Social Media for Creative Writers

1. If youTwitter will they come?
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 1

2. Does Twitter live up to its claims?
Or are we that flock of little birds lifting a
gigantic whale out of the ocean? Before
every tweet I should ask myself:
• What do I really care about as a writer?
• What’s fast?
• What’s easy?
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 2

3. What do I really care about?
As a writer I care about creating stories that come to life in the
minds of readers. Can Social Media help me do that, or am I What’s he
on about
wasting time on Twitter, Facebook and WordPress?
now?
To answer that question I have to consider:
• My goals and needs as a writer.
• How tweeting, posting and blogging further those goals.
• How much time I have to invest making Social Media work.
To understand my take on Social Media I have to talk about my
exploration of Dynamic Creative Writing. So let’s drop in on my
WIP, The Cosmic Chicken…
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 3

4. Dynamic Creative Writing
WordPress and Social Media as a platforms
for a literary Work in Progress
Craig Spence Writer
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 4

5. What is Dynamic Creative Writing?
In September, 2011 I posted the first episode to The Cosmic Chicken web
site, launching what has become for me an experiment in Dynamic
Creative Writing.
This next few slides will talk about:
• What the term Dynamic Creative Writing means.
• Why WordPress makes a superb Dynamic Creative Writing
environment.
• How Social Media tie in to the Dynamic Creative process.
• Who might want to engage in Dynamic Creative Writing.
The Cosmic Chicken is located at www.cosmicchicken.ca. Although I was
pleased to acquire the domain name, I wasn’t really surprised to discover
no-one else had claimed it!
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 5

6. A little bit about me…
Published Author My last board
• Josh & the Magic Vial (2006, Thistledown Press) meeting ever!
• Einstein Dog (2009, Thistledown Press) YEEHAW!
• Three novels in progress
Supporter of Arts & Letters
• Langley Arts Council Board Member
• Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria member
• Federation of BC Writers Past President
Retired Journalist & Communications Manager
• Community Newspaper Journalist (1981- 1996)
• School District Communications Manager (1996 – 2012)
• Full time writer from January 2012 on…
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 6

7. A Dynamic Writing vignette…
Imagine yourself in a department store display
What Craig window on a busy downtown street. You are sitting
means to say is: at your desk clattering away feverishly on the next
“Involving
episode of your work in progress. Your computer
audience while
a work is still in console is wired to a second screen that shows
progress.” passers-by your every keystroke. A big sign
welcomes them to text, email or phone if they want
to comment or make suggestions.
Someone taps on the window. You look up…
That’s Dynamic Creative Writing.
Original art
by Diana Durrand
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 8

8. Why get Dynamic? Perhaps what
Craig really
means is he just
CREATIVE WRITING AS EVENT didn’t know
We live in a networked, collaborative world. where to begin.
Dynamic Creative Writing derives authenticity by
opening itself to the chatter of the network. The
novel evolves in its audience’s mind as a work-in-
progress, allowing readers to influence
outcomes. The act of writing-as-event challenges
the author to become a guide through real time
story-telling toward an uncertain conclusion
along undefined pathways.
So when’s this
guy gonnastart
his twittertalk?
Flickr,
MJM Photographie,
Melissa M
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 9

9. OK, let’s get practical… OK. Maybe he
did know where
to begin, but
WHY WRITE DYNAMICALLY? does he know
• Build audience as a novel is written. how to finish.
• Make the outcomes of your story relevant.
• Extend context by including ‘outtakes’.
• Build a process of self-evolution and growth.
• Develop momentum.
• Incorporate graphic and media elements.
• Provide links to supplementary resources.
• Position WIP for alternative modes of publication.
• Achieve global reach.
• Build creative relationships.
Flickr,
MJM Photographie,
Melissa M
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 10

10. Ins and Outs of Dynamic Writing…
I really appreciate that my WordPress
workspace is just another web page on my
open pages bar. The walls to the writer’s
room have become transparent. Information
Flows in and out. Blogging, Twitter and
Facebook are part of that dynamic in-out
dialogue.
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 12

11. WHAT’S
The Blog… NEXT!
Blogs tend to an episodic, sequential style of
Flickr image
writing. They also tend to a plot oriented NightFall404
structure. Not every novelist can work within Richard Hopkins
those constraints.
However, the blog’s timeline makes it effective
for dynamic creative writing. Readers can
follow characters and events, with the current
episode always at the top of the stack.
The blog has evolved as a medium for the
exchange as much as the presentation of
ideas, which will encourage audience
participation in the emerging story.
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 13

12. Comments…
The comment function of the blog works two
Comment? I’ll give ways for the dynamic creative writer. Readers
you a comment: Just interacting with the work in progress can post
write the damned their ideas for the writer and others to see.
book and forget about
The author can also respond to readers ideas.
all this palaver. Cosmic
Chicken indeed!
As important is the potential for the author to
post his own ideas by initiating comment
threads. This makes the process of revision
overlap with the process of creation. It also
makes the author’s revision notes public and
open to comment.
Original art by Diana Durrand
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 14

13. Original art by
Diana Durrand
Lovely, I’m
Media imports… sure, but is
it art,
dear?
A great novel doesn’t need photographs or
illustrations, just as great paintings don’t
require a whole lot of words.
That said, the judicious use of graphics can
cue readers, giving them visual elements to
build a scene around. WordPress’s Media
functions make it easy to place images and
video clips into a story.
The Cosmic Chicken was inspired by the art of
my partner Diana Durrand, and the main
character in the story echoes my own
fascination with portraits of Gallus Domesticus
– the domestic chicken.
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 16

14. Menus…
A thoughtfully developed menu to a web-
based work of dynamic creative fiction invites
readers to explore beyond the storyline of the
novel. It can even become a standing
reference for readers who want to gain
perspectives into a published work that would
otherwise remain part of the back story.
The Cosmic Chicken has navigation links to a
‘Glossary’; a page that describes ‘The Cast’;
and a page about ‘Places’ in the novel.
Readers can also learn about the author. The
interested reader can access layers of
information that are outside the book proper. Flickr image by Mary Margret, Double-M
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 18

15. OK, let’s get into the twittering bush
Tweeting is a quick way of
beaming new episodes and
thoughts about my story to
followers. In try to include:
• A link to topics or episodes
•Hashtag references
• Photographs
• A catchy, relevant tweet
It’s about time!
Is that it? Isn’t there
more to say?
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 19

16. And let’s take up some Facetime
Facebook is another venue for
dialoguing with audience as my
work is in progress. I try to:
• Invoke or provoke dialogue
• Respond to comments
• Refer to current episodes
• Broaden the conversation
Hey! Why did you
have to bring those
guys into the picture?
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 20

17. Thanks for listening &participating
Is Dynamic Creative Writing a method that
might be used by others? Or is it a one-off
experiment that will result in a single work of
speculative fiction?
If Dynamic Creative Writing does become a
useful mode,are blogs, tweets and posts the
best ways for engaging audience, or is there a
better context? Wikis for example?
I don’t know at this point. But my experience so
far makes me think I will be writing more novels
using WordPress and Social Media as my
creative media. Flickr image by o5com
February 25, 2012 Surrey Reads & Writes 21