WritingSpirit Blog

#writechat wisdom: Ideas! How do you get them, choose between them & development them from beginning to end.

I’m trying out a new idea, here, so let me know if you like it. Rather than post #writechat transcripts which can go on FOREVER (It’s a three hour live chat, after all, with some transcripts running up to 90 pages!), I’m going to post some of the highlights (the tips, tools, and wisdom shared) of each week’s discussion.

This week's #writechat topic:  

@WritingSpirit
Today's #writechat topic: IDEAS! How do you get them, choose between them, and develop them from beginning to end?

Now, some of the highlights from our wonderful #writechat peeps:

@jefishere
A lot of times, I think writing is like playing pretend. Take an idea from anywhere and go nuts with it. #writechat

@KinleyBaker
I get character ideas from random people in public. Then my husband tells me to stop staring. Apparently it's creepy. #writechat

@WritingSpirit
Showers are incredible idea factories! As are walks, and that wonderful time between sleep and wakefulness. #writechat

@truindependence
Variety, both random and sought will ever be a great source of inspiration #writechat

@kdueykduey
Any repetitive work that disengages the mind will invite ideas. #writechat

@alisonwells
I've discovered that ideas are everywhere, if you let the ideas associate & stew, the best ones become evident #writechat

@WritersMistakes
#writechat The best ideas are welcome uninvited guests. It's no good trying to drag them in. Just leave your door open...

@RKCharron 
Both J.K. Rowlings & Stephanie Meyers wrote their dreams into world-changing books. #writechat

@marisabirns
I find that in editing a story, it changes completely and I don’t recognize the original idea, but it’s a better story #writechat

@KarlBimshas
If a topic keeps bugging the crap out of me, I know it's time to write about it. #writechat

@LaurieBoris 
I write the first draft like my hair's on fire, and then outline to find the weaknesses in plot and character. #writechat

@GLHancock 
Problem: Some ideas don't pan out. The trick is to know when to abandon them, and move on to #2 on your priority list. #writechat

@kdueykduey 
Sometimes, looking at my failed story ideas, I try to extract the spark that seduced me...and find a home for it elsewhere. #writechat

@KarlBimshas
A good outline can be the excuse needed to prevent a mediocre draft. But a mediocre draft is more valuable than a good outline #writechat

@GLHancock
Developing & finishing are part of what makes a successful professional -- sticking to it, persistence, dedication, commitment #writechat

How do you get ideas, choose between them, and develop them from beginning to end?

As a writer, do you see yourself as an artist, an entrepreneur, or a bit of both? Writers on twitter speak out.

 

This morning I posted a question on twitter as I was getting ready to take a break for lunch. I got so many responses that lunch had to wait a while.

Here are some of the answers I got from my fellow writers on twitter:

PaintswithWords: A writer is an artist, an entrepreneur, a researcher, a student of life, a philosopher.

cswriter59:  Right now I'm an artist perfecting my craft.

AuthorofPatches: A dash of both is necessary nowadays, tho not especially compatible. Biz hustle can easily drain from creativity I think.

julichilliard: Both!

VariantVal: When I write it is strictly art... I've yet to write for money... well other than web copy at work, that doesn't count. lol

nestnestnest: Less about philosophy and more about how do I make money from this thing I like to do....?

marisabirns: Perhaps at one time a writer was solely an artist. Now a writer needs some entrepreneurial skills, too.

Sally_G: Great question! A bit of both, with Teacher, Philosopher, Dreamer and Historian thrown in for good measure. Oh, and poet too!

DetailsDivas: Definitely both! Creativity is the foundation, but being able to manage it all is the entrepreneurial side of the business.

ShadyMutton: Gonna have to say artist- cause I write to express and create. If it grows into something beyond that - icing on the cake.

TonyNoland: Both. Art is great, but it starves & dies w/out entrepreneurial hustling. And then you have to punch a clock. *shudder*

julichilliard: It also helps to have a very supportive spouse.

octoberrose: I'm willing to work to support my writing. If it sells, great! But I aim to serve my writing, rather than make it serve me.

JodiWhisenhunt: Artist, entrepreneur, or both? Artist who's passion forces her to be a reluctant entrepreneur ;)

AuthorWilliam: I'd say not just a bit of both a LOT of both. Being an entrepreneur is the gateway to giving more of your time to writing. :)

NorthPrince: Writer and entrepreneur. Without the second, nobody will ever hear of the first!

myafd: I think the days of a writer just being able to write are gone. Whether traditional or self published, must learn marketing.

AngelMenchan: I am both ~ an artistic entrepreneur.

If you want to write for a living, it seems that artist & entrepreneur must learn to co-exist. The challenge is in how to balance the two. Knowing when it's helpful to be solely one or the other, and when you need to wear both hats at once. It can be very confusing, as well as overwhelming.

