Are You Social Media Savvy or Awkward? Tips with Edie Melson

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The social media universe has developed into a world with it’s own ways of interacting. Stumbling around this brave new world is exciting, but it can also lead to some embarrassing moments. Today I’ll share some tips to help you acclimate to this new online society.

Facebook

When to LIKE , COMMENT or SHARE on Facebook: When you read a post on Facebook you have three options if you want to interact. 

The First is to LIKE the post. When you click on LIKE, Facebook will register your user name and the fact you liked it. This carries more weight with the Facebook Edgerank Algorithm than just viewing the post, but not as much as commenting.

The second option is to COMMENT. This carries the most weight with Facebook and will give you the most engagement with others seeing the post. BUT, and this is an important consideration, it will also include you in all subsequent conversations. This means that if you get email notifications on Facebook, every time someone else comments on this post, you’ll get an email about it.

NOTE: You can opt out of a conversation (what Facebook calls post interaction). But if you choose to do that, everyone in the conversation will be notified that you opted out.

The final option is to SHARE a post on Facebook. This takes a copy of the post and pastes it on your page. When Facebook pastes the post, it gives you the option of deleting the name of the person you got the post from. Doing so is bad form. Not quite as bad as plagiarism, but it is in the same neighborhood.

-  So LIKE a post, when you want to let people know you agree or enjoyed it.

-  COMMENT if you don’t mind becoming part of the ongoing conversation.
-   SHARE a post, always giving credit to the original poster. 

When to FILTER a post or just UNFRIEND the person: 

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FILTERING or HIDING a post or user can keep that person’s updates from showing up on your timeline. This is a good option if you don’t want to offend someone.

UNFRIENDING someone basically says you don’t want to have any interaction with that person. Depending on how many friends you have, this may be noticeable, especially if you interact regularly at work or socially. 

•     So FILTER someone who’s annoying.

•     UNFRIEND someone you don’t mind alienating. 

Twitter

When to RETWEET and when to REPLY: There are two ways to answer someone on Twitter, RETWEET and REPLY. And there are specific times to use each one.

A RETWEET, is a repeat of the tweet sent. This is used when you want to share a tweet with your followers. For instance, if I saw a tweet about how to avoid getting embarrassed on Twitter, I’d retweet it to my followers so they could learn too. I also use it to share good news about others.

A REPLY, is an answer to a tweet that’s been sent. This is used if someone asks you a question on Twitter. It’s also used when someone else mentions you on Twitter. It’s a way of saying thank you.  It’s considered a very bad instance of bragging to retweet a mention of yourself. For instance if someone tweeted about this post, I’d REPLY and say thank you.

•     So RETWEET if you see an update you want to pass on to your followers.

•     REPLY when someone mentions you or asks a question.

Social Media in General

When is it acceptable to HOG THE STREAM? The short answer is …NEVER! Hogging or Spamming the stream, means posting several social media updates in a row. This can be on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc. You can do this inadvertently by engaging the AUTOMATIC updates available on some ancillary programs like Hootsuite, Buffer and Tweetdeck.

This option of automatic updates claims to identify when the largest amount of your followers are engaging on social media and update at that time. Unfortunately this can often result in multiple updates sent one right after another. This can leave you labeled as an irritation or even banned from certain networks. I recommend you avoid any automatic scheduling options to avoid this.

So schedule the times when you send out your social media updates and don’t post them one after another. Spread them out.

•     First, so you don’t irritate anyone by hogging the stream.

•     Second, so you reach people who are on at different times of the day. 

These are just a few of the worst blunders for social media. I’d like to know what social media faux pas you’ve seen and which ones irritate you the most.

A Special Interview with Award Winning Author Susan Meissner (and Giveaway!)

Today we're participating in a blog tour for a new book by award-winning novelist Susan Meissner who’s here with us today to talk about her newest book from Penguin NAL. A Fall of Marigolds is a part historical novel, part contemporary novel set on Ellis Island in 1911 and in Manhattan a hundred years later. Make sure you read to the end of the post so that you can find out how to get in on a drawing for a fabulous gift basket that includes a $100 Visa gift card.

