Point Of View... Get It Right, The Way YOU Want It - Thursdays with the Author

I recently had a chat with another writer about Point of View. The story she is currently working on is in first person, like my first book, Dark Mountains, was written. That conversation spurred this blog post topic:

What is Point of View, more commonly knows as: POV?

POV is what viewpoint in which the story is being written. 

Is it multiple characters speaking/narrating? Is it a new point of view every chapter like George RR Martin writes in Game of Thrones? Is it first person, told through the eyes of one character, like Stephanie Meyer writes in the Twilight Saga? Is it third-person and narrated by someone omniscient, describing everything that is going on?

There are plenty of different thoughts on POV. Some think an all-seeing narrator is the best way to write. Others think first person lacks the perspective to describe things well. Some think multiple POV's too confusing. 

Here's the thing. They are ALL right.

Huh?

Let me explain.

An author is the only person capable of writing THEIR story. It's their's after all. Their creative process. Their brain thinking up the plots and characters. Their heart pounding the emotions out through the tapping of a keyboard. Their souls giving everything they've got the the characters and story that they HAVE to tell.

It doesn't matter if it's in first person or no person. It's THEIR story.

Not every reader will like it. Not every lover of third person will smile dreamily over your first person novel. That's ok. Like I've said many, many times before: You CAN'T please everyone. You are the writer. The first person you should please is yourself. It's your creation. Your baby. Write what you feel, no matter what the POV, and finish your story. THEN, and only then, do you go back and make it right.

Make it right? I thought you said no matter what POV I used, it was right?

That's right. I did. And I meant it. 

It doesn't matter what POV you write in as long as you do it correctly. If it's done right, the majority of your book's readers won't care what POV it's written in.

First you need to pick the right POV. For most authors, that is a simple decision. But for others, the question dogs them until the end.

Finding the right POV to use is simpler than it seems. Picking the right POV is finding the right balance between intimacy and perspective. You want the reader to be able to feel what your characters are going through, but on the same hand, other characters, themes, or revelations need to be presented. The character that has the most at stake, or the most to lose, or adds the most depth and value to the story. THAT is the character the POV needs to focus on. That is the character that will draw the reader in and attach their emotions to emotions of the very character they're reading of. That character will live in your reader until they read the words 'The End'. And if you've done it right, long after they read those words. 

Below, I will explain the different types of POV and how they're broken up. Once you understand what they mean and how they're written, you'll have a much easier time deciding which POV to use in your novel.

First Person

Told in present tense, sometimes in past tense: 

I, We, Me, Mine, Us

The story is told by one character, normally the hero or heroine or by someone close enough to the key events to describe them. 

Writing in this POV creates a few advantages, like only having to write through one person's mind, eyes, and emotions. You can easily create a distinctive internal voice. But that also creates some problems. The entire story is limited to ONLY what the narrator sees/hears/feels. Your narrator never gets a break. EVERYTHING that happens is seen through his/her eyes. You have no idea what other characters are feeling or thinking unless that character says it to your narrator. This limits any emotional attachment with your reader and any other characters.

There is also a 'sub-section' to First Person: 
Narrator vs. Viewpoint Character. 

Narrator First Person is when the narrator (who is also the Viewpoint Character) is looking back on his/her life, whether a day or years later. Whatever the age and maturity the narrator starts out as is what it always comes back to when the narrator takes control again.

Viewpoint Character is when the narrator is telling the reader what is happening right now (or during a flashback), as the events are unfolding. If the narrator is flashing back to his/her teenage self in Fist Person Viewpoint Character, the language, mannerisms, opinions, etc. all change, depending on where the character is when he/she takes over the narrating. 

Think of it like this: If you're in your 30's do you think and talk the same way as your 14-year-old self? No. And neither will the character narrating when switching from Narrator to Viewpoint Character.

