​Let's just speak candidly for a moment. Some days, LIFE can be a real kick in the pants, and not in a good way. And when you are in a creative field {such as writing, screenwriting, acting, etc} this kick in the pants can feel even worse. Why? Because it FEELS personal. You are putting your heart out there. You are showing the world your soul through your craft. And when you hear "no," or "thanks but no thanks," or "it looks great, but it's just not for us," the rejection wears thin, even for the most thick-skinned person. You begin to wonder, "Really, what is the point? Why am I putting myself out there like this? For the LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD, when am I going to break through?"

I feel you. It's tough. But, I have some news for you. I don't know the answer to that question. I don't know when you will break through with your novel, or your acting career or screenplay or your TV show. I don't know. BUT, I do know this. It only takes ONE yes for it to happen. ONLY ONE. And in this life, in this world swimming with billions of ideas and billions of opinions, you must stay POSITIVE and realize when someone says "no" to your idea, it's usually NOT personal. There are SO MANY factors involved. And you never know when that next LIGHT BULB moment will hit for you and you'll have the IDEA or CONCEPT or PLOT LINE or INSPIRATION that will allow your break through to happen.

I came across this today on the interwebs by a guy named DREW FORRESTER. I don't know him, but I need to give credit where credit is due! This is so encouraging, I just had to share. Even if you aren't in the entertainment industry, this will lift your spirits and give you hope if you feel like you haven't "broken through" yet. Read this and take note:

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA.

At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.

At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer.

At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.

At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.

At age 28, Wayne Coyne (from the Flaming Lips) was a fry cook! A FRY COOK!

At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter for Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas before his break out roles!

At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.

At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home dad working odd jobs.

At age 39, Julia Child released her first cookbook and didn't get her own cooking show until age 51!

At age 40, Vera Wang designed her first dress, only after failing to make the Olympic figure skating team, and not getting the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue.

Stan Lee didn't release his first big comic book until he was 40.

At age 42, Alan Rickman decided to pursue acting after giving up his career in graphic design.

Samuel L. Jackson didn't get his BIG break-out movie role until he was 46! 46 PEOPLE!!!! It gets better though.....

At age 52, Morgan Freeman landed his first MAJOR break out movie role!!! Can you believe that? He is a legend and didn't make his mark until after 50!!!

At age 57, Kathryn Bigelow reached international success after she made The Hurt Locker.

And lastly, Grandma Moses didn't begin her painting career until she was 76 and Louise Bourgeois didn't become a famous artist until she was 78!

Whatever your dream is, it is NOT too late to achieve it.
You AREN'T a failure because you haven't found fame and fortune by the age of 21.
Hell, it's okay if you don't even know what your dream is yet.
Even if you're flipping burgers, waiting tables or answering phones today, you NEVER know where you'll end up tomorrow.

NEVER tell yourself you're too old to make it.
NEVER tell yourself you missed your chance.
NEVER tell yourself that you aren't good enough.

YOU CAN DO IT! Whatever it is.

I'd love to hear stories of when you achieved your break through or when you came very close. Please leave them in the comments section below and you may be featured in an upcoming blog post!

Happy Writing!

Whitney
"Everyone has a story. Write yours."

Today is my one-month TWITTER-VERSARY! Happy one month to me! And in this month, I have realized this: Twitter truly hosts a wonderful community of writers, screenwriters, readers and creatives.

​During this inaugural month, I had so much fun, in fact, that it made me question why I held out as long as I did when it came to joining Twitter?
But then, very quickly, I remembered: Twitter can be a very intimidating place, especially when you first join! I had so many questions!

How do you know which hashtag to use?
When's the best time to tweet?
Is there a such thing as using too many hashtags?


​Well, fear not, because today, I will address some of these common concerns by telling you the TOP 5 things I've learned in my first month of tweeting around the Twitter-verse!

Now, this post is by and large aimed at writers and screenwriters, but there will be nuggets of wisdom for some of you other twitter users {near the end of the post}. But let's begin with the basics.

1. HASHTAG 101: GET INVOLVED with the your community by searching for/using BASIC hashtags! This is, by far, the easiest way to get your feet wet.

