Connections and Being Real

After wading through ten Google pages of handcuff, travel agency, sewing, jewelry and cooking sites, etc., I gave up searching the listing for my blog, Travel Off The Cuff (http://www.travel-off-the-cuff.blogspot.com/) that I’ve been posting for friends and family since 2007. So many other sites with the same name have popped up since I initially began it that it's made me painfully aware I’ve been slowly falling behind understanding and using the internet machine, or more correctly the social internet machine.

Time has come to gear up and begin again, this time with a new focus on writing. But, since there are so many endeavors I love—photography, art, writing, gardening, and interests like the paranormal, Sci-Fi, mystery-suspense and history of ancient cultures (to name a few) it’s hard for me to settle on a simple writer-only blog.

While attending another great SLO Writer’s conference at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California this September, I sat in on “Social Media for the Anti-Social” given by Anne Allen (http://annerallen.blogspot.com) and was awakened (more like slapped-up-side my head) to the need to step up and get serious about marketing. Since I am a writer with award winning short stories (Valley Fever, Where Murder is Contagious anthology) and a pre-published paranormal fiction novel (Dance the Dream Awake) awaiting a home, I realized the need to jump into the internet stream and begin swimming (preferable to sinking). I am one of those people who prefers to remain anonymous but that’s untenable if I hope to make a living as a writer in this new internet-connected world.

One suggestion from Anne Allen was to follow Kristen Lamb (http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/) which resulted in my buying her book, We Are Not Alone-The Writer’s Guide to Social Media, and following her suggestions which are given with humor (sort of like taking medicine with a spoonful of sugar). I am light years away from where I need to be, but hey, everybody has to start somewhere so here is my first writer blog. Thank you Anne & Kristen.

I will not be writing only about writer concerns, because I am more than that. It will be flavored as well with my interests. I am taking a cue from Hope Clark’s website (http://www.fundsforwriters.com) which I’ve followed for years not only for writer information and writing opportunities but also because she brings in love from her garden, animals, etc. and maintains a personal presence I can relate to.
*(Reread those last eight words for my message for the day—it’s what will keep readers reading and coming back for more. And I hope you will, too.)

#coraramos #writer #writing #blog #paranormal