Losing at Social Media

Despite being a “millennial” I have never really been an avid social media user. I never really “got” it. MSN was more of a useful tool to arrange outings with friends, much easier than walking all the way to their house only to hear they are “already out” at the door, or to make that terrifying phone call to their home number (before the time of mobile phones) and risk their parents answering and having that awkward moment of whether you should address them by surname, first name or just “__’s mum/dad.” I had a MySpace page I hardly touched and shook my head at the idea that someone from another school was well known in ours because they were “MySpace famous”- always with the best pictures or the latest soundtrack introducing their page. Then it was the transformation into Facebook. Whilst everyone else started documenting their lives, tagging friends and places, although I used Facebook to keep in touch with those closest to me, most of my updates (when I did update my status) were pictures of my pets. I didn’t even have it on my phone.

That was another issue that left me behind in this rapid growth of life online. The first time I had a phone where I could access the internet was only about 3 years ago. And that phone was second hand and given to me by a friend who was sick of what he called “my flip phone that looked as though it had come out of a Destiny Child’s music video.” I never really wanted a phone I could do everything on. Maybe it was partly snobbery, partly because I am someone who prefers the more old-fashioned ways, but I was worried that if I got a phone which gave me endless access to social media, apps and games, then I would never be off it. I would be like all those people you see, heads eternally craned over their devices, not communicating with the people around them. I like to live in the moment. If I have made plans to see someone, I am there to see them. My phone will remain locked in my pocket or face down on the table and I won’t even feel the slightest urge to check it. It will remain switched off and in my bag throughout the entire workday. I think the fact that mobile phones these days can do anything and are limitless scares me a little, so I feel like I have to be extra strict and restrictive with how much I actually use it.

I will admit, once I had a phone with internet access and with the download of Instagram, I posted a lot of pictures to begin with. Instagram is great at pulling you in, especially when you are new to it. All of those filters giving your life a little extra sparkle. And that unlimited access to all your favourite celebrity’s lives- you can literally see what they are doing every hour of the day if you really wanted to. But after a while, even the intrigue of Instagram wore off.

So, as you can see, over the years, I have always coasted by on social media, and that has never really been a problem… until now. I did quite a bit research before I started getting more serious about writing in February. A lot of the research was just dreaming big. What if I did finish writing a novel? What if I did want to submit it to an agent, what would I do? What should I be thinking about before I even begin? I quickly noticed that one thing that has changed over the years is the online presence of authors. I kept seeing/hearing/reading the message again and again that a writer needs a social platform and that they should start one as soon as possible.  As I am clearly inept at the whole social media thing and certainly do not have the skills to create a following, this message filled me with dread. But seeing as I was trying new things, trying to ignore all doubts and just give it a go, I thought I would at least try and do what I can. And who knows? Maybe I could learn.

This blog was my first step into being brave, and actually sharing myself on a platform that anyone could really see- and I have actually enjoyed this bit. However, I think I have enjoyed it because I know not many people are reading this (mostly a few close loved ones who already know what I think and feel, so I really don’t mind them seeing this). Therefore, it feels like a safe space- low threat, still a bit private. I knew I had to be braver, and the suggestions online were that Twitter was the best place to go because it has a thriving and supportive writing community. I figured I could post links to my blog posts on there, and hopefully a fellow writer or two might see it and I could build some support or momentum from there.

I have never really tried with Twitter before. I had an account as a teenager and used it to follow a few bands, but I don’t remember using it for long or really posting anything. I wanted this account to be purely about writing and I wanted to be able to communicate with fellow writers. I had visions of being able to seek and share advice, of discussing inspiration and just talking about all things bookish with others who share my interest. Obviously in real life, I can talk about writing with those I feel confident enough sharing my writing with, but unless they are writing something too, the conversation can only really be surface level. I could see why the online world offers more and why people are drawn to it in hope of finding those going through similar experiences. Having been on Twitter and trying to integrate myself in the writing community for almost two months now, I can say that I am definitely losing at social media. I just don’t get it. I am trying to post things that are interesting. I am trying to use the right hashtags. I am following others and following back. I am commenting on tweets. Yet whenever I post anything, the response it often almost nothing- and most of the time I am actually asking for genuine opinion and advice. I am sure the writing community on Twitter is as warm and supportive as everyone says. I have seen it be the case with others- new people introducing themselves to the community and receiving a hundred good-natured responses. But I just can’t seem to get that. I currently feel like the little tag-along in the playground, watching the game and hoping to get picked. I think I am doing something wrong, I just can’t seem to work social media. Perhaps it is punishing me for my rejection of it over the years. So, if anyone has any tips or advice on how to integrate yourself more successfully in Twitter communities online- please let me know. In some dire need of help here!

Creating my writing space

I started writing my first draft in February and actually finished it a few weeks ago. A range of circumstances meant that I had more time to write, however I also felt no barrier to my previous excuse of “not feeling inspired,” or “not having the right space to feel comfortable writing.” I made myself write, whether I felt like it or not, even when I felt as though my ideas were not very good at all. If I felt like my first few pages were really jumbled and nonsensical, I would still persevere, keep on writing, thinking that I will just worry about the editing part later. I tried not to worry about the space I was writing in. I would write in my notebook no matter where I was (often in the sitting room) and once I got started, it didn’t seem to matter too much if the space didn’t have the right “atmosphere” or “vibe” or whatever to inspire me.