Some hashtags for the writing/screenwriting community are as follows {but trust me, there are tons}:

#amwriting #writerslife #wordcount #filmmaking
#amediting #writerproblems #writer #filmmakers
#amrevising #amreading #screenwriting #WIP (#workinprogress)

Some hashtags for specific usages (i.e. publishing, writing tips, asking questions, etc) are as follows:

#askeditor #writetip
#askagent #writingtip
#askpub #writingprompt

*TIP: The first three hashtags are great because if you don't have an agent, publisher, or editor, using these hashtags could help you connect to a few. Agents, Editors and Publishers will occasionally search these hashtags and will answer your questions at random. Additionally, some agents/publishers will hold Q&A sessions where they will take questions from Twitterers and will answer anything from what they are looking for {i.e what's on their manuscript wish list} to how to query them directly. So these are great hashtags to use! Now....will asking a question using one of these hashtags guarantee you a response from an Agent and/or Publisher? Not necessarily. Will it get you an agent? Probably not. But will someone answer you? Most likely. And again, as I have said in my previous posts on networking, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU COULD ENCOUNTER, even on Twitter. Crazier things have happened. Which leads to my next point.

2. HASHTAG RESPONSIBLY! Here are some interesting statistics and info on hashtag usage.

Tweets that include hashtags get 2 times more engagement than those without hashtags.

BUT....there is a catch!

Keep your hashtag usage in check! 1 to 2 hashtags seems to be the ideal number to use per TWEET.

If you use MORE than 2 hashtags, it tends to drop the post engagement by 17%. That is significant.

BONUS TIP: What does "post engagement" on a tweet mean? This is whenever anyone clicks on a link, retweets, likes, or replies to one of your tweets, and usually helps you gain followers, if you tweet relevant information.

In terms of RETWEETS, there is a 55% chance your post will be retweeted if you use only 1 to 2 hashtags!

On the other hand, you only have a 25% chance of a RETWEET if you have no hashtag at all. Interesting, isn't it?

Why is the usage of less hashtags better? I believe it's because people get overwhelmed with too many. It confuses them and they move on. Just keep it short and sweet and in line with who your target audience is.

3. TIMING YOUR TWEETS!

As for the research I did, and by personal experience, I found out there are DEFINITELY better times to tweet than others, especially in terms of getting your post RETWEETED!

The BEST times of day to post a tweet are...
at 9 am {morning commute}
12 noon {lunch}
5 and 6 pm {evening commute}

Twitter is MOST ACTIVE between 1-3 pm.

The WORST time of day to tweet from 8 pm to 8 am

Two thoughts:
1) The twitter-verse is GLOBAL....so how do i know when to tweet if everyone is in a different time zone?

All I can say is use your best judgement! if the majority of your followers are East Coast, follow those times in terms of EST, and same applies for the West Coast or wherever you are.

2) Is there really a "bad time" to tweet? That seems a bit ridiculous.

Well, there is never really a BAD time to tweet; there are just more optimal times to tweet if you want to engage your audience and increase your following. Remember this!

4. HASHTAG DAYS of the WEEK! I absolutely LOVE THIS! It makes the twitter community so FUN! Here are my favorite hashtags that apply to writers, screenwriters and society at large, based on what day it is....

MONDAYS

#MotivationMonday (#MM)- share a quote or tag a person who motivates you!
#MuseMonday- again, tag a person in your community who inspires you!

TUESDAYS

#2bittues- This hashtag was started in the summer of 2005 by Angela D'Onofrio, an indie author, and it is SO GREAT! Her twitter handle is @AngDonofrio and every Sunday she pins an optional THEME for the weekly event, inviting writers to tweet one line at a time from their current work in progress (or #WIP). But, again, the theme is optional. If nothing you are currently working on correlates with the theme, post whatever you like. She usually posts the theme on Monday. It is a fun way to drop teasers on your book and it is so fun to read other people's work! I look forward to Tuesday on Twitter!
Only rule: NO PROMOTIONAL LINKS!!! You can hashtag the title of your work in progress and tag other people, but that's it-no links to where to pre-order/buy the book. It is for fun only.
​
#teasertuesday-again, in the same vein as #2bittues, this hashtag allows you to tease whatever project you are working on, yet feel free to link to your blog, your book cover, your website, or a chapter of your book or an excerpt of your screenplay. Get people interested!