Susan, tell us where the idea for A Fall of Marigolds came from.

I’ve long been a history junkie, especially with regard to historical events that involve ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. A couple years ago I viewed a documentary by author and filmmaker Lorie Conway called Forgotten Ellis Island; a hauntingly poignant exposé on the section of Ellis Island that no one really has heard much about; its hospital. The two man-made islands that make up the hospital buildings haven’t been used in decades and are falling into ruins, a sad predicament the documentary aptly addresses. The images of the rooms where the sick of a hundred nations waited to be made well stayed with me. I knew there were a thousand stories pressed into those walls, stories of immigrants who were just a stone’s throw from a new life. But unless they could be cured of whatever disease they’d arrived with, they would never set foot on America’s shores. Ellis Island hospital was the ultimate in-between place – it lay between what was and what could be. A great place to set a story

What is the story about, in a nutshell?

The book is about two women who never meet as they are separated by a century. One woman, Taryn, is a 9/11 widow and single mother who is about to mark the tenth anniversary of her husband’s passing. The other is a nurse, Clara, who witnessed the death of the man she loved in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in Manhattan in 1911.In her sorrow, Clara imposes on herself an exile of sorts; she takes a post at the hospital on Ellis Island so that she can hover in an in-between place while she wrestles with her grief. She meets an immigrant who wears the scarf of the wife he lost crossing the Atlantic, a scarf patterned in marigolds. The scarf becomes emblematic of the beauty and risk inherent in loving people, and it eventually finds it way to Taryn one hundred years later on the morning a plane crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The story is about the resiliency of love, and the notion that the weight of the world is made more bearable because of it, even though it exposes us to the risk of loss.

This is your first general market novel after having written more than a dozen books for the inspirational market. Why the switch?

I got my start in the inspirational market and am immensely grateful for that experience. Every published novelist wants to connect with her ideal reader. We don’t all like the same genres and we don’t all like the same style and voice. I believe a great many of my ideal readers shop in the general marketplace because that’s where I shop. My favorite authors — among them Kate Morton, Geraldine Brooks, Lisa See, Jamie Ford, and Diane Setterfield — are all general marketplace authors. Add to this that my faith threads are always subtle rather than obvious, then the move to the general market place seems like a great way for me to connect with more readers. My approach to faith in my writing is one that I liken to the subtlety of God’s presence and influence in the Book of Esther in the Old Testament. The faith thread in the Book of Esther is as subtle as it can be – God is never even mentioned – and yet the story is powerfully told and the virtues of loyalty, trust, hope, and courage are obvious. I have never thought of myself as writer of Christian fiction but rather a Christian who writes fiction.

Your last few novels have had historical components interwoven within a contemporary story. Why do you prefer that kind of story construction?

I think living in Europe for five years awakened my love for history. It’s like it was always there but my time spent overseas just woke it up. When I think back to the subjects I did well in and that came easy to me in high school and college, it was always English and history, never math or science. I appreciate the artistry of math and the complexity of science, but neither subject comes easy to me.  History has the word “story” in it. That’s what it is. It’s the story of everyone and everything. How could I not love it?  Study history and you learn very quickly what we value as people; what we love, what we fear, what we hate, what we are willing die for. History shows us where we’ve been and usually has lessons for us to help us chart where we’re going.

Why a scarf of marigolds? What is their significance?

Marigolds aren’t like most other flowers. They aren’t beautiful and fragrant. You don’t see them in bridal bouquets or prom corsages or funeral sprays. They don’t come in gentle colors like pink and lavender and baby blue. Marigolds are hearty, pungent and brassy. They are able to bloom in the autumn months, well past the point when many other flowers can’t. In that respect, I see marigolds as being symbolic of the strength of the human spirit to risk loving again after loss. Because, face it. We live in a messy world. Yet it’s the only one we’ve got. We either love here or we don’t. The title of the book has a sort of double-meaning. Both the historical and contemporary story take place primarily in the autumn. Secondarily, when Clara sees the scarf for the first time, dangling from an immigrant’s shoulders as he enters the hospital building, she sees the floral pattern in the threads, notes how similar they are to the flames she saw in the fire that changed everything for her, and she describes the cascading blooms woven into the scarf as “a fall of marigolds.” 

