NaNoWriMo Day 7 | Week 1 Report

Sometimes life falls together in a perfect storm. That has been my end of October/beginning of November. And when I say storm, I do mean storm. The deails aren't important at this juncutre (and a little to fresh to write about anyway) but I did want to give a NaNoWriMo update.

NaNoWriMo Day 7

Yes. You heard that right. I'm still forging ahead with NaNo. Not doing it last year was one of the hardest things (ironically...possibly harder than attempting it) and this year, despite the upheaval of life, I'm excited to be working on one of my new projects!

You may not have realized, but I did start a YouTube channel recently. That is, I joined the "BookTube" community. Much like #Bookstagram for Instagram, I talk about books and writing on my channel. I'm very new to it, but it is a lot of fun. I thought I'd share my second video here where I talk a little bit about NaNoWriMo.


All of that to say...well, I'm stuck at 1724 words as of today. *Cringes* I know. It's awful and SUCH a small wordcount for me right now. But I still have hope. Balancing my wordcoutns for work and for NaNo is not easy but I shall persist >>says this mostly to herself because she needs the encouragement<<.

What about you? Anyone else doing NaNo? How's it going? How do you stay motivated?

I'd invite you to subscribe to my channel and check out my "Bookstagram" if you haven't already. I love meeting new friends over on my "CreateExploreRead" page!

4 Tips to Successfully Using Instagram as a Writer

My oh my...who doesn't love Instagram? Maybe I'm jut crazy about it because I'm a photographer? That's more likely I'm sure, but I did want to take a few minutes to chat about using the Instagram platform as a writer. Not to worry, if you aren't a writer you'll still enjoy this post because I'll include pretty pictures ;)

4 Tips to Successfully Using Instagram as a Writer

1. What to post

Ok, I'm not really going to tell you what to post, but I will give some helpful tips in how to decide what you should post.
1) Ask yourself what type of account you want to have. Writing/book promotion, for fans, personal use, or a mixture of these.
2) Think about sharing photos that fit with the type of account. For example, my Instagram account is for my photography business and writing but it's got a personal flair to it. My point of consistency is in the look of my photos though. We'll talk about that later.
3) Like with any/all social media for promotion sake, think about sharing things that fit with your brand. This picture of a typewriter fits with my writing and I could talk about what I'm up to writing wise in the comments (also more on that in a minute).
4) Consider your audience and followers. If your account is personal, then 10 pictures of your kids may be expected. BUT if you are trying to gain followers, consider their feeds. 10 pictures of your kids in a row (though they may be the cutest kids EVER) will quickly have your followers considering unfollowing  you.
5) Ask why you are posting each picture. This may seem extreme, but if you're serious about gaining followers and posting within your brand (to an extent) then have a purpose behind your post. No, this doesn't have to be some grand concept and you could use a random photo to tell your fans you just wrote "The End" but it helps to have a reason for each post - even if that's just to share a fun quote.

2. What to say

The comment section of Instagram is a hugely untapped resource (in my humble opinion). I know there are Instagramers out there who are super clever and just post one word captions (or no captions). I've done this. BUT, we're writers! Use your words ;-)
I've personally found that people are more willing to connect with me (and like my picture) if I've got something worth saying. Again, that's not to say that my captions are life changing, but they should be relevant to you, your brand, and your followers.
Use Instagram to give out fun info about your day like you do Twitter, but tie it to a picture. Maybe it's your work space, your coffee, your editing screen, or your TBR pile. Whatever it is, share about it. People can love your images, but they can also begin to love your voice even over Instagram.

3. How to make it pretty

Yes, I know that Instagram comes with it's own filters...but there are some awesome apps out there that give you even more control over what your photos look like.

VSCO Cam
This is my personal favorite! It's what I edit every photo with on my phone. Maybe that's because I like to tweak things (the photographer in me) but they've also got some great presets.