#TipTuesday- This is for anyone and everyone. Tweet about whatever tips and tricks you want to share!

WEDNESDAYS

#WriterWednesday (#ww)- this hashtag is used to give shout outs to your writing colleagues and favorite writers/authors! Everyone loves to be recognized!

#WriterCrushWednesay (#wcw)- This also can be used to acknowledge your favorite writer/screenwriter/colleague.

#1lineWed- this is similar to #2bittues. Started by the Romance Writers of America's Kiss of Death Chapter. You can follow them at @RWAKissofDeath.

• Kiss of Death chooses the theme (@RWAKissofDeath)
• Again, no promotional links.
• If you wish to be retweeted, you should retweet as well. They really use this to build up the writing community and it is fun to participate!

The main purpose is to have fun! SO many people look forward to this day!

THURSDAYS

#indiethursday- discuss a book you got from an independent book store!

FRIDAYS
#FollowFriday (usually used as #FF)- give shout outs to who people should follow!
#FridayReads-intended to let others know what you are currently reading!

{and we all know the great "resist the past" hashtags. "WayBackWednesday," or #wbw, "Throwback Thursday,"or #tbt and "Flashback Friday" also an #FBF. 

The WEEKEND

There is no huge hashtag on the weekend for writers, except for maybe #weekendblogshare. This is a great time to link to your blog and let your audience know what you're up to! 

FINAL 2 TIPS on hashtags:  Research your hashtag and make sure it's valid before you use it (unless you are making up one for the sheer sake of humor or sarcasm) and also if the hashtag you want to use shares a shortened hashtag (for example Motivation Monday and Muse Monday are both #MM) consider using the whole hashtag!  And lastly!

5. THE TWITTER-VERSE is generally a friendly place, especially within the writing community.

I have truly enjoyed the support I see on twitter by people retweeting and sharing knowledge and posting wonderful articles and tips! It is like going to a big 'ole bookstore. I truly love it thus far and I have made some great friends and expanded my network even further! All I can say is my first month on Twitter has been a blast and I am so honored to be a part of this community!

I'll be back later this week with some info on upcoming Screenwriting Competitions for the Film Community and some upcoming Twitter Pitch events for the Writing Community.

And additionally, I am so excited to be headed to Nashville next week for the FIRST EVER Nashville Writers Conference being held in conjunction with the Nashville Film Fest. It should be a blast!! WHOO-HOO!

Until then, answer me this ...
​What is your favorite hashtag to use and why? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Happy Writing!
Whitney

"Everyone has a story. Write Yours."

So, again, my apologies for the last post of this series being late, yet, 'tis the life of a creative!

For the past week, we have been discussing the necessity of networking for writers and creatives alike, using “Networking like a B.O.S.S.” as our mnemonic device to make it easy to remember.

{DISCLAIMER: While social media is important, the number of followers you have in no way validates your work as an artist. Unfortunately, It is a necessary evil, but can be used for more good than harm. Remember at the end of the day, it's not about who you impress the most, but who you impact the most.}

For a quick review, when networking like a B.O.S.S. remember these points:

B: Bring your Business CARD
O: Organize your TIME
S: SELL yourself
S: Social MEDIA

I never realized how important social media was {and is} for writers, until I starting attending conferences. Honestly, it is a non-negotiable when it comes to networking/connecting with your audience. Let’s discuss how social media can take your networking to the next level, especially when attending an event or conference, using M.E.D.I.A. to remember the following tips and tricks.

MAKE your accounts {Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, personal website/blog, etc.}
ESTABLISH your online presence
DEMONSTRATE what you have to offer
INCREASE your activity
ASSESS your progress

MAKE your accounts- Basic and easy. You can’t use social media if you don’t have it!

TIP 1: For writers/creatives needing to build a platform/create a following. the best social media platforms by far are TWITTER and Facebook, as well as a personal blogs/website. So set them up.
TIP 2: Screenwriters seem to network better via Twitter as opposed to Facebook, but authors can benefit from both. Having a Facebook Author Page can be very beneficial for fiction authors. Ask your friends and see what works for them.

