Discovering the wonders of Twitter

We have a fair amount of posts here at Novel Spaces on social media--a testament to how important it has become to our society. I'll admit that I'm usually lagging behind when it comes to trying out the latest and greatest. I've had a MySpace page for a long time, but have basically abandoned it (sorry MySpacers). I joined Facebook a few years ago, but my Facebook profile has a bit of a personality disorder. My author personality is at war with the "real" Farrah. I often toy with the idea of separating the two, but so far, I haven't. Probably won't happen until one of my high school friends tag me in an embarrassing picture from the days when I wore Coke bottle glasses and had hair bangs the size of Arizona.

My newest social media addiction is Twitter. I've had my Twitter profile for over a year and a half. I signed up after much pressure from my fabulous PR agent, blogger extraordinaire, Tara of TaraMetBlog, but for months and months it sat unused. I just didn't "get" Twitter. That is, until I realized that Twitter was a research goldmine.

Now, when it comes to my own Tweets (see me using Twitter lingo like a seasoned Twitterer...umm...is Twitterer the right word?), it is usually the inane drivel that randomly pops into my head. You may get something about how my writing is going on a particular day, my real-time thoughts about something on TV, or how I want to choke the bird that's chirping like a maniac outside my window right now. If I can get my point across in 140 characters or less, you'll see it on Twitter. However, it isn't just for inane drivel. As a writer, I have utilized Twitter in so many fabulous ways.

My foray into the Twitter world began when I started following two sports agents while conducting research for my upcoming book I'll Catch You, which features a female sports agent. I quickly discovered there was much that could be learned by following people on Twitter.

Below are just a few of the people and topics I follow, and why they work for me as a writer:

@elizabethscraig - By far the best resource for finding dozens of online blogs and articles regarding the writing life. I could spend my entire day reading all the valuable links she posts.

@NathanBransford - I love Literary Agent Nathan Bransford's blog for all the wonderful info he shares, and his Twitter page provides the same.

@RalphMarston - On the corkboard above my writing desk is a print out of a short essay entitled Value You Put In. It was sent to me on Monday, December 23, 2002 by a friend who thought it would help motivate my writing. For years I would read that essay when I needed encouragement. When I sold my first book, I emailed Ralph Marston and told him how much his words affected me. I love, love, love the inspiration he brings and look forward to his daily nuggets of wisdom on Twitter.

#amwriting - I often use the #amwriting hashtag to state my writing goals. I feel a bit more accountable when I've told the world what I plan to write for the day.

Of course, there are hundreds of authors in every genre on Twitter, as well. I glean so much from following fellow writers.

So, for all the Tweeters out there, how do you utilize Twitter?