One thing I've discovered is that being a "reluctant entrepreneur," as @JodiWhisenhunt described, doesn't serve my art. Only when you fling yourself fully into both, does the fullness of your gift come alive so that it can be shared with others. So I want to find a way to open up my entrepreneurial passion, that my art may flourish.

The happy medium I've found is adding a dash of entrepreneurial spirit to my art, and a large dose of creativity to my business.

Many use the term authorpreneur, to describe what it means to be a writer, today.

Are you an authorpreneur?

It's #WriterWednesday on Twitter. Here Are 5 of My Favorite Writers on Twitter.

#WriterWednesday is an opportunity for people to recommend their favorite writers on twitter. I don't know who started #WriterWednesday, but I thank you! (If anyone knows, please share.)

To participate, all you have to do is recommend your favorite writers in a tweet, and add the hashtag #WriterWednesday to your post.

If you want to find writers to follow on twitter, simply insert the hashtag #WriterWednesday in the search box on your twitter homepage, and start checking out the writers being recommended.

Here are some of my favorite writers on twitter:

1. @JaneFriedman  Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman is the editorial director and publisher of the Writer's Digest community of products and services: Writer's Digest Books, Writer's Digest Magazine, and the Writer's Market series. As busy as all that keeps her, she still makes time to blog and tweet. Her Writer's Digest blog, There Are No Rules, is amazingly helpful and should be bookmarked by every writer. It includes a weeky Best Tweets for Writers post that hightlights tweets that are linked to great articles of interest to writers. Her tweets are just as helpful. Follow Her!

(I recently interviewed Jane for the WritingSpirit Book Writer's Community and she very generously shared her knowledge and wisdom about the current state of book publishing--how the publishing industry has changed due to the economy and technological advances, and how it's continuing to evolve--and what to do to have the best chance to get your book published.)

2. @MarkDavidGerson  Mark David Gerson

Mark David Gerson is a dear friend of mine that I met on twitter! He wrote one of my all time favorite books on writing The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write. It is imbued with Mark David's wisdom and warmth, grew out of his own writing experience (his novel The MoonQuest, and The Voice of the Muse have won many book awards), and his years as a creativity coach. His blog The Voice of Your Muse carries on this wonderful abundance of riches, as does his tweets on twitter. Follow Him!

3. @DonnaKozik  Donna Kozik

Donna Kozik is the creator of the wonderful Write a Book in a Weekend Events. She's refined the book writing process into a system that helps people write a book (or at least a first draft) FAST! She generously shares writing tips on twitter, and tweets her support to those on the book writing journey. Follow Her!

4. @TheCreativePenn  Joanna Penn

Joanna Penn is an author, speaker and business consultant based in Australia (although she's British!). She is the author of How to Enjoy Your Job, and enjoyed the writing process so much that she wrote From Idea to Book, and From Book to Market. Her website, The Creative Penn, has great articles, lots of writing freebies, and is an excellent example of a well thought-out and executed writer's website. Follow Her!

5. @InkyElbows  Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Debbie Ridpath Ohi is a freelance writer and illustrator based in Toronto, and the author of The Writer’s Online Marketplace (Writer’s Digest Books, 2001). Her blog, InkyGirl.com: Daily Diversions for Writers, is a fabulous resource for writers filled with informative articles, twitter tips, and her wonderful "Will Write for Chocolate" cartoons! Her twitter stream is equally full of writerly delights. Follow Her!

And please follow me:

@WritingSpirit  Julie Isaac

I'm an award winning author and creativity coach, the creator and host of #writechat (a live weekly chat for writers on Twitter every Sunday from 12pm-3pm PST, attended by 200-300 writers weekly), and the founder of the WritingSpirit Book Writers Community. There are lots of great articles, writing resources, and twitter tips at my WritingSpirit Blog, and I'm currently writing Brainstorming Your Blog to help writers brainstorm their blog strategy, content, and promotion. Follow Me for writing and blogging tips, #writechat news, and a whole lot more!

Who are your favorite writers on twitter?

In Good Company: One of the Things I Love About Twitter Lists

Twitter Lists allow users to create follow lists that are separate from their main account, and whose tweets won't appear on their twitter stream. Some writers lump all of their favorite literary folk together in one list, while others create separate lists for authors, literary agents, publishers, etc.

One of the fun things about these targeted lists is that if you're chosen to be in one, you could find yourself in some very good company. I was looking at Kathy Niece's twitter list of writers, and found myself "sitting next to" some very talented people. It's fun to imagine myself at an intimate dinner party with: 

Oh... JK, would you please pass the pepper. I have a phrase that's a little dull and need's some spicing up. 

Who are you partying with on twitter's lists?