ESTABLISH your online presence by friending people/following people that are in the same line {or complimentary line} of work as you.

TIP 1: By intelligently curating the people you follow on Twitter/FB, you can expose yourself to a treasure trove of information such as professional networking opportunities, contests, competitions, etc.
TIP 2: When at an event or conference, if you happen to really connect with someone, ask them for their twitter handle and FOLLOW THEM. Then TWEET THEM. Often times, they will follow you back, therefore increasing your online presence.

BONUS TIP: Another way to increase online presence {esp. on Twitter} is by live-tweeting an event. If you are attending a panel discussion or lecture, check out the following tips to increase your social media presence.

1. Secure the twitter handles of the presenter(s) ahead of time, as well as the event hashtag, so that you aren’t scrambling at the last minute to find them.
2. Make sure you have the permission of the presenter to live-tweet their event. Some material may be copyrighted and you don’t want to get in trouble.
3. Only live-tweet the really good sound bytes. Live-tweeting comes at a risk- make sure you aren’t inundating everyone’s twitter feed with useless information.

Some of you may ask how live-tweeting can add to your online presence. I promise you, if you attend a conference, tweet using the hashtag of the event and then live-tweet or discuss what is occurring at said conference, you WILL GAIN followers, especially if you are live-tweeting a person who is well known in your industry. But this is another blog post for another day.

DEMONSTRATE what you have to offer! When posting on social media of ANY kind, play to your strengths.
TIP 1: Share/post/link to items that demonstrate you are serious about your craft and that you are a knowledgeable asset to the creative community at large.
TIP 2: If you're currently writing a novel/self-help book/screenplay/short story, SHARE teasers on social media! Get people interested in your work.
TIP 3: Demonstrate that you are a supportive member of the community. Share the work of your fellow creatives, post about things that have helped you in your endeavors, and give shout=outs to your colleagues when they accomplish something great. Which leads to my next point.

INCREASE your activity- when you are attempting to network via social media prior to a conference, or you are leading up to a book release and trying to create buzz, you must increase your social media activity.
TIP 1: Engage your audience! Reach out to people via twitter and FB! If someone likes a tweet of yours THANK THEM! If someone likes something I tweet out, or if they give me a RETWEET, I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS thank them!

BONUS TIP: Put something buzz worthy in your profile bio on FB or Twitter. If I can easily see what a person is currently working on, or what their area of expertise is, I ask them about it when I thank them for the like or retweet. And guess what? 80% of the time, this results in them following me on Twitter if they weren't already. Never underestimate the power {or the reach} of social media.

TIP 2: A fun way to increase your activity is to run polls on FB or Twitter! People love to give input. Even if it is something minuscule like "what movie should I watch tonight," people will respond and you have engaged them. Be willing to try something fun! And lastly...

ASSESS your progress. If you are attempting to build your platform and influence as a creative, have a reasonable goal in mind {for how many likes or follows you need/want} and then, check to see how you are doing. But remember, SOCIAL MEDIA ISN'T EVERYTHING. If your numbers aren't where you want them to be, try this:

TIP 1: Ask your current followers/friends to share your FB page, the link to your blog/website, etc. OR if you are on Twitter, reach out to your friends and ask them to Retweet some things, and offer to do the same for them in return.
TIP 2: BE COMPLIMENTARY and SUPPORTIVE on social media! I am telling you, ACKNOWLEDGING OTHERS this will do wonders for your following! A colleague of mine, @TEEN ZOMBIE SHOW {aka David Santo} is a PERFECT example of this. I "met" him via Twitter, and he has been such a support. He gives great feedback, he retweets the good stuff, he offers moral support by giving compliments. And guess what? He has like 50 thousand followers! I'm telling you people, kindness goes a long way when you are building an audience/platform.

On a final note, while social media is not everything, agents {both literary and entertainment based} will and do check your social media platforms when considering taking you on as a client. So please be responsible! And make sure that whatever you are posting is professional, promotes your brand, and is something you are proud of!

