Tag Archives: Twitter

Chatting on Twitter

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

During my first month of Twitter, I did a lot of lurking. While I tweeted on a regular basis, I shied away from participating in the chats. To be truthful, I  found them intimidating. I tried to follow the flow of several concurrent conversations and wondered how anyone could keep up with the constant flow of information.  I had read somewhere that participating in a Twitter chat is like trying to navigate rapids while white water rafting. Not something that I’ve ever tried or even considered.

But after several weeks of lurking, I decided to jump into the conversations. I started with the #Leadfromwithin chat moderated by Lolly Daskall on Tuesday evenings at 8:00 p.m. Once I got into the flow, I didn’t find it that difficult to keep up with the others. I was able to join conversations and retweeted several times. I was also pleased when other people retweeted my tweets.

Since then, I have participated in other chats, among them #Blogchat, #Spiritchat and #BetheOne. Each chat has its own unique flavor and I look forward to these encounters in real time.

Some of the chats are well-structured and allow a few minutes for set questions. In each case, the moderator gently guides us along so that all questions are addressed in the sixty minutes. #Blogchat has a looser format. It is very much like a coffeehouse where everyone is discussing the same topic, but each table has a slightly different take.

Any other chat experiences out there?

My First Month on Twitter

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

17428103_s

At the April dinner meeting for Guelph Writers Ink, Cindy Carroll dared me to start tweeting.  While I had set up a Twitter account in November, I still hadn’t tweeted. I didn’t know where to start and  felt that first tweet had to be significant.  I also wondered if anyone would follow me. No one in my family or immediate circle of friends was tweeting. Would I be the only person on Twitter without any followers?

Cindy had heard my excuses before, but that night she decided to force my hand. She found my Twitter page and became my first follower. I hemmed and hawed and finally came up with a tweet.  As I join the world of Twitter, I keep in mind Nancy Thayer’s famous quotation: It is never too late, in fiction or in life, to revise.

The next morning, I discovered a second follower. I thanked her and tweeted five more times that day.  I was hooked! I started spending more and more time each day in Twitterville, reading other people’s tweets and responding to them. I welcomed all their replies and learned all about mentions and retweets. I discovered some interesting hashtags–#amwriting, #writing, #cozymystery, #leadfromwithin, #lifeclass, #quote–which I visit regularly. I also participated in several twitter chats.

Four weeks have passed and I am very pleased with my Twitter progress.

482 Tweets

557 Followers

703 Following

Dinner with Writers Ink

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Last evening, seven of us gathered at Symposium Restaurant for our April dinner meeting. We are celebrating the second anniversary of  Guelph Writers Ink.

A bit of history…

After completing Dennis Fitter’s creative writing course, a group of us decided to meet on a monthly basis to discuss our writing journeys. We came up with the following mission statement: We will inspire and encourage each other to write on a regular basis. Last year, Cindy Carroll and several members of Guelph Write Now joined us.

Lots of discussion and advice floated around the table as we discussed epublishing vs traditional publishing, agents, manuscripts and social media. Patricia Anderson, Linda Johnston and I have decided to bite the bullet and start tweeting before the next dinner meeting. No more excuses!!!

Congratulations to Linda Johnston–winner of the door prize.

A reminder…Dennis Fitter’s book, Mexico City is now available.