Think Forrest Gump. Forrest begins the story as the Narrator, (older, wiser, and changed by the events that happened to him) and begins to describe his life by flashing back to different times in his life in First Person Viewpoint Character. Suddenly the reader isn't remembering what happened as it's being described. The reader is living it. 

I use this mix in my novel Dark Mountains. Cole begins narrating the book in First Person Narrator, but flashes back on his life in First Person Viewpoint Character. I even throw a little bit of First Person Character Viewpoint switch when Cole is injured in Iraq and Libby briefly narrates through First Person Character Viewpoint to explain what is happening to Cole while he is unconscious.

Second Person

Told in past or present tense:

You, You're, Your, You'd

The narrator is speaking directly TO the reader and making the reader BECOME the character.

The least liked POV for writers and publishers. Usually works best in short books, cookbooks, or how-to books. This POV can cause quite a few uncomfortable situations for the reader. Because the reader suddenly becomes the character (not simply empathetic to the character) things the character says/does/thinks/etc. can distract and even offend the reader.

Third Person

Told in past tense: 

He, She, It, They, Them

The narrator is an omniscient observer of the characters and scenes in the novel.

This one can be broken into 'sub' Third Person and broken into the four Third Person Roles

Omniscient Third Person - the narrator floats through the novel seemingly wherever it wants. The narrator explains everything that is going on with each character, leaving no room for guessing at emotions or thoughts.

Limited Third Person - The narrator is taken through the story by one character, with that character's thoughts, emotions, dreams, opinions, being the only ones the reader sees. The narrator can only guess at what other characters are thinking and feeling. 

Limited Third Person can switch to another character's viewpoint. This provides the reader a 'break' emotionally when switching to a new character, but there has to be a clear break in the actual writing: a new chapter (think Game of Thrones), italics, page break, page lines, etc. The narrator CANNOT change mid-sentence or mid-paragraph. 

Also, the character you switch the viewpoint to HAS TO HAVE a distinct voice. A common problem with Third Person is that the writer's characters all sound the same, regardless of who has the viewpoint. Each character should have their own quirks and mannerisms.

Be careful when writing Limited Third Person. It's easier than you'd think to begin narrating as the 'author' instead of the character.

In Third Person, the author can start out as an Omniscient narrator then switch back and forth to Limited.

So what's the difference between these two Third Person options? 

Distance and time.

In Omniscient Third Person, the reader can't fully invest in one character because the viewpoint changes often and without warning but the story is told quicker. 

In Limited Third Person, it takes longer to explain the story but the reader gets a deeper, more intimate connection to the character(s). This POV is the most commonly used by authors.

Third Person Roles:

Author: The reader needs to forget that the author of the novel is narrating, instead, seeing it as a kind of invisible witness. While writing, the author can't think of themselves as writing a book. They have to place themselves in the world they are writing about as a god-like figure that can see/hear/feel/understand everything that's going on. But even God has his own opinions and so does the author when narrating. 

Narrator: The narrator isn't one of the characters. The narrator makes it so the reader cares about all the characters in the novel and what happens to them. Unlike with the Author Role, the narrator's thoughts/opinions on the characters and events, don't matter. Only the description of events matter so the reader can create their own thoughts/opinions. The narrator is neutral and non-opinionated.

Viewpoint Character: Any character the narrator/author is 'homed in on' is the Viewpoint Character. You can write the entire novel with only one Viewpoint Character or use multiple Viewpoint Characters throughout the story. Viewpoint Character is the most intimate of the POV rolls. When the narrator is using Viewpoint Character, that character's word choice, grammar, attitude, opinion, accent, pet phrases, etc. are what the reader sees and invests in. Keep in mind, each time you switch to a new character's viewpoint, all those things must change with the character switch as well.

