Social Media Survival for Writers

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this class because I consider myself to be pretty tech-savvy (not a hacker or programmer, but I can do quite a few things). But I admit that sometimes I’m not all that flexible when it comes to social media. I’m afraid of it taking hold and not letting me go; afraid of privacy concerns; afraid of trolls, etc. Then there’s all the wondering if I really need it, and why. You know, kind of like being dragged along to do something I don’t necessarily want to do, because I’d rather spend my time writing. But Lisa reminded me that there are a lot of options out there and the main idea is to have FUN and connect with people who will want to read your work, and with whom you will want to connect. I really enjoyed it a lot and it was great to meet my classmates, too. Lisa gave me a kick in the pants to get going with a couple of platforms I had kind of decided weren’t worth it (wrong) and also helped allay some of my fears about privacy, security, and trolls. I highly recommend this course!

Lisa is brilliant. Kind, knowledgeable, helpful to a fault. Let’s just get that out of the way first. Now: social media is not my favorite thing. I’m just not wired that way. But because it was Lisa teaching, I was willing to follow her into the tangle in case I might pick up a few tips. Am I ever glad I did.

Before taking the class, I kept falling into endless virtual rabbit holes and losing hours of productive time on the internet. There’s simply too much of everything out there. I lurked, feeling overwhelmed. Why post when all I’d be doing was adding to the noise? Some people seemed to have it figured out, but how? It was a mystery to me. How does one even social media?

Lisa’s class made me take a big step back. Who am I writing for (besides myself)? What do I have to offer? How can I be helpful? And how do I connect with MY perfect reader? Lisa encouraged us to adopt a pinpoint, personalized focus instead of wading in everywhere and shouting louder. She made us dig deep for our motives and our audience. That was an eye-opener in itself. She helped us figure out how to be mindful and selective about our chosen platforms. She made me completely rethink how social media works, and how I can be successful out there.

I will probably never “love” it, but Lisa’s class gave me the tools to engage in a meaningful way. In the interest of full disclosure: I still go down rabbit holes. But I try to be aware of what I’m doing, and more importantly, why. If you struggle with any of this, give Lisa’s class a try.

I HATED social media. I still long for the days when self-correcting typewriters were a big improvement. Facebook at first was like angels dropping down from heaven to bestow feathers of connection from old friends I thought I’d lost forever. (Then it became more like the Kathy Bates character in Misery.)

I wasn’t able to get the full benefit of this class because life interfered, and I’m eager to take it again because even without a full tank of information and enthusiasm, I’m feeling energized and hopeful. I realize that I’ve turned social media into a boogeyman even though it’s just a little critter that wants to be friends and probably not nearly as scary as I’m making it out to be.

Because of this class, I have enough courage to find out.

The class lesson list above barely scratches the surface of all we learned. Lisa provided a lot of information about the world of social media, then encouraged us to explore ourselves as authors, then specific ideas on where to go and how to connect with readers. Her lesson on the specific platforms was especially helpful.

I can see this class being of benefit to repeat after a period of time ‘in the field.’

Lisa provides a wealth of information on how to approach social media in this workshop. The lecture material is current. Lisa had updated the material and added to it during the workshop with helpful information. The one on one sessions were great for addressing any questions I had. Overall, this is an excellent class. Lisa is very responsive and happy to answer questions.