Saturday 31 December 2011

Twitter

Back in April, I blogged about Facebook and what my thoughts on it were.  I also mentioned Twitter and how pointless I found it.  I have to confess, at the time I was heavily into Second Life (as I had been on and off for the last 3 years -mostly on) so the time I spent on Facebook was rather limited and I really didn't care to spend much time trying to figure out Twitter.  Well, as things evolve and change, I finally managed to move away from Second Life.  I won't say I'll never go back, because it's nice to stick my little pixel avatar's head in there every now and then just to wave hello to some of the people I have grown to love and some I do truly miss.  But the pull that it had for me has gone and there are days (weeks?) that go by that I don't even think about it.
So, that left me wondering back to Facebook and I started gaming again too - I'm one of those people who cannot just sit there and do nothing, I need stimulation and will constantly search for something to engage my mind and imagination - and more recently I ventured over to twitter and spent a little bit of time trying to figure it out.

My initial impressions of Twitter was that it was a tool to stalk so-called celebrities or people you admired.   So I wondered around and 'followed' and then 'unfollowed' people and tweeted occasionally, but it still left me scratching my head trying to understand the whole point of it was.  Then, one day the penny dropped.

I started to follow like minded people and my little network started to grow.  Anyone that knows me or has followed this blog will know my aspirations to be a novelist.  And this was the 'type' of people I started to follow.  Novelist, poets, artist, and aspiring writers like me.  Twitter has now become my chief source of inspiration.  The people I have met there - some follow me back, some I just follow, - inspire me with their work.  I read their books, their blogs, admire their art and look forward to their publication dates.  I read their tweets and realise that this could be me.  One day. And I itch to do my own work.

More recently I have met a bunch of ladies - incredibly talented the lot of them - who I tweet with daily.  We are all like-minded and spend quite a lot of time talking about our daily lives and current affairs and I have grown to really enjoy my time spent with them and look forward to catching up with each of them daily.  We have joked around and started to call ourselves the PJ club (pyjama club) in reference to the Christmas season and wanting to all hang out in our PJ's in front of the fire and just chill out or write or do whatever makes us happy.  One of them (I won't mention her name unless she gives me the green light to do so) recently came up with an idea and has started a unique blog for all of us, and in a matter of hours she had me writing a poem for it.  I haven't written any poetry since 2009!  It certainly isn't the best one I've done - I'm somewhat out of practice - but it did get the creative juices flowing and I am so pleased about that and grateful to her for pushing me.  I'm grateful to all of them.  I don't know if they realise how they inspire me.

So, now Twitter is my latest addiction.  I spend hours there and really enjoy it.  As I type this entry I'm twitching to head over to twitter and catch up!  I'm eager to go to the other blog too and see if anything has been posted since I've been away.  I look forward to catching up with the PJ club ladies and tweeting with them. Mostly I look forward to being further inspired.  Its the eve of 2012 and my one and only resolution for this new year is to make a decent start to my first novel.  I have all the tools I need on twitter on how to proceed, how to get published and who to talk to. There are so many people there who offer advice and who have been where I am now.  The inspiration is invaluable and I'm truly grateful for everyone of them.

Bx

6 comments:

Jane Isaac said...

Yes, yes, yes. Start that novel. We all love your writing and are dying to read it. You are so talented, Bernadette, it's lovely to see you putting your pen to paper and sharing it.
Your Twitter journey (and FB) mirrors mine. I've gone from loathing to loving in a few months and I'm very grateful to have met some wonderfully funny, inspirational and interesting people like you. I raise my glass to 2012 - it's going to be a fabulous year!

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Lillie McFerrin said...

I'm glad that you gave Twitter a second chance! I was skeptical about it as well, but like you I've found a great group of writers who motivate me to write. It's also become an addicion of mine.

Kathy Robbins said...

I am new to the Pyjama club. I look forward to getting to know all of you. I am a facebooker and a twitter poster. I am still learning twitter! Enjoy your blog. Blessings,
Kathy

Rod Tyson said...

So very true. You're a great writer Bernadette! I enjoyed reading that. Sending the PJ club momentum and very best wishes from Norfolk. :)

R. J. Ropsen said...

I agree twitter is an amazing tool to connect with others. I continue to meet new people on twitter everyday that inspire me and have similar goals. I admit I might be an addict of twitter too. Good luck in your writing. I hope you continue to find inspiration and continue to write.