Protagonist: The Protagonist is the leading/central character, or the person whose story lies at the heart of the novel (Think Forrest Gump). Usually Viewpoint Character and Protagonist Role will be the same, unless you switch characters in the Viewpoint Character. 
When to NOT use the Protagonist role: 
1) When the protagonist is too extraordinary (thoughts, intelligence, language, physical strength, etc) for the reader to relate to. 
2) When the protagonist needs to be kept mysterious.
3) When you want to keep the reader guessing until a later time. 
4) The protagonist is going to die. (Obviously, you can't kill your narrator!)




Some other tips on POV:

Be careful if you switch POV or POV rolls throughout a novel. If you switch too many times, or switch without clearly notifying the reader, the reader will become confused on what character they are supposed to be sympathizing with. 

No matter what POV you are using, the narrator should NEVER tell the reader something that the narrator couldn't possibly know. The reader will see the suddenly absurd information and instead of staying invested in the story, will be left wondering, 'How did they know that?'.


Now that you've slogged through all the tips on POV, remember the biggest tip I can give you! Keep Writing! :)

Good luck and happy writing!

Irish Heart is now live!!!!

Irish Heart (Irish Treasures Saga - Book Two) is now AVAILABLE!!!!!!!!!

For Print edition, the best place to purchase is from the manufacturer (no middle man) at CreateSpace

eBook edition can be found at Amazon

You can find all my books at Author Central

Also, If you've read Irish Strength and would like to leave a review, I would greatly appreciate it! If you purchased Irish Strength, you can leave a review on the amazon page. If you received it as a gift, you can leave reviews on Goodreads.com. 

Thank you all for your support!!!!!!

Quick Update

Quick Update

Sorry for the few weeks of silence everyone! It's been extremely hectic on the home front the last few weeks. 

My kids just finished up school, and now that summer's here, my daycare has become very full! Trying to find time to do ANYTHING with so many kids running around is pretty much impossible!

My daughter started softball, which I happened to volunteer to coach, so 2 evenings out of every week are now gone as well. My niece is also playing softball, in another town, so there's another 1-2 days gone! ;)

Added to that, we are planning a road trip from Illinois to Texas at the end of the month. Three adults and three kids for 18 hours in one mini-van. Scheduled to get back 4 days before release date. I may just go crazy. I'll keep you posted on that! ;)

And the real reason, I have been skimping out on my blog lately is because (in the small free time I actually DO have) I've been working hard to get Irish Heart ready for it's June 30th release! You'd think with this being my third book to self-publish, that the process would be easier but it sure isn't. This book, I'm having trouble getting copyright permission for the photo I want to use on the cover. That has been a real kicker for me as I want to give you guys a beautiful cover that also fits the flow of the first novel, Irish Strength. Not an easy task! 

So I imagine you won't be hearing much out of me for the next few weeks as I try to tackle all these crazy things! I hope you're all excited to see book 2 of The Irish Treasures Saga! I know I'm excited to give it to you!

Creating A Cover For Your Book... What You SHOULD Do - Thursdays with the Author

Creating a Cover For Your Book

What You Should Do

Back in my post Creating a Cover For Your Book - What Not To Do, I went over some humorous and important things to avoid when creating a cover. 

Today's post will contain some things you should definitely be sure to include while making your cover. 

If you can afford it, hire a reputable cover designer, and let them create the masterpiece for you. But if you're like me, and spending the money is NOT an option for you, check all these tips to make sure you're doing it right! :)

1) Quality Images

300 DPI (dots per inch) is the minimal requirement for nearly every self-publishing company. When searching for images online, typing HDR (high definition resolution) will (usually) weed out any low quality images. 

2) Don't Sacrifice Quality for Size

If keeping the quality of an image means the image won't fill the front cover, stick with quality. Quality of the image, even the font, should never be lost. It's better to have a beautiful and clear picture, than something blurry or grainy.

3) Title and Author Must be Easy to Read

No crazy, confusing fonts. No small font size. The title and author name should be clear and very easy to read. Some authors like to have their name larger than their title, while others prefer the opposite, or equal sizes. If you are a new, or relatively unknown author, your name should NOT be bigger than the title. When you are well-known enough that your NAME is what sells the book, THEN you can have your name equal or greater in size than the cover. Examples: Steven King, Tom Clancy, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks. 

