In the children's section of the library on Tuesday with GrandSon4 I took the opportunity to take a photo. (I was already thinking about Instagram opportunities.)
When I was growing up the local library was my second home. I even imagined how I'd furnish it if I could move in there.
I was doubly fortunate in that the library was just down the road from where I lived and it had a large room devoted to the children's section. I'm sure it wasn't as jolly and bright as today's children's libraries are but I loved it.
Such a lot goes on for children in today's libraries and there's none of that 'shush' nonsense. I asked on FaceBook for people's memories and one lady said that her grandfather used to take her to the library with him but she couldn't go to the children's library until she was seven. When I asked why she said it was because she was too young. Imagine being thought too young for books! And an age being set by the library itself!
It was a struggle for some dedicated pioneers that got free libraries for the masses. Today many libraries are under threat because of funding cuts. Please use and support your local library.
I'm struggling to get: comments on Twitter; followers on FaceBook; and some understanding of Pinterest. So just to make things interesting I thought I'd set up an Instagram account. I'm a glutton for punishment.
And punished I was. Spent many frustrating hours on it but I think - hardly dare say it - I might have managed it.
Although once I'd got it opened on my tablet I couldn't work out how to do anything with it - until I watched an excellent youtube video. Admittedly I began by shouting at that because the image he showed wasn't the same as mine but I got there. Small triumphs.
Apparently Instagram is a must-have if you're serious about marketing your brand on social media. I can't remember now where I read it so can't give you any numbers.
But I read some statistics about the various forms. At sixty-seven I am a hiccup in the graph as the highest number of users is in all cases in the 16-34 age group. Pinterest is much more popular in the US and statistics show that 90% of weekly Pinners will use it for recommendations to purchase.
So persevere I will. As well as finding time to write my novel.
P.S. Had a good idea for a new novel yesterday. Set in a tea-shop (very popular setting) cum craft shop (quite popular too) in a church (less usual but offers some interesting angles). Then the lives of various regulars and how they intermingle and love happens (inevitably). Strangely enough I was in a tea-shop cum craft shop in a church at the time.
P.P.S. Second-hand bookshop instead of craft I think.
Last Thursday I came across the From Couch to 80K podcast. It's a free online writing course taking ten/twenty minutes a day. I foolishly thought that was doable. A weekend that has been busy but not extraordinarily so has changed my mind.
So I'm not going to do it. If I have twenty minutes to spare I will work on my novel. A much better plan. Keep focused.
It's so easy to be distracted. Some things are necessary distractions; others are enjoyable; but many are simply time-wasters. Of course some distractions can be both enjoyable and time-wasters in which case you have to make a choice.
It could be said that writing this blog fits into the last category but I make the choice that it's worthwhile even if not obviously so.
And sometimes playing solitaire is equally valuable, at that precise moment in time.
Did you know that Hitler wanted to be an artist but was turned down by art school?
Or that Mussolini aspired to be a romantic novelist?
Just imagine if these men had followed their dreams and left the dictating to someone nicer. But they didn't although Mussolini did have one novel published. Called The Cardinal's Mistress it's a bodice-ripper based on a true story.
Let us not give up our dreams. The world isn't ready for a rampage of dictators.
As a result of a manoeuvre too complicated to explain I've come across From Couch to 80K Boot Camp. It's 'a free writing podcast that delivers a complete 8 week fiction writing course over 48 episodes.'
Free and requiring only ten minutes a day sounded intriguing so I listened to the first podcast. Obviously as the first one there was a lot of introductory advice, warnings, instructions, and not much of substance, but I did do the first exercise.
Strictly speaking it will take twenty minutes a day as there is a ten minute exercise to accompany each podcast. Today's sounded simple: write as many names - full names - as you can come up with. Not real people but made up names that could be funny or normal, whatever.
I managed to create seventy-three - his expectation was of fifty - but it was a lot harder than it sounded. Partly because I had moments when I couldn't think of a single first name at all and panicked, and other times because I came up with a first name only to follow it with the surname of someone well-known. For example, I thought of George and then Clooney.
