10 Tried and True Ways for Writers to Use Pinterest

May 16, 2012 By thesurvivalmama 4 Comments

10 Tried and True Ways for Writers to Use Pinterest

Grow. Pinterest is a fantastic place to develop all the non-writing skills. Learn how to make your garden grow, how to remodel a house, or how to build anything from pallets. Because it’s the sum of our experiences beyond the page that add depth to our writing.
Organize. Pin creative ways to organize your workspace to make you more productive, or to decrease the amount of time you spend on laundry and meals so you can write more.
Avoidance. Pinterest can be a fabulous time-suck for those moments when the words won’t come. (then after your short break, get back to work . . . see #6)
Find Readers. Every single pinner has the potential of being a future reader. But not if you bombard them with nothing but your covers. Pinterest is like every other social media outlet: only 5-10% of pins should be sales related, the rest should be “you” related.
Recharge. Writing takes brain energy, and powering-down by flipping through pictures can rejuvenate writing muscles.
Get Inspired. Discover far-off places for your characters to live and interact.
Design. Make a “cover art inspiration” board when images are either perfect for, or inspire, the next cover.
Keep track. Inspiration can strike anytime, and having a single place like Pinterest to hold details for a future books can alleviate the stress of trying to find that one picture from 3 years ago. Download the app to your phone too, so you can pin things while you’re waiting in the carpool lane or dentist office.
Dress, feed, and clothe. Your characters have basic needs. Use Pinterest to create a board for each character and fill it with their favorite foods, party ideas, and wardrobe. Go one step further and make a “covet board” for each character–what are their deepest desires? Use Pinterest as a unique way to get to know them.
Motivate. Make a “reward board.” Fill it with everything from a reward for meeting weekly writing goals, as well as enticing rewards for finishing the entire book.

Extra tip: Add the “pin it” button to your sidebar to easily pin things as you’re surfing about on the internet.

What about you? How are you using Pinterest for your writing?

Come follow me and be sure to leave me your pinterest link in the comments so I can come follow you.

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: dream board for writers, jen greyson, pinterest, writing

Writer Wednesday ~ Time Management Tips

May 9, 2012 By thesurvivalmama 1 Comment

Time Management??!

BAHAHAHAHAHA!

….that’s how I feel about my current time management situation. I keep thinking I’ll find a day to sit down and get organized, maybe blog a little, schedule a post or two….but it never seems to happen. (Guessing a few of you loyal readers have picked up on this lately :/

As I was getting ready to fly out to Las Vegas for the Superstars Writing Seminar, I squeezed in some time for myself a head of time and thought….maybe I could come up with a plan for May. (While in my head, the reasonable voice said, “Maybe you should try planning for just a week!) Ignoring said sensible voice, I plunged ahead.

About a year ago, I downloaded Darren Rowse’s 31 Days to a Better Blog. Like most things, I read the first 5 pages, did a few of the tasks, and then life got in the way. Since I loved it, I decided to use that as a workbook to get May back on track. Throughout the month, I’ll keep you posted on how it went. 9 days in….it’s looking pretty organized and I’m not feeling chaotically behind.

What do you do to manage your time between writing, blogging, eating, working, living, and the other crazy things that take up our precious 24 hours?

Image: Paul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: Blogging, Writing Tagged With: blogging, jen greyson, time managment, writer wednesday, writing

Writer Wednesday ~ It’s never been easy…

May 2, 2012 By thesurvivalmama Leave a Comment

Why do I struggle with how hard it is to get published these days?

Pre-printing press – HARD.

Pre-bookstore – HARD.

Pre-publishing company – HARD.

Pre-internet – HARD.

Pre-self-publishing companies – HARD.

Pre-next shiny thing – HARD.

Selling a book is like losing weight – there’s no easy answer. It takes drive, perseverance, an unwavering commitment to the end result, and a crystal clear reason “why.” There are going to be obstacles – lots of them.

Get used to it.

Put your ass in the chair and write.

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: jen greyson, publishing, punching fear in the face, writing

Emergency Preparedness Survey

February 16, 2012 By thesurvivalmama Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Survival, Writing Tagged With: education, jen greyson, prep, writing

Black Swan Theory

February 4, 2012 By thesurvivalmama 2 Comments

During a recent project at work, I learned about The Black Swan Theory. Basically, it’s the idea (and this is my generic summation) that a major event is so obvious in hindsight, it should have been expected. A Black Swan is defined as a cumulation of these three factors:

It’s a surprise (to the observer)
It has a major impact.
In hindsight, it’s so obvious it should have been predicted.

Think 9/11…or the current ebook revolution/extinction of paper books.

As I thought about a sequence of major events (the internet, ebooks, Occupy Wall St., the downfall of the SOPA/PIPA acts, and this recent reversal of the Komen foundation’s support of Planned Parenthood) I started wondering about the next Black Swan.

The internet has changed the way we think, the way we interact, the way we learn:

Kids can now search youtube to find a video on calculus that makes sense to them if they’re not getting a delivery method from their teacher that works.
An earthquake is tweeted before the news can report it. (100% of our real-time first-person news can come from individuals experiencing events vs. what makes good ratings on TV)
As individuals, we’re no longer subject to gatekeepers who can filter our voices….EVERYONE has a platform.
The phenomenal growth of Pinterest indicates (to me) how badly we want to share beautiful knowledge — photos, inspiration, attaboys, DIY projects–as a community. (something we’ve lacked here in the US for at least a hundred years)

So what IS the next Black Swan?

Obviously, it’s not possible to predict a Black Swan, the point is merely to account for the potential risk….but I have a thought (maybe it’s a dream).

I personally weigh everything I put on the internet, anticipate the impact–both today and in the future. I do that because everyone is watching…and not in a Big Brother way…but with the expectation that I will be kind, and honest, and all those things mother taught me to be (If you can’t say anything nice…) because if I’m not, the world is ready to vomit their opinion all over my blog, twitter, the universe in opposition.

Based on some of the recent backlashes out there…(here’s the Black Swan) I think companies/individuals/governments will begin to do the same because now they’re realizing the world is watching, and will not stand by to allow the mistreatment of anything. Authenticity is being rewarded, and if the expectation is shifting that people will behave in a more authentic manner, everything begins to shift…the bubble of anticipation becomes less, I’m-holding-a-rotten-tomato-and-will-fling-it-in-your-face-if-you-say-something-I-don’t-like and more, leaning-forward-in-my-chair-lights-dimmed-award-winning-show-is-about-to-start.

If people know they’re walking onto a stage with an audience of millions, and each member of the audience spent millions per ticket (because isn’t that what our time is worth?) to come see the show, they will pause at the edge of the curtain, take a deep breath and seek that honest, authentic (vulnerable) space and speak/act from a place of love, instead of a place of fear. (even companies have love/fear relationships—love of money/fear of losses)

Which doesn’t mean we’ll all agree, and sing kumbaya, and dance about. But if you come to me and voice your opinion and thoughts from an authentic space, I don’t feel like I’m under attack, I don’t start on a defensive note, I’m willing to listen, I’m willing to hear you, I’m willing to see your side.

….and isn’t that what we’ve always wanted? To be heard?

What would that impact look like??

Image: Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot / FreeDigitalPhotos.net