4) Pick a Theme and Stick With It

Your cover shouldn't be tying to explain every theme that happens in your novel. Pick a main theme or general appearance you'd like to convey, and stick with it. This goes for images, fonts, and general colors. Ever heard of the saying, 'less is more'? This applies to your book cover as well. Sometimes the simplest cover is the most stunning. 

This tip also goes for series. Each cover should be different but fit the overall theme of the series. Here's what my series covers look like:

5) Have Something in the Background 

Color, texture, a background image. DO NOT leave the background white UNLESS you have a border around the cover. A white background will be lost on retailer websites. 

6) Use Contrast
White on black, black over white, red on black, orange over blue, etc. A central image, a line of text... make it stand out from the rest of your novel. Perfect examples of this are the Twilight Saga Book Covers.

7) Put Your Cover Next to the Same Genre at the Store and See How Well it Fits In AND How Well it Stands Out!
You don't want your book to seem like it doesn't belong on that shelf but you do want to make sure it can be noticed when surrounded by all the other books out there. A good idea to try (and this goes for ANY genre) is going to your local store (grocery, book, etc), find the book aisles and the section with your genre. Take a picture of the shelves to take home and compare with your novel or the imagine in your head what your cover will look like, sitting on those shelves between all those other titles. If your cover won't stand out among the others, you probably need to change it. If it's stands out in a bad way, you probably need to change it.

Writing the Ugly Into Your Romance Novel - Thursdays with the Author

Have you ever been reading a romance and nearly choked on the sweetness coming from the pages? Have you ever finished a novel and wished, just once, one of the characters actually seemed real?

We know it's a romance... We know a HEA (happily ever after) is required. But that doesn't mean the characters are just chasing butterflies and smelling roses the entire time. 

In my first novel, Dark Mountains, the front cover blurb says it all. It states: "Not every happily ever after comes easily. Some love stories are born in the dark."

In that book, the main heroine comes from a violent, and abusive family situation that follows her to adulthood. The hero has to stop playing the knight in shining armor to serve his country in Iraq, where he nearly dies. Both characters have to overcome extreme situations, both physically and emotionally damaging, to get to their HEA. 

In my second novel, Irish Strength, the heroine is running from her violent, soon-to-be ex, when she finds the road to her HEA.

All my books contain real life struggles and situations that affect everyday people. True love doesn't just fall in their lap, especially right after living out a 'perfect life'. 

Your writing needs to reflect real life as well. Multiple failed relationships, abuse, drug or alcohol addiction, low self esteem, miscarriage, infertility, unemployed, stubborness, obesity, etc. etc. etc. 

A reader will never be able to connect with your character(s) if they are larger than life and 'perfect'. They will sympathize with the mother that's lost her child, feel the shame of the woman who's been beaten, carry the regret when the hero realizes his pride may have cost him the one thing he truly needs, struggle with the man who just can't leave the bottle in the cabinet. 

Those are the type of characters readers will connect with. Those are the HEA's that are believable. Those are the stories that are unforgettable. 

Are you writing enough 'ugly' in your romance?

Writing a Children's Book - Thursdays with the Author

I've heard some people claim that writing a children's book has to be easier than writing for adults. There's hardly any words. Children aren't picky and so on. Well I'm a romance author currently working on a children's picture book series and I have to say, that assumption is very wrong. Writing for children is HARD!

Just like with adult books, particularly romance, there are a TON of sub-genres in children's books. Picture books, easy reader books, early chapter books, biographies, science and nature books, young adult books (which have their own mess of sub-genres). Not only do you have to ask who your audience will be but how old they are and what level of reading are you writing for. 

