Tuesday, January 29 2013

On twitter and tweeting

I have tweeted over 56,000 times. I follow over 2600 people. I’ve spent countless hours since roughly June 2007 reading other people’s tweets. I do, in fact, know something about using the service to connect with people. 

I’d say, looking back (and inward), that I’ve learned most through mistakes. Relationships that I thought stronger than they were couldn’t stand up to what I thought was harmless jest or constructive (if brief and direct) criticism. I’ve recently rediscovered that a connection forged solely over Twitter isn’t always strong enough to stand on its own. 

A few other lessons:

Make sure less than 20% of your tweets are sent by a linked service (Foursquare, music sharing, GetGlue [just don’t], Untappd, etc), and make sure that even those contain some added value that makes them unique to you. 

Stay positive on Twitter. Limit personal criticism or complaining.

Don’t be afraid to get personal and authentic, but remember that caring about other people is what’s going make other people care about you. Just being yourself on the site won’t be enough to get other people to connect. 

Filed ↓ randomthoughts
Sunday, October 28 2012

Tumblr backup

isharayar:

Just in case…

(I’ve seen more, a lot of scripts… but didn’t use them)

This might could be a good idea if you have a lot of stuff on your Tumblr and are worried about it…

Thursday, August 30 2012

DC Pierson: What It Means To Be From Arizona, A Great State With Terrible Laws

dcpierson:

I am from Phoenix, Arizona.

The events of my novel The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep And Never Had To take place there. When my writing partners Dan and Meggie and I started writing a screenplay version of the book last year, we decided to open the script with a quote from a George Saunders essay about…

Great stuff here. 

Thursday, August 30 2012
thedailywhat: Morning Fluff: Just a back-lit hamster. No big deal. [22words]


thedailywhat:

Morning Fluff: Just a back-lit hamster. No big deal. 

[22words]

(via jamichtaco)

Thursday, August 23 2012

First day

So far, I’ve convinced one classmate to log in to LinkedIn, logged back in to Hootsuite for the first time in ages to set up a list (why is this so difficult) and come up with a list of questions for one of my professors. That second cup of coffee with breakfast was a *great* idea.

Filed ↓ not sarcasm for reals
Thursday, August 2 2012

On lousy fried chicken

I like traditional marriage (one man, one woman, for life). I think it’s great, and absolutely under attack (tho not by gay ppl). How is buying a chicken samwich the best you can do to support it?

Filed ↓ don't hate me because I'm old-school
Tuesday, July 17 2012

10 Pieces of Advice for Young Writers

Adopting “Interrogate your point of view” as my new life motto. I want to be more confident b/c I know I’ve considered the outcomes and options and angles and know I’m right, and less cocksure when I haven’t. 

theatlantic:

  1. Care about things. Show it. Be funny, barbed, and pointed when needed. Slick is easy; don’t be slick.
  2. Confidence and arrogance will both protect you when people yell at you. One is vital and one is poisonous.
  3. Learn to be your own devil’s advocate. Interrogate your own arguments. Interrogate your point of view.
  4. Successful writers can play loud and soft and can make a variety of harsh and gentle sounds, just like great musicians.
  5. Look at the people whose careers you admire and think about their paths. Don’t assume you want the fast lane.
  6. If you are read widely, you will get blowback, no matter what. Don’t let it paralyze you, but don’t reflexively blow it off.
  7. If you try to make your fortune creating controversy, then even if it works, you’ll be expected to keep doing it.
  8. Being young doesn’t make you dumb or smart, important or irrelevant. But you’ll be a different writer in 20 years.
  9. “Win 20 in the show, you can let the fungus grow back and the press’ll think you’re colorful.” Obey deadlines and house style.
  10. You are entitled to be wrong, to feel embarrassed, to feel like a jerk, and to keep writing anyway.

[as told by NPR’s Linda Holmes]

Monday, July 9 2012
okcenemies: No fucks to give. This site has me flabbergasted. There are a lot of crazy people out there.

okcenemies:

No fucks to give.

This site has me flabbergasted. There are a lot of crazy people out there.

(Source: )

Tuesday, July 3 2012

When I try to use the fax

newscatgif:

Seriously. Why do these things even still exist?

Friday, June 29 2012
abearfoot: *PLEASE REBLOG* Plant a tree for Sammie I know my followers have lots of followers. Jeff, 29, was killed in a car accident on his way to work this week. He and his wife, Lindsay, 30, have  a seventh month old daughter named Sammie. They were supposed to move into their new home this weekend. She’s teaches fifth grade and Jeff is a marine who was the general manager for an airline mechanics company. She is at a loss now that she no longer has her husband and her best friend by her side. Anything you can contribute would be helpful. Life reminds us that it’s short and can often be cruel. She needs all the support she can get. Please help.

abearfoot:

*PLEASE REBLOG*

Plant a tree for Sammie


I know my followers have lots of followers.

Jeff, 29, was killed in a car accident on his way to work this week. He and his wife, Lindsay, 30, have  a seventh month old daughter named Sammie. They were supposed to move into their new home this weekend. She’s teaches fifth grade and Jeff is a marine who was the general manager for an airline mechanics company. She is at a loss now that she no longer has her husband and her best friend by her side.

Anything you can contribute would be helpful. Life reminds us that it’s short and can often be cruel. She needs all the support she can get. Please help.