Twitter Recs

Is Twitter:

• A flippant smarmy cesspool?
• Source of endless inspiration?
• Giant time suck?
• All of the above?

I would never recommend doing anything that doesn’t suit your style or float your boat, but I need my daily (um, er, hourly) Twitter fix.

There are 1.5 zillion writing and writing-related accounts on Twitter, but I’m here today to recommend two.

That’s right, two.

First, Gabino Iglesias.

Since it’s New Year’s and therefore resolution season, check out his “7 Ways to Turn Your Writing Resolutions into Realities” post from a couple of years ago. Here.

You’ll get a sense of his flavorful, in-your-face style. Then go follow him. @Gabino_Iglesias.

He’s a writer (Coyote Songs is getting lots of attention), cheerleader, teacher, editor, commentator, motivator.

Three recent tweets:

Dec 23 – Read Didion and Ellroy. Read horror and crime. Read Ketchum and Sontag. Read philosophy and pulp. Read Bukowski and Angelou. Read science fiction and YA. Read everything you want. Read it all. It’ll make you grow and show you things. Read passionately. Read constantly. Just read.

Dec 22 – Sometimes I sit in the dark at midnight, pull out my box of grudges, and add a new one. Then I keep going because the best revenge is getting to a point in life where you have so many good things going that you don’t remember where your box of grudges is.

Dec 20 – You can’t convince others you’re good at what you love unless you believe it yourself from time to time. We can all be better. Your favorite writer is currently working on getting better and fighting insecurities. That’s okay, but remember to believe in yourself. Keep hustling.

Iglesias is a force. Get caught up in his tailwinds. It’s encouraging and inspiring to do so.

Second, Jan Marshall.

Website: https://superproofer.wordpress.com/ Follow her here: @Jan_Marshall.

She’s a proofreader, editor, and writer.

What you’ll get is a steady, well-curated stream of writing advice, insights, tips, strategies, and inspiration. (Kind of like the RMFW blog…)

Iglesias’ feed comes with an ample dose of snark; Marshall is all gentle encouragement. Iglesias is tacks on your writing chair. Marshall is a warm bowl of oatmeal to nibble while you write.

Recent tweets:

Dec 21 – The 2 Key Elements That Make a Great Scene by @CSLakin
https://livewritethrive.com/2020/12/21/the-2-key-elements-that-make-a-great-scene/ via
@LiveWriteThrive #writetip #writingtip #amwriting

Dec 16 – Mythical Archetypes by @RossHartmann
An archetype is a character function. It’s a role that a character plays within a story: what a character *does* (i.e. the actions they take). https://kiingo.co/tip-690 via
@KiingoCreative #writetip #writingtip #amwriting

Dec 15 – How to Effectively Manage Multiple Narrators in Your Novel by Ken Brosky https://janefriedman.com/how-to-effectively-manage-multiple-narrators-in-your-novel/ via
@JaneFriedman #writetip #writingtip #amwriting

Dec 10 – Retention and Seduction: The Art of the Chapter Break by @kcraftwriter
https://writerunboxed.com/2020/12/10/retention-and-seduction-the-art-of-the-chapter-break/ via
@WriterUnboxed #writetip #writingtip #amwriting

Dec 9 – 4 Essentials of Unforgettable Endings by @LMacNaughton
 http://blog.janicehardy.com/2020/12/4-essentials-of-unforgettable-endings.html?spref=tw via
@Janice_Hardy #writetip #writingtip #amwriting

It seems that Jan is always able to spot a piece about writing that is helpful to me. Either her timing is exquisite or I’m always in need.

Could be the latter.

By the way, did you notice RMFW’s own Laurence MacNaughton in the list of Marshall tweets? That’s pretty cool.

Jan Marshall has got 61,000 followers for a reason—and she constantly thanks and tags good accounts, so it’s pretty easy to find enriching accounts to follow.

By the way, you never have to feel inundated by Twitter. You can control the giant fire hose of information. Simply go to “Lists” under your Twitter profile and create your own sub-group that turns Niagara Falls into your own gentle stream of peaceful updates.

As with your whole life, you can control the noise.

Like so:
https://twitter.com/writerstevens/lists

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Oh yeah, I’m @writerstevens.