Afterlight
There are some fun things with this app, like the ability to add some old-school flair to the side of a photo, overlays, and great presets.

ProCam
This app gives you a LOT of control. Maybe too much for those of you who just want to snap a shot but hey, here it is.

Diptic
Want to combine two photos - or more like I did here? Use this app! It's one of my favorites for the ease and ability to do a whole bunch with it.

P.S. I was in our local Christian bookstore and saw one of my author headshots on the back of this lovely novel. Eik! See that...E.A. Creative Photography. That's ME :D Ok...back to Instagram stuff...

4. How to be Effective

• Make your account public (and don't post anything you wouldn't want "everyone" to see)
• Use hashtags (research popular writer/genre hashtags like #amwriting or #books or #scifi etc.)
• Tag people and products (as long as it's relevant to the photo of course)
• Use personal captions when possible
• Post around 2AM or 5PM and on Wednesdays (so they say...?)
• Follow Instagramers in your "field" as well as book bloggers/reviewers and comment on their images
• Be interactive! Comment and reply to those who comment to you (don't for get to tag them specifically with the "@" sign or else they won't see it)
• Be consistent! Build up a fun gallery of images that represent YOU and what you like. Your readers will love seeing that. 

I hope this has been helpful! Instagram is a great platform and can definitely help you connect with more readers on a personal and fun level.

Are you in Instagram? I'd love to connect with you! 

@createexploreread

A Look at Instagram for Writers

At first glance Instagram may not seem like the "ideal" medium for writers.

We deal with words, not pictures!

I hear you. I really do! But it's not about you being a photographer (unless, of course, you are--like me). It's about marketing. Remember that fun little word? Well, it's true. Everything we're talking about all circles around back to the fact that we do social media to market us, our books, and our ideas.

That seems a little cold, Emilie. 

You can take it that way, but that's definitely not how I mean it. Marketing doesn't have to be bad. It also doesn't have to involve shameless self-promotion. It's a way to share who you are with others so they are invested in you and your idea/product/book.

I recommend Instagram to writers for two reasons: 

1. It gives (or can give) a view into the everyday life of you, the author. 
2. It's easy, it's popular, it's trending.

Okay, I overstepped my bounds on that last one and made it three things but hey, that's a good thing, right?

#1 The Personal You
I think this is the best part of Instagram - it's a look into the everyday lives of authors and what it's really like to write books for a living (or a portion of your living). If you're content being real with your audience and showing them the sometimes-unglamorous-side of writing, I think you'll gain some great friends and a loyal following.





#2 Easy, Popular, Trending
It's not hard to snap a pic, slap on a filter, and stick it up on Instagram. You may need to think through your hasthags (yep, there everywhere!) but think of it more as showcasing your personality than it is selling your books.

However, I will say it does take some work if you are interested in something a little more...viral.  Being a photographer and a writer I want my photos to showcase the fact that I'm a professional photographer, but (get this) the explanation of my photos can showcase the fact that I'm a writer. Two birds. One stone.

My advice...

Decide what you want your account to showcase and be great at that! (tweet this)

• If you want your Instagram followers to see you at your best and your worst, then post away without much thought or strategy. Think about fun times, sad times, boring times, anytime - and that will be the right time to post.

• If you want your followers to see a more stylized view of you, that will take some extra planning. You may decide to artfully display the books your reading, highlight beautiful scenery, or show off creative images of your shoes (yes, please!). But, the key to this type of Instagram account is consistency in style, content, and editing. (I use VSCOcam to edit almost all of my photos). They also recommend less selfies...just saying.

Where does promotion come in?

No, this isn't something I'm offering!

Using Instagram can help with promotion, but it's a little more...communal than you may be used to. A lot of bloggers and/or photographers are now coming together to offer prizes like a $1000 Anthropology card (yeah, that really happened!), but this required a large group of people committing to this.

