IWSG & Postcards from the Past

It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's also time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. The Insecure Writer's Support Group was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh in 2011 and has grown to include upwards of 200 members. If you'd like to join in, visit Alex's site here for a sign-up list and to see this month's co-hosts.

Several months ago the IWSG team started providing us with a new writing-related question each month. I decided to answer this month's question as it relates to one of my worst habits!

The question: How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?

My answer: I now compare my writing to EVERYTHING I read and in my insecure mind I always come up short. No matter what I am reading, I hold a running dialogue in my head about how this is so much better than anything I could ever write, I wish I could write like this, I'll never be this good, etc. I do this even with books I don't like! In fact, I've done this with books I hate so much I don't even finish them. It's a terrible and obviously completely unhelpful habit.

I'd love to say I'm going to break myself of this habit NOW and never be insecure while reading again, but I think we all know that would be a lie. My insecurity has been turned up to 11 lately anyway, so I am sure that soon I will be reading the circular the grocery store sends out and bemoaning the fact that everything about it is better than anything I could ever write.

In other news, I have become obsessed with two Twitter accounts featuring old postcards! If you use Twitter, are you familiar with PostcardFromThePast and PostcardToAmerica? I love them and have recently been going through their tweets and brainstorming possible story ideas. I think they are such fun!

Here are just a few screenshots of some of my favorite postcards. The people who run the accounts write what was written on the back of the card above the pictures.

Some are funny:

Some just plain macabre:

And some make me so curious! I wonder what was happening in the lives of the people who wrote these cards.

The Holiday Inn card makes my brain spin in all kinds of directions. So many story possibilities! :D

I love old photos, postcards, and history, so these Twitter accounts are a goldmine for me. I am so glad I came upon them.

Happy February, all!

Using Social Media Effectively

One of my resolutions for 2012 is to learn to make better use of social media. While I love blogging and feel very much at home in the blogosphere, I haven't really mastered any of the various social media options. I have a bad habit of setting up a profile and connecting with others, then never doing anything else, leaving my profile to wither away and resemble a ghost town.

That's not because I don't want to do anything but, as an introvert, I find it difficult to feel comfortable on these sites. I end up analyzing the situation so much, worrying about whether I will have something relevant or worthwhile to post, that I wind up not posting anything. Along the same lines, I worry if I say too much I will get on people's nerves and they will think, "God, I wish she would shut up!" ;) I end up with the same result, not posting anything, and letting my profile turn to dust.

I want to break this pattern though, as it seems clear that social media can be a gold mine for writers if used effectively. I have seen writers do such amazing jobs of promoting their work, and it seems foolish to ignore these constantly evolving opportunities to not only promote our work, but also connect with other writers and build relationships, while also connecting with editors, agents, and publishers.

I guess one reason for this post is so that I can ask advice from those who are social media savvy. Which sites do you find the most effective and worthwhile to use? Which do you feel provide the best opportunities for networking with other writers? Do you have a favorite or least-favorite site?

Also, I have noticed that some bloggers have their blog posts shared on LinkedIn and Google+. Is this something that can be set up automatically, or do you just add posts into your feeds manually? I'm curious and haven't been able to figure this out. I admit I am pathetic, so take pity on me, please. :D

One last question, are you signed up on sites like Digg and StumbleUpon? If so, do you find those sites to be worthwhile? 

I do have profiles on several sites, and have connected with many great bloggers already. I am on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Goodreads.

Am I missing any? Are there any sites you recommend that I have not listed?

If anyone has any advice on how best to use these sites and, conversely, how not to use them, I'd appreciate any suggestions you may have. Thank you in advance!

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend to all! :)