words that others want to enter.

So, I will try to highlight the five decades of a writer’s journey, realizing full well that not everyone’s path to literary immortality will be the same.

• The teens – everything stirs her curiosity.  While young girls fill diaries with pointless drivel about morning acne and silly boys, teen writers fill books with prose & poetry.  They are spurred by emotion and fueled by hormones to send letters everywhere.  The budding Lois Lane will not be swayed from getting her voice to the masses and is published in a national magazine by her Sweet 16.  You will most likely find her at the editor’s desk of the H.S. paper.

•  The 20s – The true writer is likely to be a dual major of Literature and Journalism.  She will study the classics because they stir her soul and inspire her to dream of writing the great American novel.  She will study the practicalities of journalism because that is where she can hone her skills.  If she’s lucky enough, she’ll be introduced to the writing bibles of “Strunk and White” and almost any style book written by Merv Block.  You will most likely find her in a corner of the campus library, shutting out the world, doing re-writes for the only creative writing class the college offers.

• The 30s – The true writer has resigned herself to a life of poverty since most print publications barely cover gas money for 2,000 words, while blogs and websites barely offer enough to buy a burger.  Thanks, freelance writing sites, for dumbing down the writers’ market even further when it comes to compensation.  You will most likely find the 30-something writer working 60+ hours, during ungodly overnight shifts, at any newspaper, radio or TV station which will hire her…..and unless she’s in a major market (NY, LA or Chi-town), she is earning a fraction of what her IT alums are making.  BTW, the first draft of that novel now sits with the 2^nd and 3^rd re-writes on her dead laptop, along with the junk file of agent and publisher rejection letters.  She keeps those for when her first book is a best-seller and she can say “I told you so!”

•  The 40s – The true writer is laughing and crying inside as she sees her colleagues give up true journalism for a life in P.R., knowing full well they will also earn more than she is doing chasing down news stories.  They write press releases and she still dreams of writing the great American novel, while realizing there is no money in the retirement fund.  You will most likely find her at the bar, which sits across from the TV station, with the old-timers who can’t imagine a life outside of news.

• The 50s – The true writer says “F^*^ it all, I’m doing it my way.”  She understands that life is too short to wait for others to realize her dream.  She is realistic enough, hopefully not delusional, to know whether she has what it takes to draw in readers.  She’s honed this skill after many, many years working with seasoned editors, taking the ego hits and learning how to improve her craft.  You will likely find her chasing her dream to all corners of the world, confident in her ability to make it happen.

My former journalism students either dropped out the first week of class or continued to take my writing courses as electives, understanding full well that rejection and editing make you better in spirit and talent.  Writers are writers because they cannot think of doing anything else but writing.  You won’t get rich.  Maybe you won’t be famous.  So, you write for yourself and if others jump on the crazy train with you, then oh, what a ride it will be!

About the Author

Lisa Fantino is a former network news reporter and anchor, turned attorney and now published author, who stepped off life’s merry-go-round just long enough to make her dream a reality.

Amalfi Blue on Amazon

Amalfi Blue on Twitter

Writing 101: Author Shorthand

I didn't know it, but authors have their own secret language. I've been exposed to this recently because I've been making a big effort to be more involved in writer forums. And I'm happy to report that I have cracked the code, and I'm going to share it. You'll look like a pro when you master author shorthand.

Writer Abbreviations 

Author shorthand doesn't just look impressive, it probably also saves a lot of time. Whether or not you plan to use it, I've found that it's good to know what all the different acronyms mean...because that saves a lot of time when it comes to reading the forums.

• LI - love interest
• MC - main character
• WIP - work in progress
• QL - query letter (the letter authors send to agents/publishers to pitch a book)
• POV - point of view
• MG - middle grade, young adult books for tweens
• FD - first draft
• NF - non fiction
• ARC - advanced reader copy
• MS - manuscript
• TBR - to be read/reviewed
• BS - it doesn't mean what you think it means. When authors use it, BS often means backstory (but you'll need to study the context to know for sure)
• GMC - goals, motivation, conflict

There are lots more author acronyms, not all of them so pleasant, but these are the ones you'll find most often. Now, at least you'll know what authors are talking about when you're reading the forums!