Children, especially young children, might not be picky about what they're reading but the children aren't the ones buying the books. Adults are buying FOR the children. Which gives the author just another hurdle to jump through. 

And if you're writing for young adults, your job just got a whole lot harder. Pre-teens and teens have more say in the books they read and some are even buying their books themselves. You won't get away with writing that's sub-par.  

Now if you're writing picture books you run into a whole new set of problems. Can it compete with other picture books? Can you illustrate and is your artwork good enough? Do you pay money and have someone else illustrate? Do you self-publish? Do you send out queries? Will the agent hate your illustrations? Will they scrap the ones you paid money for and go with someone else? 

There are so many obstacles to overcome. Especially if you choose to self-publish. If you go that route, put your story and artwork up against already published and successful books. How does it compare? Can it stand against the traditionally published and professionally illustrated? 

For example, my children's books are about zoo animals. I can draw animals fairly well, with pencil, but haven't been able to master any other mediums. I drew some rough sketches for my first book and then shelled out a few hundred dollars for an art program and tablet for my computer with the hope I would be able to modify my sketches with other computer generated mediums. So far they loom ok but the general consensus is that my pencil sketches actually look better. Only problem? You don't see many children's books with no color or only pencil sketches. :/ 

Now I'm in a funk as to what to do or if I should give in and shell out way more than the few hundred I seemed to have wasted in computer tech for a professional illustrator. I'd like to self-publish so my options are limited, especially financially speaking. 

So word to the wise, any of you considering writing for children, it's not as simple as it looks!

How to Do a Book Signing - Thursdays with the Author

How to Do a Book Signing

I suppose first, I should make clear that I've never done a huge book signing at a major library or bookstore. But I have done a book signing at my local library and it was one of the funnest nights I've had in a long time.

Our local librarian, like most great librarians, is uber-supportive of writers. Especially local writers. We live in a small town so a visit to the library isn't just about checking out books. It's social time with one of the coolest ladies in our town. When I was first publishing Dark Mountains, she told me she wanted to host a book signing for me after it was published. I told her that would be cool and kind of blew it off. I was a soon-to-be self-published author from a teeny-tiny town in the middle of Illinois. No one would want me to sign their books for them.

Shortly after publishing, she asked again and I said yes and we set a date for a few months later. It would be in the evening, after most people would be off work, and not as busy as they would be on the weekend. She agreed to provide cake and punch and I told her I would plan all the advertising. She offered to help hand out fliers and spread the word. In the two months leading up to my book signing, I made a checklist of what I wanted to do.

Before Your Event

1) Make Flyers

These flyers should include your name, the name of your book and the date, time and location of the book signing and contact information for you or for the location of the event. Include anything pertinent, like if you were hosting a give-away or door prizes. Put the flyers everywhere. Gas Stations, restaurants, libraries, book stores, public notice areas, etc.

2) Make a sign-up sheet for reserved copies. 

I was slightly worried that I wouldn't order enough books and thought this would help ensure the people that were coming, that they'd have a copy. I left a copy at the library and kept one at home. You can also have them write their preferences for how they'd like it personalized. It may save you time writing the messages out before hand and just signing them in person.

3) Order plenty of books in plenty of time to have them printed and shipped. 

I ordered 50, really not expecting to need any more than that. A month out from the event, my tally sheets for reserved copies were already nearing 30 so I ordered another 25 books

4) Make bookmarks or leaflets.

Bookmarks are best since they can actually be used by your readers. On one side, your name, book title and contact info (website, email, blog, etc). On the other side you can have the blurb from your book, quotes from reviews of your book, your author bio, etc.

5) Raffle Prize

I chose to do this to draw in more people. I gave away two prizes. Anyone that came to the book signing could fill out a slip for a chance to win one of the prizes and wouldn't have to be present to win. The prizes I got were a Kindle Paperwhite eReader and a $25 Amazon gift card (for anyone that already had an eReader). Also both prizes came with a signed copy of my book.