I would like to add it to my list of mazillion things I want to do in a day but it may be unrealistic. We shall see though. He sounds like an entertaining teacher. If only there were more hours in the day - and night. I need to sleep more too.
Many years ago, so long I don't remember why, I bought a book called Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. First published in 1986, it is a most excellent book, so I thought I'd recommend it here.
Written in very short chapters it's easy to read and profound at the same time. In one chapter she tells of a friend who was mugged:
'... she immediately yelled, "Don't kill me, I'm a writer"
'Writers get confused. We forget that life and writing are two separate entities. Often we use writing as a way to receive notice, attention, love.'
She goes on later in the chapter to say:
'We want honest support and encouragement. When we receive it, we don't believe it, but we are quick to accept criticism to reinforce our deepest beliefs that, in truth, we are no good and not really writers.
'Stop! Even if it's painful and you are not used to it, just keep breathing, listen, and let yourself take it in.'
Sound familiar?
Now I've re-found the book I'll probably quote some more from it, just because.
In the meantime you can get the book, Writing Down the Bones, at Amazon
Have had a totally frustrating morning and it's all because of social media.
Spent about two hours trying to link my Twitter and Facebook accounts to no avail. Then tried to come on this blog to grumble about that only to discover the little bar at the top that normally appears and lets you choose New Post or Design isn't there. (I changed the design of this blog yesterday.)
Spent another frustrating hour trying to work out if it's really not there or if I am being stupid. Turns out it's both.
It seems to me - unless anyone on the various Helplines I've asked comes up with a better answer - that if I want to write a new post I first have to go my main blog, Finding Life Hard?, go to its dashboard and work it from there.
There must be an easier way surely?
And to add to my woes it's started raining, making a 'practise talk' walk with George difficult unless I put my talk in a polypocket and take it out each time I have to turn page.
Oh dribble and drat.
Postscript
Gave up and changed the layout of the blog - again. Still not exactly as I'd like it but for today it will do.
Two days, two getting-togethers, two fellow writers. What could be better?
Day 1: Verdi's, ice cream with Vivien.
Her very exciting news is that she has a meeting with an interested publisher next week. Both highly delighted for her and deeply envious. I cheer myself up by telling myself I can be the mystery person when she is famous and goes on Would I Lie to You? Sort of one step removed fame.
She tells me stories about her life some of which would be dismissed as unbelievable if written as fiction. Hilarious though.
Day 2: Zinco's, tea and cake with Ann.
Ann has been self-publishing and has spent the last five years learning the marketing and writing businesses, and is full of loads of useful tips.I don't have a notepad with me - I know, basic error - so I make notes on my phone. First helpful hint from Ann: check out EverNote, which will allow me to link to my computer and copy info across directly.
Many more smart ideas follow. I leave with my head buzzing.
The virtual community is excellent but sometimes real people make a splendid alternative.
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| With Ann in Zinco's |
Postscript
I'd never been in Zinco's before. Delighted to find it has a book swap corner, games to play, colouring and books for children, plus free doggy biscuits for visiting dogs.
In her podcast on her top five tips for growing your blog Holly, of A Branch of Holly, lists as number one: know your purpose.
Hm, so what's my purpose? Not in life - that would be debatable - but here on this blog. Why am I writing it?
A number of reasons spring to mind.
1) It's a hobby-horse of mine to deny the lie that you have to reach a certain level of readership, whether that's in sales or number of Twitter followers, or be published by a traditional publisher, to be considered a writer. To call yourself a writer.
If we put words on paper or on screen, whether they are read by hundreds or none, we are writers. Whether those words make up amazing prose or total gobble-de-gook, valueless to anyone except the author, we are writers. And for most of us writing is something we have to do, as essential to us as the air that we breathe. Well almost.
But having said that, it's still a lie I have to fight myself. So one purpose of this blog is to act as a reminder to me and others like me, those who may blush if someone describes him as a writer or who will shrug and mutter under her breath, 'I write a bit but it's nothing.'