Writing 101: Get Out of Your Head

I know all the things you do to distract yourself from writing, because I also do them. I know about all the questions that parade through the writer's mind, sewing seeds of doubt and fear. I know what it's like to re-read something I wrote just yesterday, and suddenly hate it. And the entire idea. And words in general. And I've got a piece of advice for all of us: get out of your head.

Over-Thinking It

Over-thinking it can kill a project more easily than all the grammatical errors in the world. You can always fight your way through editing, but if you're twirling too many questions around in your mind you'll end up talking yourself right out of writing your book.

It's easy to question, to second-guess, particularly for me. I've practically turned it into an art form, I'm so good at it. It's nerve-wracking to release your first book, to put yourself out there for the world. But you know what's even harder? Putting the second book out there.

Now, there are expectations. Now, you have fans. You have readers. They reviewed your work, and they're looking forward to the next. What if your next book is terrible? What if you let them down? What do your fans want from you?

This is how it begins. It's a pitfall that's incredibly easy to fall into; I have a summer home down there. It's good to care about your fans, and you always should respect them and appreciate them. But you can't be controlled by them. You can't let anyone else dictate what you write.

You have to write what you want to write. Writing takes inspiration, and passion, and a certain amount of completely blind determination. In other words, you have to write for yourself. It's fine to be inspired by others and to be driven by the goodwill of others, but at the end of the day you need to be writing the story that you want to write. The one that comes from within your gut, not from within your inbox. You need a story that's going to drive you, not something that you think other people will like. Your writing is at its strongest when it comes from somewhere you can't even name, because it's just down too deep.

If you're asking yourself a bunch of questions, you're over-thinking it. Just do the writing part, and pull the story out from deep within. Wonder about whether people will like it when you're editing, which is pretty much supposed to be highly stressful anyway.

Going Off the Grid

So, I haven't been around much in the last week. It's not because I'm working on the new novel (in fact, I'm still stuck on Chapter 4), it's because I've been moving.

 Drawing the Line

After three months, I made a big final push to put an end to my strange, two-home existence. The work on the house has been progressing slowly, or not at all, so two weeks ago I decided to do what I do best: I set a deadline.

I'm good with deadlines. They conduct my every waking moment and hold me in an iron grip. They also keep me in line. If I had my druthers, I would spend my days watching the Game Show Network and live tweeting my very intense thoughts regarding Let's Make a Deal and Match Game, which I maintain are very important contributions to society. 

So I need the deadlines. I perform under pressure; sometimes, it's the only way I can. However, I over-estimated something somewhere with the deadline I set for the move. A lot of work ended up coming in, and I got stymied by a box shortage. I got about five hours a sleep every night for the past week and did my very best to run myself ragged. Things got so intense, I actually dropped my exercise routine for an unprecedented 2 days.

Because I've been so pressed for time, I've been very neglectful. I haven't been responding to comments and tweets very responsibly, and I'm sorry to admit I've skipped a ton of forum-reading. I have kept up with the blogs I follow, but I haven't been able to comment much on new posts. I'm just barely responding to emails at this point; this blog post took three days.

I've already been out of touch, and now I'm going off the grid. Because of an error (mine), I'll be almost totally without Internet for a terrifying two days. I'll have some access thanks to my mobile, but you know what that's like.

I'm feeling very daunted by it all, to be honest. I'm nervous about the move and terrified of being totally without Internet. What will I do, if I'm not working? There's no real pressure in unpacking the boxes -- it's not like moving under a strict deadline.

And while the Internet will be off, the TV is going to be working just fine. Just imagine how much interesting stuff will be on there...and how much tweeting I can do from my phone.