For some reason, this all changed when it came to typing up my draft. I have been putting it off for weeks, falling back on those same excuses from before. In my mind, I needed to be typing up my ideas in exactly the right space- preferably a coffee shop or a picnic table in a country park opposite a lake, or some other sort of cliched and pretentious place. And I was all set to do that, told myself that I would as soon as everything slowed down again, as soon as work wasn’t so crazy.

All of those ideals have vanished with the recent closures and the message we were given last night to stay at home, and ultimately ‘where to write’ has been taken entirely out of my hands. Although everything is really uncertain and scary across the world at the moment, if I try and think on the positive side, things have really slowed down and now is the time (as I am sure many of us have realised) to “write that book I have always wanted to write.” No excuses. So, I may as well make the most out of a strange and horrible situation, ignore the nagging doubts and type up this first draft. And the writing space issue- well, I will just have to fix that myself with what I can.

I spent last night tidying up our study. It has recently been a dumping ground for everything from the spare bedroom. We have been decorating the spare room and the study is really cluttered and claustrophobic, with a jumbled assortment of stuff. I sorted through everything, set up my desk with some plants and a candle, and tried to make it as comfortable and “inspiring” as I possibly could. This is going to be my little space for a while. Let’s see what I am able to create here…

Covid-19 at Hogwarts

I decided in the current climate that a Harry Potter Marathon would be ideal this weekend, and I started wondering what Hogwarts would do in this pandemic.
Gryffindors would be the ones on the front line- the key workers, working hard to do what they can for everyone else.
Slytherin would be the ones panic buying and hoarding all the toilet roll or whatever witches and wizards use to wipe their bums.
Ravenclaw would be researching everything they possibly could about Covid-19, social distancing and certainly washing their hands.
Hufflepuff would be those caring for the community. Helping out neighbours and making sure the old lady who lives next door can get her shopping.

Actually, thinking about it, they can do magic- 5 minutes with Madam Pomfrey and the virus would magicked away!

Sketching and developing characters

Being quite a visual person, it has always helped me to sketch out my characters and settings before or alongside describing them in my writing. I wouldn’t by any means say I am fantastic at drawing- I have an Art GCSE, but I scrawl and I rush- I have never had the patience to sit and create something in any intricate detail. I prefer to doodle, and my doodling preferences (even during that Art GCSE) have always been just a little creepy and Tim Burton- like. I remember being in my Art class and creating a giant painting of Jack Skellington and then using that to inspire an image depicting “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” with a gothic twist. I have always liked the style of more gothic cartoons and knew that the atmosphere I created when I sketched these images was the same atmosphere I wanted to bring into the YA novel I am currently writing.

So, here’s a sketched introduction to some of my wonderfully ominous female characters so far. Again, scrawled, rushed and not perfect- but let me know what you think 😊

Using travel for writing inspiration...

 I love exploring new places and I have always felt that travel is a great source of inspiration for creativity and writing. When I used to daydream about being an author, I’d have all these stereotypical ideals of writing in the Tuscany sunshine or writing whilst picnicking next to an expansive lake with towering mountains either side, and although I have never actually done this, I have always associated travel with escape and freedom- just like writing. When I immerse myself in a new environment, I find that I am able to actually breathe and feel an overwhelming sense of just being alive- I know that probably sounds cliched or melodramatic, but I think there are so many breath-taking sights in this world and nothing can quite match just being there and actually feeling a great sense of appreciation of what we have. A moment away from all the madness. 

I want to use travel as a source of inspiration for my writing. I read somewhere recently that writers tend to write more effectively about things they have experienced and seen, and although my current writing is more in the realm of magical realism, I really feel that I can use these experiences to shape my ideas. I’ve recently travelled to Scotland and although I live in a town that has one of the highest Scottish populations outside of Scotland, I had never been before and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. That is something I truly love about living in the UK, for a relatively small island it has so much variety in terms of natural beauty and terrain. I was not quite expecting the mountains. I’d seen mountains before, of course- I’ve been to both the Peak and Lake District and have also climbed Snowdon, but driving through Glencoe, for example, and seeing that beautiful, rugged and wild terrain was (another cliché warning) absolutely breath-taking. Whilst we were in the Scottish countryside, the weather was awful with rain almost every day, but I liked the moody ambience of it. I found it inspiring for building ideas around creating mood and atmosphere. I felt an urge to write about journeys, adventure, challenges and escape in harsh, unforgiving environments. 

We also stayed in Edinburgh for four days on our trip, and although the city didn’t have the same isolated and powerful essence, it projected all of its beauty in quite a different way and the adventure was certainly still there. We explored the city, observing its life and landscapes, and finding all of its little oddities and mysteries, like the odd weeping angel-esque statue we found in one of the rivers (pictured to the right) and the hidden rooms within the bridges and the forgotten homes underground- a place full of fascinating history with so many stories to uncover.

Although having to return to reality is always tough, I now have a bank of ideas, inspiration and moments that I can’t wait to start forming into stories as soon as I can get hold of my notebook. And, even better, I get to relive all these experiences and moments again when I am writing them down