Facebook Nation

In reflecting on the uses of technology for a writer, as I did in my last post, it occurred to me the difference that joining Facebook about a month ago has had on me.

Some of you writers might think that there is limited value in Facebook for a writer, or even that it might be a hindrance. It does, after all, take time to stay on top of your Facebook account, time that could be spent writing. It also provides a convenient excuse not to write, especially if you belong to a lot of writer’s groups, like I do. “Maybe I’ll just read one of my “friend’s” blog for a few minutes for inspiration,” and on and on until your time and energy is gone and nothing gets written.

My experience of Facebook has been entirely different, though. I’m writing more now than I did prior to joining Facebook, and here’s the reason why: In my face-to-face life, I don’t know any fiction writers. Not one. So, one of my goals in joining Facebook was to contact and get to know some authors. I’ve succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

Now it’s an often stated fact that most people don’t really “know” most of the folks they “friend” on Facebook. And that’s true. I have requested many perfect strangers to be my “friends.” With only two exceptions, they all very graciously complied. But, lo and behold, I’ve found myself having some very enjoyable conversations with a number of writers who I didn’t know a month ago. As a byproduct of those conversations, I’ve been exposed to a wide range of new genres, authors, styles, websites, blogs, magazines, agents, editors, publishers, book cover designers, trailer creators – a virtual gamut of all things related to writing.

I’ve discovered talented authors who write exactly the type of stories I enjoy reading. I’ve had authors volunteer articles for me to read that have expanded my horizons and contained priceless tips and strategies that have already made me a better writer, in my opinion.

By paying attention to other writers’ posts, I’ve gotten a treasure trove of encouragement and inspiration, especially when I see other authors announce the release of their books, post their glowing reviews, and share the trials and tribulations they are suffering. Those are the same difficulties I face, so I feel less alone when dealing with them.

I even had one friend recommend I sign up for NaNoWriMo. I had to admit I had no idea what a NaNoWriMo was. She gave me a link to their website and I learned it stood for National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org). It is a month-long challenge to write a 50,000 word novel between November 1st and November 30th, 2009. Participants hail from all over the world, and there are tips, forums, a handbook and fun stuff to help keep you on track and focused on the goal. The philosophy behind it is to overcome the paralysis of analysis and concentrate on getting the story out of you, first and foremost, and have a finished draft to work with instead of just dreaming about a first draft.

Why get involved in something like this instead of just continuing to work on my current writing projects? I’ll tell you why: FUN! That’s right, I said Fun. I can’t remember the last time I had fun writing. I miss it. What I mean is writing fiction is work. I have a grand vision of what I want to produce, and even though that vision is exciting to me, the nuts and bolts of actually doing it is work. It’s hard. (Paradoxically, the exception to that rule for me is writing this blog. I enjoy doing this!)

The idea of ripping out a book in one month, and having a whole community of other writers doing the same thing at the same time, rooting for each other, meeting up at coffee shops and parks and libraries to write together . . . I’m looking forward to the fun of being a part of that.

So once again, technology is helping me become a happier writer. And a happy writer is a productive writer. And a productive writer is a legend in the making!

I would love to hear from any of you who have done NaNoWriMo, or would like to try it, as well as anyone whose writing has been enhanced by their experience on Facebook. And if you haven’t already, why don’t you “friend” me while you’re at it! 😉