2) I am a writer and I have self-published two novels. I want to promote them and from what I'm learning 'growing my online presence' is a way to do it. If I make the blog interesting and it's not just constant advertising.
I have another two completed novels that I'm hoping to self-publish later this year maybe as well as ideas for sequels to both those already published. So I have a lot of self-promotion to do. I need to build my brand, as Holly would say.
3) From the small steps I am taking into this social media world - Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook - I am learning new things every day. So another purpose of this blog is to share the snippets I gather as well as my experiences of self-publishing and giving talks, and approaching libraries and books-sellers.
P.S. I suspect my purpose in life is, as a friend once said to me, to serve as a warning to others.
Thanks to Debra who pointed the way to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. I've signed up - click on the logo if you want to find out more.
I feel I am finally coming to grips with 'doing stuff' on my blog and in general. Actually that's probably an over-estimation: I am beginning to feel as if it may be possible for me to maybe customise and do whatever else I need to do with this blog. Put it this way: I don't feel as desperate as I did last Friday when I couldn't even get an image to appear in my profile.
Sometimes my head bubbles over with what I want to write about, ideas I have, and enthusiasm and belief; other times I sit here and rock back and for on my chair, eyes a-glazed while a mantra of FaceBook Twitter Pinterest FaceBook Twitter Pinterest buzzes non-stop around my brain.
Speaking of Pinterest I keep reading about Creating Perfect Pins that Will Attract Viewers. Now, my understanding of Pinterest was that it was a pin-board on which you could store interesting snippets - as you would with a real pin-board - for your own use later. But when I put stuff on my let's call it noticeboard to avoid too much confusion - that's the last thing I need more of - it's recipes I tear out of magazines, or appointment cards, photos of children, or things I think I ought to keep but don't know where. I don't make my own special little pictures to put up there.
So the idea of creating a Pin is a bit 'what?'
But I think I'm getting it.
If I take the IWSG logo above and pin it together with a link to this blog then I'll be creating a self-promoting pin. I think. I could go to a lot more trouble - in a previous post I mentioned Canva, software for easily creating graphics - to give my own unique view and I will move on to that, but for today, when time is running out, the logo will be adequate.
P.S. Canva is free but you can choose to pay and upgrade in which case you get a load more designs and tools.
P.P.S. Have just realised that the reason Pinterest can't verify my website is because I put the code in the wrong position. After the second <head> not the first one. At least i hope that's the reason.
I've spent some time today - what shall I call it? Learning? Yes, I think that's what it is. Learning to master social media and its hithers and thithers. And, if anything, I am even more confused.
And distracted. Don't forget distracted. I follow one link that leads me to another and then another until I find myself reading not about how to build an online presence but about how to write an erotic novel. Or looking at photos of cute puppies. And even if I managed to stick to my focus I could still go from article to article most of which say the same thing.
I've more or less decided to stick to A Branch of Holly as my adviser/mentor/all round good person. I think I will be able to find everything I need to know on her site. And she replies to tweets and emails. And she very generously gives all her information away for free.
Today I listened to her podcast about How to Grow Your Blog Traffic Fast. One of her suggestions was about building community. So afterwards I tried googling for aspiring writers' blogs but that mostly led me to professional groups or writers and not really the sort of people I think would ... what's the word? ... fit with me and my style.
But later on Twitter I found a book-worm and by going through her list of Followers was able to find and follow several who sounded interesting. I've already been in conversation with one - admittedly about the disaster waiting to happen that is Brexit but first steps nevertheless. So maybe it's not so impossible.
I'll talk more about other points Holly raised in future posts but for now I'll just say, 'Is there anyone out there like me? I mean a middle-aged (that's being generous) granny coming late to the party but who is convinced she has things of interest to say?'
He was a clever man, that Samuel Johnson, writer, poet and lexicographer.
But how wrong did he get it here? "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."
It's a well-known phrase, often trotted out, especially to wannabe writers, mainly by those who would prefer you to be something else, something 'more useful'.