I'm not going to lie, I stay away from giveaways like this. I mean, I won't even touch them with a 10 foot poll because of the incredible effort it takes just to actually enter. It was some crazy thing of liking a certain number of photos, following an unidentified number of accounts, and circling back around to leave a comment with your social security number in it. Okay, (hehe) I'm joking, but only on the last part there.

Personally, if you're going to promote yourself via Instagram be very careful as to how. Remember, it's more of a lifestyle showcase than it is a hard-promotion vehicle.

Do...

• Mention you're working on your book
• Tag others and ask questions
• Talk about your release date
• Encourage others
• Make your comment section count!
  (Speak from the heart - people love a great story to go along with a great image!)
• Point back to your blog/website/FB page using the link section of the profile
• Talk about giveaways they can enter outside of Insta (ie: a blog or FB giveaway)
• Share a short excerpt from your book
• Be involved with your followers - yep, LIKE & FOLLOW back!

Don't...

• Post too many selifes...
• Only post promotional images
• Have really poor quality photos (um, this is the photographer in me coming out)
• Post all. the. time.*
• Forget you have an Instagram account...

Your challenge:

• Share your Instagram account info in the comments (let's be friends!)
• Come follow me: @createexploreread

*A note of caution...please don't be that person who posts a million photos of their _______ (fill in the blank with: children, food, cat, dog, husband, back yard). It's good to post, but consider the frequency of your posting.

Writing like a Sunset: 3 Ways to Write Distinctively

Taken from my Instagram @eahendryx

Tonight, as per my usual ritual, I went to check the mail. This is common (usually daily) occurance, but the one thing that changes, depending on the time of day, is my view. The sun sets directly in front of me as I walk down the path to the mailboxes and most of the time it is simply spectacular!

As I made my way down the path tonight, a brilliant haze of deep orange painted the sky in front of me. The trees, darkly outlined against the light, reached their knobby fingers to the sky as if to touch the last ounces of warmth this day would feel. It was stunning! Then a thought hit me.

When God creates a beautiful sunset, it is never the same as the day before, nor will it be the same tomorrow.
Each sunset is unique.
Each moment distinctly different than the one before. 

Then, of course, I started thinking about writing. No matter what the sunset is like, it's generally pretty fantastic. The mixing of colors and light always create a haunting glow that reminds us the day is soon to be over. If I were to describe a sunset, each time I would need to portray it differently because no two sunsets are alike. 

Below I outline three ways to write distinctively. There are more than just three, but they just came to mind as I contemplated the sunset. 

Taken from my Instagram @eahendryx

3 Ways to Write Distinctively

1) Don't use cliches
I'll be honest - this is a tough one for me. Sometimes I just want to use a cliche because I feel as if I know that my readers will understand it. As if I couldn't describe it differently for fear they wouldn't really "get it". A good writer will find new and exciting ways to describe the ordinary.

2) Write true to your voice
I just want to shout out, "Be YOU!" but I think a little more direction is needed here ;) No two people are exactly alike. Even twins have differences because they aren't the same person even if they look alike. In the same way, no two writers will write the same. Sure, you may have a similar style to {fill in the blank with your favorite writer} but that doesn't mean you must write just like them. Create your own voice. Find out who YOU are as a writer and exploit that! You have experiences and personality that is completely unique to you and that will add a fantastic flavor to your writing.

3) Always push the envelope
This one is a tricky one. I think you can take this too far and find yourself writing something (fiction or non-fiction) that no one will publish - or read for that matter. What I'm really talking about here is pushing your envelope. This naturally occurs when you are studying your craft, reading fantastic books by authors you admire and respect, and having a second or third or fourth...(well, you get the idea) pair of eyes on your WIP. Maybe that means you challenge yourself to write in a different point of view or to describe a scene you wouldn't normally. The lovely thing about being a writer is that you can always learn and grow.

Taken from my Instagram @eahendryx

What do you think? Is your writing distinct? What would you add to this short list? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!