Guest post: Why 140 Characters isn’t the Limit, by Liam O’Dell

Yes, I know, I’m a day late this week, but that’s just the way things have worked out. Anyway, better late than never, right? And I’m thrilled to be able to introduce Liam O’Dell, who is an aspiring writer who is starting up a site that provides tips to bloggers (like me). And we all could do with a hand, right? Well, I could, at least.

Without further ado, here he is:

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Why 140 Characters Isn’t the Limit…

 

Ah, Twitter, the quick and to-the-point way of social-networking. The site where people can share opinions, comments and critical viewpoints, all under 140 characters. But we’ve all had to make one grammatical or spelling error in order to allow us to write what we need to write. However, when writing a tweet, have you ever felt like you could write more than 140 characters?

For those wondering why I have omitted Facebook from this, it is because there’s no such limit to what we write on Facebook, and as well as that, only Twitter allows us to post opinions to the big wide world, rather than Facebook only allows you to post to “friends”, who already know what you think. However, what I’m going to write about today can apply to both sites. In fact, it can apply to anything. What I’m going to write about today is the idea that anyone can blog, but in particular, those on social networks.

A post on Twitter, Facebook etc. starts with an idea, but everyone knows that an idea can be developed. This is where a blog comes in. If there is a topic or idea that you could write endlessly about, then blog about it! 140 characters isn’t the limit on a blog! So, start a blog, and feel free to write!

 

The Blog Event – imPRESSive:

Thanks for reading my guest post, I really appreciate it! In case you didn’t know, I’m running a blog event, called imPRESSive (see what I did there?). imPRESSive hopes to provide tips to bloggers, but also aims to inspire more people to set up blogs. For more information and to view the blog post, click here!

But wait, there’s more! You can do me a massive favour and do some of the following things:

1. “Like” me on Facebook!
2. “Follow” Me on Twitter
3. Tweet the Hashtag: #DocPRESS
4. Confirm that you are “going” to my Facebook event
5. Let me spread the word by Guest Blogging on your blog!

Thanks!

Liam

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Thanks Liam! The blog certainly sounds like a great idea, so I urge everyone to go check it out. In the meantime, if you’re not blogging already, why not give it a go? It’s not hard (proven because even I can do it) and it can open up a whole new world to you.

Related articles

• imPRESSive: An Exciting New Blog Event, Coming Soon… – A Guest Blog Post by The Life of a Thinker (westafricanprincess.wordpress.com)
• Why and How You Should Tweet Your Blog Posts (starrynightsocialmedia.com)
• How and Why to Start Blogging in 4 Easy Steps: Every Writer Has a Story to Tell (changeitupediting.com)
• GUEST BLOG: Why Anyone Can and Should Have a Blog (biancajchadda.wordpress.com)

 

The joys of being plagiarised

 

Plagiarism (Photo credit: Kalexanderson)

 

Ah, the joy of it all. Discovering (before breakfast, even) that a story you have published online has been re-posted by someone else on another site, as their own work.

Yes, you guessed it, that happened to me. Today, actually. I was going to post about how last week I had a brilliant idea for my next novel (main story, subplot and hero and heroine conflicts all worked out) but this has stayed my hand, so to speak, as I’ve been running around doing what needs to be done – reporting it to the site, posting on Twitter to warn others, etc etc.

I found out through a vanity search. I’ve got Google alerts set up for all sorts of things – my name, my pen name, this story title, you name it. I got the idea from my husband, who does it too: apparently he’s both a professional soccer player in England and a techie in the movie industry who worked on the Lord of the Rings movies. But I digress. Through this vanity search I have found things like the video someone made in honour of my story, and the blog of the person who wants to make a movie out of it. I’ve also found some less than complimentary comments on it, but you have to take the bad with the good, don’t you?

The story in question is on another site under another name and, within a certain genre, is rather popular. As such, I’ve had this problem before – people have posted it on other sites under their own names. I think this is the third time it’s happened, but there could be more and I’ve just blocked it from my subconscious. After all, there’s not much that makes me feel sicker than knowing that someone out there in cyberspace is willing to steal my work.

As such, this blog is intended to be a warning. I know that I’ve talked about this risk before, especially when discussing posting your work online, but in reality everyone thinks that it’s not going to happen to them. Even when it’s happened before, there’s something in your mind that says that you’ve had your share of bad luck, and it’ll be someone else’s turn. (This sucks for the someone else, but when they’re nameless faceless people in cyberspace they seem a lot less human and therefore you feel less guilty about subjecting them to the risk.)

So take note. If you do publish original work online, make sure that you check up on it. Do a Google alert for the story title or a character name or something, and do a manual search occasionally as well. Because there are people out there who don’t have the same sort of scruples you and I have, and they’re willing to pass off your original work as their own. It’s not on, but unless we stay vigilant and report every instance we find, it will continue to happen.

 

Related articles

• How to Keep Content Thieves from Stealing Your Work (kissmetrics.com)
• What is Plagiarism and how do I avoid it (youngwebbuilder.com)
• Writing Essentials: What is Plagiarism? Paraphrasing? Homage? (reginajeffers.wordpress.com)

To pin or not to pin?

Everyone on the net these days seems to be talking about Pinterest. How it’s the next big thing for just about anything and everything, and how anyone serious about having an online profile needs to be on there.

Well, I have a confession to make. I have never gone browsing on the Pinterest site. I have gone there when directed by links sent from friends, but I don’t really “get” it as yet. I know that I should go and have a really good look, but I have such limited computer time that it seems a waste to spend it doing that when I could be writing. Or blogging. Or doing any number of other things that need doing, like paying bills, enrolling my kids in various activities and other mundane, everyday things. Heck, I don’t even go on real estate sites  to check out the houses for sale in my area, even though I walk past a number of them regularly and am very curious about what they look like inside. (Go to an open inspection and see for myself? Sorry. It’s on against tennis lessons for son #1.) Computer time feels too valuable to spend just surfing, if that makes any sense.

Yet, Pinterest is calling. Part of me is intrigued and part is turned off by its exclusivity – you need to be invited to join up – and everywhere I look people are getting pages, linking to things, “pinning”. I think I have a vague understanding of how it works, but I fail to see its appeal. Then again, I’m someone who takes a while to “take” to new things, in many ways. For years I was the one saying, “But why would anyone bother to blog? Who cares about the thought processes of someone like me?” (Thinking about this, it may still be true, but I’m inflicting my thoughts on you anyway. Perhaps I’m just more blase about it now.)

So I’m interested in people’s thoughts on this. Is Pinterest worthwhile? Should I ask for an invitation? And is it really as addictive as some people say it is?

Really, tell me what you think about this. I’m all ears.