Twitter?

I've been reading about how all writers must sign up to Twitter, so I did. Unfortunately I haven't a clue what I'm supposed to do with it or how it's meant to help me. Can anyone clue me in? I can't think of anything more boring than typing in what I'm doing a hundred times a day... I'm boiling peas... I'm yawning... and so on.

I gave it a try after seeing it during Rick Sanchez's news show on CNN and could see no benefit at all. It's just another way to instantly write a message. Many of the posts are of a trivial nature. How it could help a writer escapes me.

Never heard of Twitter.

Curiosity made me look it up.

Nah. Not my thing.

Who said all writers must sign up? The guy who invented Twitter????

Forest Elf wrote:

Who said all writers must sign up? The guy who invented Twitter????

It probably was.

I have been looking at the various group pages on Facebook and came across a few giving advice to writers. They say we should "get active" in Twitter, whatever that means. I thought I must have missed something... taken a wrong turn and missed all the fun stuff.

If anyone's wondering what I'm doing right now, I'm shelling peanuts. Later I'm going to watch my socks dry.

I never heard of Twitter, but a couple of very good sites for authors are www.authorsden.com and www.booksie.com.

There are plenty of folks using Twitter, in part because they can keep doing exactly as you describe...watching one another talk about watching grass grow (or socks dry)...I think it appeals to folks with not enough else going on or chronic text messagers looking for another outlet for their AD behaviours...gasp...or maybe folks who say they are writing but are really just twittering their thumbs.

I have heard of twitter, but have never checked it out. Guess I didn't need to!

There I was, all set to abandon Twitter, and I got an email to say someone is following my twitterings. I made only four of them... what's to follow? But now I feel I have to go on, for whoever it is who's so taken by my few offerings. Oh my.

I've never heard of Twitter, either, and I probably won't go check it out. I'm not as good as I should be posting here on this site. I find myself putting too many things on my shoulders. But if it gets more exposure for you, and you have the time, go for it.
Have fun.

My impression is that in addition to the exciting "I'm boling peas" announcements, many authors use Twitter to talk about upcoming book signings, interviews, podcasts, short stories and articles published, etc.

I see that as a value of Facebook's STATUS reports and comments. Mixed in with the trivial stuff, it keeps one's name and work out there in front of people.

That said, I have no plans to use Twitter because I have a very economical cell phone plan, and getting and receiving a lot of text messages would cost me a ton of money. Plus, I don't want my phone ringing 24/7. On Facebook, I can choose to look or not look, but a ringing phone is hard to ignore. And then, there will be all those "I'm yawning" messages to erase out of my phone.

Malcolm

Oh, am I supposed to use my 'phone for this? I missed that bit. I don't think I know whether I'm coming or going with this Twittering thing. I think I will put it on the back burner for now.

I like Facebook... I know where I am with that.

Gina you can Twitter by 'phone or use the 'net...it's a multiple option thing, just like you can get Facebook notifications on your phone too.

Pam wrote:

Gina you can Twitter by 'phone or use the 'net...it's a multiple option thing, just like you can get Facebook notifications on your phone too.

I can get Facebook on my 'phone? Where have I been?

I have three followers now... I can't not twitter... I can see now that I'm going to have to go and get myself an interesting life to twitter about.

That'd be my problem too Gina -- coming up with a life that is interesting enough for anyone to follow along in a status line that updates every five minutes (of course I am saying this just as I am getting ready to update Facebook)!