In my case this critic is in my head.
'Why are you wasting time writing when you could be cleaning/shopping/ironing? It's not as if it's going to make you money.'
Even though I'm retired and past the money-earning stage of life the voice still nags. 'Look around you: there's such a lot that needs doing. You could be doing that.'
I self-published my second novel just before Christmas. I've sold maybe five copies.
Even though I don't write to make money I do want people to read and enjoy my writing. And I've reached the belated conclusion that in order to promote, market and sell my books I need to treat it in a more business-like way. If my books were being traditionally published the publisher and my agent would be responsible for all that side of things - although I suspect more and more self-promoting is being left to authors these days.
So as I said in my previous post I've set up Twitter and Pinterest accounts in the name of this blog and I plan to put some serious time and effort in to creating a 'brand', building a following, reaching people who might just buy my books!
Of course, this involves a lot of computer time. And my inner critic is having a field day.
'Seriously? You think this legitimises your loafing around at a computer all day? When you're going to sell, what? Twenty copies if you're really lucky? Honestly how many people do you think want to read what you write either on here or in a book?'
I'm really hoping I can prove her wrong. At the moment I'm winning the battle to shut her up but I know there'll be times when she has me on the ropes. When that happens I need a sure winner of a blow, a knock-out punch of a snappy retort.
If I ever find it I'll patent it. In the meantime I'll accept that sometimes she'll have the better of me but only in the knowledge that I will return. I feel I should add 'bigger and stronger' but 'puffing and sweating' sounds more accurate.
Do you have a sure fire way of quietening your inner critic?
So now I have a Twitter account and a Pinterest account in the name of this blog. FaceBook is probably next. I fear I am going to come tumbling down over my own cleverness. Either that or I will spend so much time posting I won't have time to write.
But it keeps me out of mischief.
Find me here:
www.pinterest.co.uk/hindsliz/
and on Twitter @not_wannabe
As I attempt to breathe fresh life into this blog I thought perhaps I'd explain what gives me the right to write about writing. I did cover this in the very second post on this blog back in 2013 and you'll find my first blog post - an explanation of the title of the blog - in the Featured Post on the right hand side of this page.
As I say in my original post I do have a Master's degree in Creative Writing - and as I also said, it's worth about as much as the paper on which it's written. Still if I could find it I'd show it to you but I can't so you'll have to make do with this evidence for my excellence as a writer, and my authority to write this blog.
At the time I was an eleven-year-old, just about to go up to grammar school, and Mr Guest, our lovely teacher, gave me this wonderful report. See? Writing A, Excellent.
If you look a little further down you'll see my science wasn't up to so much - which makes me wonder why, when it came to a choice, I took the scientific academic path that I scraped along.
My real talent obviously lay in the arts as was clear from my rapid progression from the first year in the Juniors when I'd only had a C for writing.
So I hope I have convinced you now of my ability and will visit regularly if only to hear tell of my latest rejection/failure/disaster.
The greeting may be a bit belated but meant just the same.
I've just signed up to A Branch of Holly, a Content and Online Presence Management Business. No, I'm not entirely sure what it is either but it's free. And she promises to increase my following, which is important if I want to master this online selling and self-promotion of books things.
The first thing I've clicked on is The Ultimate Social Media Posting Guide. First thought is that it entails an awful lot of time and energy, but I suppose if I am serious then I need to treat writing and publishing as a business and put in the time.
She encourages the use of Twitter first and foremost, but also FaceBook, Pinterest and Instagram. I can't quite see the point of Pinterest and I've never used Instagram so maybe my first steps should be to investigate these further.
Do you have any experience of these social media?
A blogger friend bought The Dog-Walking Club as a present for his wife and here's what she said about it:
I have just finished reading your book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it hard to put it down! Hoping for Dog-walking club 2 so I can read about how Sybil and her old flame get on and more adventures of the other dog walkers. Will be passing book onto friends.
Thank you, Fiona! It's always nice for an author to hear when someone enjoys their books.