Are you working on anything new at the moment?

My next book is set entirely in England, mostly during The London Blitz. My main character starts out as a young, aspiring bridal gown designer evacuated to the countryside with her seven-year-old sister in the summer of 1940. Though only fifteen, Emmy is on the eve of being made an apprentice to a renowned costumer and she resents her single mother’s decision to send her away. She sneaks back to London – with her sister in tow – several months later but the two become separated when the Luftwaffe begins its terrible and deadly attack on the East End on the first night of the Blitz. War has a way of separating from us what we most value, and often shows how little we realized that value. I have always found the evacuation of London’s children to the countryside – some for the entire duration of the war – utterly compelling. How hard it must have been for those parents and their children. I went on a research trip to the U.K. in the fall of 2013 and I spoke with many individuals who were children during the war; some were separated from their parents, some were bombed out of their homes, some slept night after night in underground Tube stations, some watched in fascination as children from the city came to their towns and villages to live with them. This book explores issues of loss and longing, but also the bonds of sisters, and always, the power of love.

Susan Meissner is the multi-published author of fifteen books, including The Shape of Mercy,

named one of the 100 Best Novels in 2008 by Publishers Weekly and the ECPA’s Fiction Book of the Year. She is also a speaker and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. She and her husband make their home in Southern California.

Writer's Alley friends! Read a little bit further for a way to win Susan's latest release and put your name in the hat for a whole bunch more. :-))

As part of the release of A Fall of Marigolds and this blog tour, Susan is giving to one lucky winner a gift basket that includes a $100 Visa gift card, a copy of the book, the DVD Forgotten Ellis Island, and a beautiful re-purposed infinity scarf patterned in marigolds and made from a vintage Indian sari. To be eligible, just leave a comment here between today and midnight Eastern on Friday, February 21. If you would like to see a list of the other participating blogs on this tour, just click here. Feel free to visit those blogs and increase your chances of winning by posting one comment on those blogs as well. One comment per blog will be eligible.

Additionally, there will be one winner of a signed copy of A Fall of Marigolds from among those who comment on this blog. Just leave a comment by midnight Eastern on Friday, Feb. 28 and you’re in the running for the grand prize as well as a signed copy of the book. Good luck!

Characterization: Digging Deep by Personalizing

photo by Stuart Miles
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Ever since I was given the "okay" to start back writing again, I have been trying to learn more about characterization. You see, I had an editor tell me that my manuscript was lacking in character development. Good plot, but cardboard characters. So I picked up a book, Getting Into Character by Brandilyn Collins and began taking notes. I thought I would share with you what I am learning.

When you develop a character, the first place you start is by Personalizing. Most of you already do this by interviewing your character or filling out a questionnaire about them. Great! That is a good start! But now you need to dig a little deeper.

Basics:  General information, such as gender, age, work, social standing, etc...

Specifics: This is where you begin to ask questions. Say your character is wealthy. Has she been wealthy a long time or has she just come into wealth?  Knowing the answer to this will tell you her attitude toward her wealth.

Dig Deeper: Keep going with your questions until you can't ask anymore. Let's find out more about the wealthy character in Step 2. Let's say she had just come into wealth. How had she come into her wealth? Did she win the lottery or did she receive insurance money from the death of both her parents? Is she excited about the money, or does she resent the money because it represents the loneliness of being without family? Let's say she won the lottery and is excited about her money. Is she going to go crazy and spend it, or is she going to hoard it, fearful it might run out? If she goes crazy and spends it, what might she spend it on and why? She might purchase cars if she has had to drive old, beat-up jalopies. Or she might buy nice jewelry and clothes if she had been forced to wear hand-me-downs or shop at thrift stores.

But don't stop there...dig deeper. Why does she feel the need to buy nice things? Maybe she felt like people looked down on her for wearing old, worn-out clothes. Maybe she was teased or made fun of. Her self worth is tied up in how she looks, so now she dresses nice and gets her hair and nails done to feel good about herself. She is worthy now that she has money. That is her inner value.