6) Mailing List

This is an important way to keep in touch with the people who attend your book signing. They are your readers and will want to know when you have more books coming out. Make it simple with just their name and email address.

7) Invite on Social Media and local news

Let me be very clear: This should NOT be the only thing you do to reach people. Neither should it be something you miss. Social media is a powerful tool. If you live in or close to a major city, this could skyrocket the number of people at your event. Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Shelfari, your blog, Google+, etc. Put the event invite and all the details on every site you are active on. Also, contact your local papers, radio stations and TV stations. Let them know you are a local author with a book signing coming up. Who knows? You might end up getting interviewed by one of them!

8) Make a sign to put up outside of the event. 

This will vary depending on where your event is at but if they have room for a sign, get one made. Some businesses and library will have a board already set up and can put up your event info prior to the date. Be aware of how much money you spend and what you spend it on. Signs can be expensive to make. I had a canvas sign printed with weatherproofing and extra strength ties and it blew away over a week before the event. (Thank you stupid Illinois winds). It would've been cheaper to make a sturdy plywood sign myself and paint the information on it by hand.

9) Stay in Contact with Your Host

Whether it be a store, library or whatever, keep in contact with your host. Chances are, this won't be their first event so they will have plenty of advice and ideas on how to make it a success.

10) Food

If your host isn't providing something, you need to. Food is a major draw to people. If your event is in a major bookstore, the lure of a free cookie or piece of cake may be the one thing that gets someone to check out your set-up and may end up with a sale and a new fan. Cookies and cupcakes are great and easy to feed a lot of people with. My host ordered a cake from a local bakery that supports the library. She had them decorate the cake to match the cover of my book (which was amazing) and provided punch.

11) Figure out if you are only SIGNING or if you will be speaking as well.

For me, I knew my book signing was going to be smaller in terms of attendance and unless the people coming lived IN my town, they'd be driving at least 10 minutes to come. So I wanted to give them all that I could for making the effort to come. I flirted with the idea of doing a little talk on self-publishing but I had to remind myself that I wasn't at a writer's conference where people wanted and needed to hear that kind of information. This was a small town book signing with a majority of people being family and friends. So I decided to do a question and answer session. This worried me a bit because I wasn't sure if anyone would ask anything. Also, you never know what people will ask, so if you aren't comfortable with speaking in public or coming up with answers on-the-fly, this option might not be for you. As it was, I had lots of questions like where I got my inspiration, coming up with names for characters, being an author and a full-time mom, what it's like to write, specific questions about characters (which pleased me to no end that a lot of the people had actually READ the book before coming), and what I was going to publish next. It was a lot of fun and it really is an enjoyable experience being able to interact with your readers and fans.

12) Write a message in your books.

First decide on WHAT you want to write. It can be as simple as Best Wishes! or Thanks for your support, or more elaborate. In Dark Mountains, I wrote: 'Never give up on a happily ever after!' in all my books. It fit in really well with what the story was about. Messages should be written on the cover page or first blank page of your book. DON'T sign your book yet. Save that for the event. But you'll save a TON of time by pre-writing your message (not to mention avoiding a horrible hand cramp!). Make sure you save room for any personal massages you may want to write and for your signature.

At the Book Signing

I can't begin to tell you how nervous I was. I figured no one would show up. Boy was I wrong. I had nearly 40 people show up in my town of 400 and sold even more books than that. I had a few people buy more than 4 copies to give as gifts. I was so busy that I ended up forgetting to be nervous as soon as the event started. Have a few helpers that know you and your book to help people buy books, show them where to sign up for things, direct them to your table, take pictures, etc.

1) Have them sign up for anything as soon as they walk in.

Raffle prizes, mailing list, bookmarks, buying your book. This should all be done when they first walk in or towards where you are set-up. Have someone else in charge of selling books and explaining things. You will be way too busy greeting people. 

