I'm @BookEmDonna and I'm in love with Twitter.
I originally titled this, "To Tweet or Not to Tweet", but that was misleading, because this is not intended to convince you to participate in Twitter.
This is also not a "Choose Twitter over Facebook" post. I don't think it should be an either/or thing. In fact, I get a little aggravated when anything is posed in that light: print vs. ebook, paper or plastic. Okay, that last one doesn't really aggravate me.
Still, why would we take an incredible array of choices, things we can use to suit our particular needs and personalities, and narrow them down to fewer possibilities?
As for Facebook, my hat's off to them for discovering how to make people gleefully spill all their personal information in an online venue. That was an utterly amazing accomplishment—I mean that sincerely—and the 20-something creator deserves to be a multi-zillionaire.
Anyway, here are some of the reasons I enjoy being part of the Twitterverse:
1. It's fun
There's a small amount of space to get your thoughts across, so it requires brevity, which we all know is the soul of wit. Like a lot of folks, I was disdainful of this newfangled invention at first. "Who wants to read about the tuna fish sandwich someone made for lunch?" I scoffed. Well, nobody does. But if you can twist that into a funny bit, or an interesting recipe, or a remarkable bit of social commentary, then we're dying to read about your sandwich.
Twitter is like a series of clever one-liners. There are tweets that combine pop culture references in humorous ways. Current events are mashed together to create hilarious book and movie titles. Politics and satire are BFFs on Twitter. It's essentially a comedy club on my laptop.
The other day I tweeted, "This new anti-aging moisturizer feels like it is melting my face. Like the bad guy in the Indiana Jones movie." One of my buddies, @snarkychicklet, replied, "Check the ingredients. Is Ark of the Covenant in there?" I'm still giggling about that. It's just one example of why I keep going back to see what's new.
2. It's informational
Who would have ever expected we would watch a revolution unfold via Twitter? One of the most stirring things from that event was a Twitpic of Egyptian Christians holding hands in a protective link so their Muslim countrymen could be safe while they prayed. It still gives me shivers. It's possible I would have seen this later, on a news website, but to see it as it happens? It is an incredible use of this new medium.
On a less lofty note, one night Netflix streaming quit working, and I hopped on over to Twitter and found out it was a widespread outage. I know, I know, what if Twitter goes down? I don't even want to let that thought into my head.
3. It's accessible
People on Twitter, affectionately known as "tweeps", are available in every variety. It's like being at a big ole party, and you get to choose who you want to engage with, based on your interests.
Celebrities have a lot of fun with Twitter, and it's easy to see who will have a devoted following for a long time, even if their current celebrity starwattage happens to dim in the future.
There are also agents and editors and authors who share fun tidbits and advice. Last Friday there was an organized chat called #askeditor, and several editors (from Harlequin, Grand Central, and Kensington) answered questions for a couple hours. Maybe their answers weren't anything you haven't heard before about the publishing industry, but isn't it great that you can interact with someone from that milieu so easily, and instantly?
This past weekend an author asked her readers whether they were interested in a story about one of her characters in a previous book. She got a lot of instant responses, and generated some fun discussion about her books, from one simple tweet.
4. It's a connection
In the Regency time period, you couldn't just walk up to someone and start talking to them. You had to be introduced by someone who knew both of you. Twitter has a 21st century version of that. When someone chooses to follow you, you get a message showing the people they follow in common with you. It's very civilized, as though Twitter is vetting everyone so you don't have to.
There are several people I interact with more frequently on Twitter, and it's always a bright spot when I see their tweets. They tend to be other writers, who understand what it's like to wrestle with words on a daily basis. Recently I've been participating in #1k1hr word sprints with a group of other romance writers. Someone will suggest a time when we all write for an hour, in a "virtual" group, and afterwards we report our word count accomplishments. It's stimulating and fun, and it has increased my productivity by at least a zillion percent.
5. It makes me happy
This is the best reason to do anything in life, isn't it? With Twitter, I get to laugh, and chat with interesting and funny people. I am inspired with new ideas, and exposed to intriguing information. I get to utilize my love of words with others who feel the same way.
So these are the reasons I am madly in love with Twitter. Will this last forever? Who knows. I do have a tendency to be fickle about my crushes, so it's possible something else will come along that takes care of these same needs in a better way.
But until then. . .you know where to find me.