Traits and Mannerisms: What kind of traits or mannerisms will your character have resulting from their inner value? Our wealthy lady may continually push her hair behind her ears to show off her large diamond earrings. She may click her long, manicured fingernails together subconsciously. You don't need to give your characters an overabundance of traits, but you need some to reinforce their inner value and make them believable.

This is not a one time process. There will be times when your character will want to do something that is "out of character". Start the process over until you know your character's motivation and inner value. You can also do this process in reverse. Start with a quirky mannerism and work your way back to the specifics. Get to know your character inside and out.

This post is just a little taste of all the good information Brandilyn Collins shared in her book, Getting Into Character, Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors. Check it out!

What is your process for characterization? How do you build a character and make them real?


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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is a minister's wife and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

A Perspective on Patience - On the journey toward publication

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Ever get tired of waiting?

In all honesty, I've been struggling a bit more than usual with the whole waiting-game, so my imaginary friends and I have had to give myself a sound pep-talk.

There are many amazing things about the writing journey.
- the camaraderie one creates with fellow writers
- the amazing stories born from your creative mind
- the act of learning through refinement of your skill
- the opportunity to get work done while sitting in your pjs and drinking tea (;-)

So many pros.

But within those pros, there are some struggles, and 'waiting' is one of them.
Lots of waiting.
Waiting for the contest results, waiting for inspiration, waiting for your crit partner's reaction to your work, waiting for an editor's response, waiting...waiting....waiting.

What brought this topic to mind for me today?

I've been writing stories for a long time. I have my first 'illustrated and typed' story from when I was ten (seen with my daughter in the picture to the right) and I completed my first 90K novel when I was 18 years old.

This weekend, while doing some cleaning, I found my very first contest entry form....from 2004 - 10 years ago. Ten years ago I began the journey toward publication.
The awareness of that, hit me directly in the insecurity.
10 years?
10 years and over 10 novels (7 of which will probably never see the light of an editor's desk :-)

Yet, here I am - still unpublished and still singing with the longing of a Disney Princess, Someday My Prints Will Come....

So what's the point of my sad sob story? :-)

I want to give you two secret super powers to help you play the waiting game with positivity: perspective and joy.

http://brainden.com/face-illusions.htm#prettyPhoto

Focusing on what 'hasn't' happened is like seeing the 'witch' in this picture to your left. I only notice the bad things and my 'focus' gets stuck on the negative.

However, that's not the ONLY view I can take. If I change my 'perspective', I'll see the beauty in the picture.

A positive view.

Something that helps make sense of the journey in a way my negativity never could.

Perspective changes things - it leads us to realize at the bottom of all the waiting is an abiding joy in the journey
In the process of creating
In the adventure of that process
And in the purpose the process refines within us

When you are called to be a writer, you find joy in the journey. (even if you have to dig a little deeper sometimes to do it)

Is there frustration, rejection, anger, and sadness? Sure.
Have I wanted to quit before? Definitely

But here's the thing - deep down within us, stories keep forming. Characters keep developing, words dance, writhe, sing, and search through our thoughts waiting to be set free on the page.

Deep within our hearts, in a place where God kindles his gifts within us, there is a need to express this gift despite the frustrations, disappointments, and long waiting. To explode with creativity.

Why?

Because there is so much joy, wonder, amazement...almost a miracle, in the creative process.

If we jump way back to the beginning...and I mean the VERY beginning, God found joy in his creation. Lights, planets, animals, people... They were 'good'.

God's creative process flowed out of him in WORDS.
He didn't use a wand, a magical spell, or a potion.
He used words.
Like us. Writers!

I think at the heart of a writer, there is a particular calling to bring words to life. It burns so deeply within us, that even when we feel the ultimate discouragement, most painful rejection, or longest wait...the light of our inborn creativity still blinks into the darkness of our waiting.