That concludes our series on Networking like a B.O.S.S. I hope you will join me next week as I discuss some great upcoming Twitter Pitch parties for writers, as well as some awesome upcoming Screenplay competitions for TV and FILM! Until then...

Happy Writing!
Whitney

"Everyone has a story. Write yours."

So, without further ado, thank you for coming back for part 4/5 of our series "Networking Like A B.O.S.S" for writers. Today we will be discussing the first "S" in B.O.S.S., which is selling yourself while networking. As a writer or creative, this is an important tool that you MUST learn in order to succeed in the industry {or any endeavor where you are your own brand}!

​So, some might think selling themselves and their ideas should be easy, but often times people go about it the wrong way. So today, I am going to share with you the tips and tricks I have learned after attending so many networking events for creatives. When you think about selling yourself, your idea, or your brand, let's consider the following:

SHARE your idea
ENGAGE and ENERGIZE your listener
LEAVE them wanting more
LISTEN to their feedback

So let's start off simple. You have your Business card. You are prepared by knowing how to Organize your time when working your way through a crowd. Now it's time to Sell yourself. You approach someone {or vice versa, someone approaches you}. The conversation begins.

1. SHARE your idea. As I mentioned in part 3/5, when I am organizing my time during a networking event, I tend to initiate a conversation with a fellow creative by cutting straight to the chase and I simply ask them what project they are currently working on. So, when you SHARE your project, here are some simple tips I have learned by observing others.

TIP 1: DO NOT DIMINISH your project. BELIEVE in what you are doing, even if you are unsure of where it's headed-- EVEN if it isn't fully developed. I ask people what they are working on, and they'll dismissively wave their hand and say, "Oh, it's just this little thing, nothing big really. I don't even know..." This is a HUGE mistake. When sharing your ideas or concepts at a networking event be CONFIDENT yet HUMBLE.
​
You NEVER know who you are talking to! It could be a TV Exec or Literary Agent who ends up giving you a deal. Crazier things have happened.

TIP 2: DO HAVE your LOG LINE/PITCH ready! You've heard of the 90 second elevator pitch. Write it. Hone it. When at an event, you don't have much time. And if you are able to tell someone in a few sentences what you are working on, it will keep their attention. Which leads to my next tip.

2. ENGAGE AND ENERGIZE your listener.

TIP 1: When you are effectively selling yourself at a networking event, you need to engage your listener when you are talking to them. If YOU aren't excited and energized about your project, they won't be either! But, you need to be genuinely excited.

BONUS TIP: It is normal to have waves of discouragement, but if you are continually unexcited about your creative project, FIX IT OR DROP IT because YOU WON't BE ABLE TO SELL IT!

TIP 2: As you are talking passionately about your log line or pitch, this is a great time to hand them your card and invite them to check out your website, follow you on twitter, check out your FB page or what have you {come back tomorrow to learn more about the importance of social media}!

3. LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE- When pitching someone {or selling yourself} at a networking event, the art of the pitch is to leave them wanting more!

TIP 1: Don't tell them everything. If you leave then wanting more, hopefully this will initiate a follow up call/meeting. Simply say, "You know what, I'd love to tell you all about it, but I need to go grab a drink. We should have lunch soon." This will help seal the contact.

TIP 2: I will say this time and time again. IT IS A SMALL WORLD AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO! SO, even if you think it's not worth it to have your pitch for a project ready at the drop of a hat, you are DEAD WRONG, my friend. As a creative, you should always be promoting your brand. You never know when your breakthrough will happen.

And finally-

4. LISTEN to their feedback!

TIP 1: If the person you are talking to has some advice/idea/or comment, listen and take note.
Do you have to execute their advice? Not necessarily, but they may be in your field, a few years ahead of you, and may have some good things to say!

TIP 2: As a creative, being open to feedback is an absolute necessity! It helps you grow, pushes you, and helps you become a more authentic person.

So, that is it for today! I hope you found this helpful as you consider selling yourself when "networking like a B.O.S.S."
I hope you'll join me for the final installment tomorrow {the final "S" in boss} about the importance of social media in networking.

I have to get to my conference, but as always-

Happy Writing!
Whitney
​
"Everyone has a story. Write yours."




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