2) Greet your guests

Feel free to wander around and greet your guests. Chances are you'll know most of them but say hello, shake hands and make eye contact anyway! If you are in a major store or library, walk around and introduce yourself to people before the event starts. Hand them a free bookmark. Let them know there are snacks once the event starts. You may just pull in a new reader that didn't even realize you were having an event!

3) Have Them Enjoy Refreshments During #2

This one's pretty self-explanatory.

4) Begin With Speaking

Introduce yourself and your book. If you aren't speaking, this is where you stop. If you are speaking, then start your session: question and answer, talk about writing, or something else related to you and your book. This is a good ice breaker, a good way for you to get to know the people at your event, and a great way for them to get to know you.

5) Sign Your Books

If you know the reader personally or if they ask for a more personal note, add it under what you've already written. Sign your name and date it. TRY to use your best handwriting! ;) This would be a great time to remind you to bring plenty of high quality pens! I will tell you this: Try not to talk to people as you're writing. I kept answering questions while talking with readers and two books were ruined as a result of. I started writing what we were talking about! Seriously! You wouldn't believe how hard it is to focus on signing your name or writing a short note when someone is asking you a question!

6) Thank your guests and your host.

Both these things are very important. No one HAD to come to your event so make sure you sincerely thank them for attending your book signing and supporting you. At the same time, you never would've HAD a book signing if it hadn't been for your host so be SURE to thank them properly as well!

After the book signing

1) Make sure you sent a heart-felt thank you note to your host. 

If you had your book signing in a small town store or library, consider donating them a copy of your book with the thank you.

2) Write a newsletter and send it out with all your new contacts gained by the sign-up sheet at your event.

Newsletters are a whole other blog post but I'll give you this little gem for now: Newsletters are exclusive to people who go out of their way to sign up for them. DO NOT put the same info in them that you've been putting on your blog or Facebook. You can put the links in for those things, but make sure your newsletter is containing new and fresh information for your readers.

3) Thank everyone again for attending via social media and post some of the great pictures you took during the event.

4) Notify your prize winners and get their prizes to them. :)

How Social Media Can Help You Become A Better Writer - Thursdays with the Author

How Social Media Can Help You Become A Better Writer

So before I start giving you examples of how Social Media can help you become a better writer, I will give you a general warning: Social Media can also HINDER you as a writer.

Most of us, by now, have visited Pinterest and if you're like most of the world in general, you've become addicted. You've planned your 6 year old daughter's wedding already, you've made a list of places you want to see in the world, compiled a million recipes to try. The list goes on and on. You could get lost in Pinterest for hours, believe me, I know. I've done it. You wake up from your inspired daydreaming and realize you were planning on writing for a few hours and that those few hours are now gone.

The same thing can happen (though not as quickly or easily as with Pinterest) with other sites such as Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Goodreads, etc. I once devoted 45 minutes to reading the Twitter feed of the fictional character Severus Snape because I found it so entertaining. Seriously. 

Using Social Media has it's perils. There's nothing like being sucked into the never-ending vortex of crafts, humor and vacation paradises to waste a few hours of productive writing time.

Set a timer while you're browsing the various sites. If it goes off and you're still lost in la-la-land, close the browser and start writing. If you're actually learning something writing related from your wanderings, save it for later. You have to start applying what you just learned, which means, WRITE!

So now that you have been properly warned, we can get on with the good stuff. How Social Media can HELP you! Below, I'll post some of the websites I frequent and what can be gleaned from them to improve your writing and your writing career. Not only can you learn something, it will help you enlarge your internet platform as an author!

Facebook:

This site is more communication and marketing than a learning experience, but if you know WHERE to look, you can learn something.

1) Friend other authors, especially best-selling, well-known authors. How they communicate with their readers, run contests and give-a-ways, give snippets of their works-in-process, book launches and their over-all writing process, can be a well of insight to what it takes to be a successful and recognizable author.

