My One Piece of Advice

This goes out to all aspiring... anything really! I'm going to speak mostly to writers, because that's what I am and what I know, but I know actors, musicians, artists, craftsmen, and owners of all kinds of businesses who would agree with the one piece of advice I'm going to give you about how to succeed in your chosen field.

Are you ready?

Here it is: Use Twitter.

Hush your mouth if you just read that and started protesting because there's too much spam or too many idiots on there to make it worth your time. Are you hushed? I'll say it again.

Use Twitter.

It's that simple. You want me to show my math now, don't you? I suppose that's fair. I'll give you a glimpse of my network. I'll name them at the end, but these are writers I get to interact with, sometimes just commenting on daily life, but often talking shop as well. We all bring different things to the table, including our own areas of expertise, education, personalities, and yes, contacts. In the list I'll share with you, I'm only including those I've actually exchanged dialogue with. There are many more I follow because I like what they have to say and/or because they post helpful links and tips. I follow and communicate with more than just writers, but we'll stick to them for this post. If you'd like an introduction to some good folks in another industry, just ask. If you're already on Twitter, what are you reading this thing for? Skip to the end and consider it my ultimate #FollowFriday post.

I know it can be intimidating, this vast sea of names and brief bios. You may be wondering where to start, who to follow, and what to do with followers once you've got them. Luckily, it's very simple: join the conversation. You know what Twitter really is? It's a chatroom that isn't limited to any one topic. You get to tailor your own environment to be populated by people who share your interests. It becomes this great Venn-diagram of people with whom you can discuss any (and I mean any) topic under the sun.

Are there spammers and idiots out there? Of course they are, but there's an easy solution: don't follow them. Block and report the spammers, and if you don't like what someone is posting, you don't have to follow them. Is that a little bit of a hassle once in a while, sure, but let me put it this way: every single writing job, paid or unpaid, that I have gotten in the past year can be directly traced to a contact I made on Twitter. Every one, without exception, fiction and nonfiction. Think about that. I have added to my resume, gotten my name out there, gained the experience that prospective employers want, honed my craft, and because it doesn't actually go without saying, made some friends and had fun. I have done all of this without it costing me anything but time and effort, and let's face it, if you're not willing to spend that, you're not going to be successful at anything.

Okay, now your prize for suffering through my lecture! I promised you a peek into my little black book, and so here they are, some of (by no means all!) my favorite writer-people, in alphabetical order with just a few words about who they are:

• @AlexBledsoe: Published novelist, loves his family, can quote Phantom of the Paradise!
• @babesmcphee: Playwright and member of the Sacred Fools Theater Company. Her blog can be found here.
• @BeTheBoy: His blog often makes me want to die laughing until I remember it's non-fiction, and then sometimes I want to cry. His wife is @slackmistress, who is a professional writer with her own blog and list of sites where her work can be found (including @ValemontU). Their @DaisyJDog is also on Twitter, and is always good about reminding us of the simple things in life. Why stress out too much about having a bath, when there is sure to be cake later, from @SusinaBakery (you see how it spirals out?)?
• @coderster: Participates on PoetryAssignment, maintains her blog, and will be her area's NaNoWriMo Municipal Liason this year!
• @CorbSilverthorn: The irrepressable Editor of Silverthorn Press. As passionate about the craft as he is silly, which is to say, quite a bit.
• @David_N_Wilson: He does it all - writer, blogger, NaNoWriMo winner, and tireless fount of encouragement and useful advice.
• @drunken_hopfrog: Mastermind behind PopBunker.net, where no cultural phenomenon is safe.
• @ElwoodJBlues: A new voice on the pop culture blog scene. His personal blog has been entertaining us for a while now, but he's branching out, contributing to the @ComicStop's blog and more.
• @GeoffJohns0: Okay, I haven't exactly had dialogue with him, per se, but he once sent me a Direct Message, so I'm counting it because it makes me feel special to include Geoff Johns on this list. You'd do it too, and you know it.
• @hownottowrite: The best writing cheerleader on Twitter! Every day, he produces these oh-so-quotable messages that just keep you going! Also, his avatar is King Moonracer. You can't beat that.
• @joethepeacock: The most successful self-published writer I've ever known! Whatever he's doing over there, he's doing it right. He blogs, too!
  
• @JohnnySix: evil genius behind The Twitter Novel Project (@tweet_book), to which @blondie80 has also contributed supplemental material. Also, he controls the weather. I've seen him do it.
  
• @jsmithready: Writer of urban fantasy novels gracing the shelves of a bookstore near you! Her characters, @ShaneMcAllister and @CiaraGriffin tweet, as does her cat, @Misha_Guy. In her spare time, she enjoys flamingo ping-pong.
• @melissaoyler: Graphic designer! Blogger! Novelist! NaNoWriMo winner! Cheerleader! PoetryAssignment editor! I could go on!
  
• @michaelrholmes: Renaissance man with firm standing in most segments of the Venn-diagram currently asserts his right to stand in the writers' circle with his adaptation of Forbidden Zone. Also actor of stage and screen on the other side of the script!
  
• @neilhimself: I couldn't leave Neil Gaiman off this list, even though my interaction with him has been limited to one book signing and a brief exchange on Twitter about fountain pen ink. Mr. Gaiman sets a high bar for good writing citizenship, and I think we would all do well to follow his examples.
  
• @PointlessBanter: as you might have guessed, the editor of PointlessBanter.net. If you like funny, check it out. If you write funny, he might let you guest blog!
  
• @shadowsinstone: Her characters jump right out of their stories and make you believe vampires are real and among us, getting drunk, falling in love, and ready to hit on you or insult you depending on their moods. @crookedfang is my favorite, but don't tell him I said that.
  
• @stina8753: Frequent collaborator with @shadowsinstone while maintaining a separate body of work. She's completed one novel and is continuing to forge ahead with her bright writing future. Her characters tweet too, with @unpleasantries at the top of the list.
  
• @the0phrastus: Another man who wears many hats, or maybe one great, big, multi-colored hat with patches of words, paint, and magic.
  

Writing is largely a solitary occupation, especially for freelancers and those others who work from home. Thanks to Twitter, though, it doesn't have to be quiet, lonely work. If a co-worker is someone who works along with you in the same occupation, you get to have them - as many as you want, there to bounce ideas off of, commiserate with, and network with.