It provides an element of hope to make the waiting bearable :-)

I may have to remind myself every day of the joy. Talk myself off the 'proverbial' ledge of quitting, or even find a good friend to remind me why I love what I do - but down deep, I know...it's a part of me. A pulsing life of imagination formed within me (and you) by a loving Creator.

Find the positive view by renewing your mind with the truth of the gift God's given you!

How do you manage the waiting? Where do find the hope to turn your disappointments into opportunities of creativity?

What's Up the Street for Next Week?

It's Superbowl Sunday!

Which team are you hoping will win??

After gorging on all the Superbowl Sunday food (or not) stop by here to the Alley for a great week of inspirational posts and guests!

Is your journey feeling long? Find joy in the midst of it all with Pepper on Monday.

Sherrinda will be your hostess with the mostess on Tuesday chatting about characterization.

Best selling, award winning author, Susan Meissner our guest on Wednesday with a giveaway of her latest release A Fall of Marigolds

Edie Melson will be our social media guest blogger guru on Thursday for more of her insightful info on making your social media presence pop!

Mary will be posting on the Great Internal Monologue Debate on Friday

May the Best Team Win!

What's Up the Street Next Week?

Spring is right around the corner. Are you ready?
I've heard of some nice spring books coming our way or ones that I've just arrived. In fact, I just received Siri Mitchell's newest, Love Comes Calling. ADORABLE cover!
And Melody Carlson's, Dating, Dining, and Desperation. 
Or what about A Heart's Rebellion by Ruth Axtell.
Oh boy! What fun!
Do you have any books your looking forward to reading this month?

Speaking of wonderful books! Our winner of 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life ebook is the fabulous Melissa Tagg. Congrats, Melissa!!

What's happening at The Alley this week?

Pepper's feeling a bit of blog post envy from Amy's fun Friday post on Puckering Up. So on Monday stop by the Alley to share your 'first meeting' posts. What makes a powerful initial romantic meeting?

Tuesday - Sherrinda is interviewing Caryl McAdoo about her upcoming release, Vow Unbroken. Stop by and comment for your chance to win a copy of her book.

Wednesday - Mary's getting us contest ready with a post called Why Bother Sending Thank You Notes.

Thursday - Krista's joining us for her usual fun-filled and thoughtful posts.

Friday - Linnette Mullin is our guest.

The Chocolate Cafe with Jody Hedlund

We are pleased to welcome the lovely Jody Hedlund to The Chocolate Café today to feature one of her favorite heroes. (I'm so tickled she's talking about Carl...swoon)

Jody's first two series (The Hearts of Faith and the Michigan Brides Collection) have come with rave reviews, and it's amazing the literary track she's covered in less than four years: 6 books since 2010 while raising a crew of 5 cute kids! What a lady, but I'd imagine her busy life has only added to the inspiration.

So, as we offer you guys some fresh-baked  Chocolate-Banana Hot Pockets, your favorite cup of breakfast java (for me it's hot chocolate extraordinaire) and pull up a seat!

Okay, Jody - who has been one of your favorite heroes to write?

 

 

 

I think that I fall in love with each of my heroes every time that I write a book! But I'd have to say that one of my all time favorites has been Carl from A Noble Groom.
 

 And WHY was he your favorite to write?
 

I love heroes who are slightly humorous (or at least can laugh at themselves). And even though I was continually throwing Carl into difficult situations, he was the kind of hero who didn't take things too seriously. He could bumble through learning how to work on the farm, make mistakes, and still keep smiling.
 

releases in July 2014

I also love heroes who are tender with children–that makes them even more heroic in my mind. And Carl stood out from the other men in his culture in that he wasn't too manly to hold a baby or give pony-rides to toddlers.
 

Finally, I love heroes who are self-sacrificial. Carl was willing to give up his own plans to teach in order to stay and help Annalisa. He was even willing to give up all of his money to help pay off the loan on her farm. And in the end, he was still thinking about her when he bought her a new crock and filled it with his invention money.
 

Yep! All the reasons I think Carl is ONE PHENOMENAL Hero!!

What about you guys? How does humor play a part in the heroes you love to read or write?

Quotes:
"Common sense and  a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense...dancing." - William James


"Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life." - Hugh Sidey