The Top 10 Tips (+ 2) for Making the Most of #FollowFriday on Twitter

#FollowFriday (also known as #FF) was created in January, 2009, by @Micah, a fabulous fellow to follow, himself.

The idea of #FollowFriday is to recommend your favorite twitter users (aka: tweeters or peeps). You can find #FollowFriday tweets by searching for the term at http://search.twitter.com, http://www.TweetDeck.com, or http://www.followfridays.com.

#FollowFriday gets tons of tweets (often thousands per hour), so to help you steer clear of overwhelm, find lots of new peeps who share your interests, and have a ton of fun in the process, I’ve created this list of my Top 10 #FollowFriday Tips.

Above all: Relax and have fun!  There is no way you can keep up with #FollowFriday, so don’t even try.

1.  Recommend your favorite peeps. Don’t just be a lookiloo. Join in the party by recommending people you like. It creates good karma, strengthens your relationship with your followers, and gets your face seen, in the #FollowFriday timeline, by potential new friends.

2.  When recommending someone, say why. #FollowFriday is a high volume tweetathon. It helps the peeps you’re recommending stand out, if you say a little bit about what they’re into or why you’re recommending them. It can be because they’re funny or informative, because of the subject they tweet most about, or because they’re your next door neighbor.

3.  When looking up #FollowFriday add keywords of interest to you, such as: writing, blogger, photography, social media, real estate, news, or New York. You’ll get a smaller, more targeted response that includes recommendations that you're likely going to want to follow.  

4.  When looking up #FollowFriday add the user name of someone on twitter that you like. You’ll see who your friend is recommending (high praise, indeed), who your friend is being recommended by (be sure to check them out), and who is being recommended alongside your friend (chances are you’ll be interested in following them, as well).

5.  Don’t forget to check out, and follow, the peeps who are making the recommendations. If you’re skimming through a page of #followfriday tweets to see who’s being recommended, and someone (or someone's tweet) catches your eye and interest, be sure to check out the person who had the good taste to make that recommendation.

6.  Send a hello tweet. Finding a new peep to follow is fun, but making a new friend is even better. Don’t just hit the “follow” button, say hello. You can’t DM someone who isn’t following you, yet, so send them a public hello at their @username. Or better yet, check out their home page and respond to something they've said, ask a question, or start a conversation based on mutual interests. This is the best part of #FollowFriday (although you may want to wait until Saturday to say hello, as conversation tweets can sometimes get lost in the high volume lovefest that's #followfriday).

7.  Send a thank you tweet. Being recommended by someone is a huge honor, so say thank you when you can. I say "when you can," because #followfriday's gotten so popular, and retweeting #followfriday recommendations has become so big, that it can feel overwhelming (in a wonderful sort of way) when you check out your Mentions box (@YourUserName) and it's full of #followfriday tweets. So send thank you tweets when it feels like a fun thing to do.

8. Stretch yourself, and have fun with your follows. It’s a party. Be willing to say hello to, and follow, people who have different interests than you, or who are in a different business. People who you might not ordinarily meet, or follow. If someone you like and respect recommends someone, then connect with them. That’s part of the fun of twitter. Reaching out and making connections with all kinds of people.

9. Check in several times during the day. Because of the high volume of tweets during #FollowFriday, it can be overwhelming. So follow along for as long as it feels fun and comfortable, then go off and do other things. And when #FollowFriday pops to mind during the day, check in for a little while and see what’s happening.  

10. Retweet. If you find a recommendation valuable, then retweet it for your followers. Although #FollowFriday focuses on making new friends, it’s also an opportunity to deepen connections that you’ve already made. (Remember to only use 120 spaces in your #followfriday tweets to leave room for retweeting.)

I think retweeting #followfriday posts has become so popular for several reasons:

• It's a way to provide valuable content to your followers (giving them good people to follow)
• It's an easy way to say thank you to the people recommending you
• Showing that others are recommending you is a form of social proof that your tweets are valuable
• It's fun!

And don't forget to follow me on twitter: @WritingSpirit
(For more writing and twitter tips!)

2 BIG Bonus tips:

#11 Every week recommend a few people in individual tweets. When you recommend only one person per tweet, you have more space to say how wonderful they are and why you're recommending them. These tweets stand out and are more likely to get the attention of the person you're recommending, and the people who read them. They're also more likely to be retweeted, which gets you out in front of more people. 

#12 Post #followfriday recommendations on your blog. This gives you an opportunity to go deeper or wider with your recommendations. You can either pick 3 or 4 people to highlight and write a paragraph about each of them, or pick a topic and make a list of the top 7, 10 or 25 people to follow for that interest. It's a great way to both stand out from the crowd on #followfriday, as well as get lots of people to go to your blog.

Julie Isaac
@WritingSpirit on twitter