2) Make your author page is SEPARATE from your private page. Your readers (or potential readers) don't want to read about your relationship dramas, hear about the epic fight with your sister or how much you can't stand your mother-in-law. Your author page should be professional with only a snapshot of your personal life. You should also have a separate author email to link this page to. All of your social media connections should be listed with this page as well.

3) Make your author page public (without revealing any personal information besides your contact email and other page links). You WANT your readers to be able to get a hold of you, ask questions, comment on your book, etc. IF a reader contacts you (barring any crazy stalker-type behavior), make a big deal out of it. They took the time to find your page and write to you and you SHOULD be thankful.  Even if they were writing you to give you a negative critique, take it as a blessing in disguise. They contacted you because they want to help, even if it's with an unfavorable opinion of your work. If they caught something wrong, fix it. But whatever the case, thank the reader for contacting you and for their opinion.

4) Make sure you've linked all your social media sites to your Facebook page. Instead of reporting to every site, one status update can cover most of them. Also, make sure you don't forget to post links, book updates/releases, new blog posts, etc. 

Twitter:

A lot like Facebook, only more short-winded. No less important for making an impact with your internet presence. 

Biggest tip: follow other authors, agents, publishers, etc. You won't believe the amazing publishing and writing tips you can find from literary agents that post to Twitter!

Blog:

Blogspot.com, blogger.com, etc. the list goes on. Blogging is an important tool for

writers to use. I know, I know... More writing? But it is important. Writing a blog is like exercising for the mind. A weight lifter isn't going to do any heavy lifting if they've never even carried a dumbbell. Same concept for writers. The journalistic and opinion-related blog posts are different from writing novels, but ANY writing is good exercise!

Try to write at least one blogpost a week. It can be anything. Your writing process, sneak peeks, writing advice, etc. 

Make sure you put links, pictures, and contact information in each post!

Also: follow other writing related blogs. Comment on their posts, ask questions. The more involved you are, the better chance they will then read, comment and reshare your blog. 

Goodreads (and the amazon counterpart, Shelfari):

Both these sites are great places for readers to leave reviews. They are also great for creating an author page, which can be linked to your other social media sites, creating free giveaways, connecting with readers and reading and responding to reviews. 

Remember, amazon reviews can only be left after a verified purchase. So what if a reader gets your book somewhere else,  wins a copy, picks up a signed edition at an author event or rents it from the library? Shelfari and Goodreads all allow reviews no matter where the book came from. 

Google+ :

It's a little like Facebook, only a bit more mature. You can post a status, pictures, links, etc. just like Facebook and with a blend of tagging and hashtags like Twitter. Only Google+ takes it a step forward with communities. Communities are groups with specific subjects, and rules about posting, where users can ask and answer questions, share their work, get advice, connect with other authors, agents, publishers and more. The amount of information that pertains to writing on Google+ is mind boggling. Try for specific communities that relate to your style of writing: fantasy writer groups, children's book groups, romance writers, self-publishing groups, you name it, there's probably a group for it!

Google+ can also connect to all your other social media sites, making for easy sharing and reposting. 

Pinterest:

Ah, an angel and demon all wrapped in one. As mentioned above, Pinterest can be a quicksand pit of wasted time. But it can also be an amazing source of knowledge. Pins with writing and editing tips, author and blog links, amazing pictures for inspiration, writing prompts, and more. 

When creating your own author Pinterest page, the same rule applies as to Facebook. Use a separate page as an author and personally. 

When setting up your boards, categorize and place according to importance. Your first boards should be your contact information, links to your books, and your blog. Then boards for other writing blogs, writing tips, story inspiration, motivational quotes, favorite books/quotes and more. Leave the wedding planning to your personal page. Your author Pinterest should be writing related. 

So there are some of the internet pages that have helped me become a better writer and author and learn how to navigate the deep waters of publishing and marketing. There are many more websites out there! Just make sure you aren't getting pulled away from actually writing with all the things you're discovering!