Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Oh, Facebook take too much time no good (my poor translation from the Cantonese)

Odilia Rivera Santos

March 19, 2011 at 9:08am
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Odilia-Rivera-Santos/194905257200694

Several people have joked about the time I spend on Facebook lately and I guess I felt the need to clarify.
While on fb, I have written over 200 poems, 25 pages of a new novel, fifty or more short essays, a screenplay of which I am especially proud - for a 90 minute film, and about 30 monologues for actresses.
I wrote an 8-page monologue for an actress to read on Sunday in between status updates.
I do not post everything I write on my blogs.
And I have read a lot -- I read all the articles I post to FB in addition to books. In order to be a good writer, you must be a good reader : p
If you want people to see your work, you must use social media.
Why not hire an intern to handle your social media?
I have met a lot of people, who are handling social media for individuals and organizations, who cannot spell or come up with anything interesting to say. I'm sure there are some who do an outstanding job but I haven't met them yet.
I don't believe you can outsource your personality, education and life experience.
Also, a writer's life is solitary; while I go to lots of plays and music performances, I don't go to mingling events too often.
The immediacy with which you can have interaction with those who appreciate or dislike your work is very useful to me as a writer.
I don't need an editor, but it is important to see if people understand what I am saying or if I have written something in such a way that readers are unclear about my ideas.
How do I make time to manage FB, Twitters, and the other 30 sites?
I never watch TV and avoid pointless conversations.
What do I consider a pointless conversation?
Celebrity gossip, unless it is a situation affecting public policy
Other people's sex habits - do it however you like. I don't care
Who a person thinks I look like
Whose religion is better
Beauty tips
Everyday gossip -- blather about someone's love life, baby daddy, etc - this is different from speaking with someone about how to handle a difficult situation or person.

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1 comment:

Unknown said...

I love the points you made in this post. Having your work out there where people can interact with it - stroke it lovingly or turn their noses up at it - is definitely important for a writer.

I don't, however, agree with your point about "pointless conversations". Especially as a writer, I love to collect those pointless bits. I mean, there is something about the psychology of the person that is revealed in what they like to discuss and the way they discuss it. Time and again, I have found myself coming back to those little, seemingly meaningless, scraps of conversation as a way to develop characters.

I agree with you that being current on celebrity gossip has no meaning to me, however, when I see someone's eyes light up when they discuss the latest episode of Jersey Shore, it makes my eyes light up, wondering what about that appeals to them... And maybe, a character with that same personality might end up in my next tale :)