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April 27, 2021
#TirgearrTuesday
April 26, 2021
Quote of the Week
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April 20, 2021
April 19, 2021
Quote of the Week
For current subscribers, please note that the email subscription service offered through Blogger will be discontinued in July 2021. To keep up-to-date on all things Maya Tyler, please subscribe to my newsletter.
April 16, 2021
How to Manage Your Social Media
I've used Hootsuite for more years than I can remember... so probably since 2014 (if it existed in 2014?). Recently, the free plan went from 1 user with 3 social profiles and 30 scheduled posts to 1 user with 2 social profiles and 5 scheduled posts. The paid plans start at $49/month. There's no way I can shell out $49/month for social media scheduling... Yet it takes a lot of my time. Time I could spend writing. That's the thing about being a writer these days. Especially Indie, digital only. Your target market is on social media so you need to be there too.
Social Media platforms with regular postings: Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; Pinterest; Blogger.
Social Media platforms used rarely or as read-only: YouTube; Snapchat; Goodreads; BookBub.
I need to be present on Social Media, but I also need time to write so it's a real conundrum in time management. With the changes to Hootsuite, I needed a new (or supplemental) Social Media Management Tool. I started doing some research... After a ton of research, I found three management tools with a free option that supported all the platforms I use.
Here are the contenders:
Agorapulse
Buffer
Planoly
I schedule posts to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest so all three tools meet my platform requirements.
As with any free option, there are limits to posts, channels, and users. Although Buffer looks like you can schedule 10 posts at a time, Agorapulse and Planoly have limits that renew each month. Planoly, in particular, limits by upload—not limited to scheduled posts—so deleted items count toward the total.
After I set-up my accounts (only Agorapulse required email confirmation), I tried some posting. None of these choices have a Dashboard (overview look) like Hootsuite. Agorapulse and Planoly have a calendar you can view by channel while Buffer shows a daily agenda look (viewed by channel). You can also view Agorapulse's calendar by week.
I set-up Twitter and my two Facebook pages on Agorapulse. It was straightforward to set-up a post, and I could post to all three social profiles at once. Posts could be scheduled or posted immediately. Its interface was the most similar to Hootsuite.
On Buffer, I set-up Instagram and my two Facebook pages. Publishing was called "sharing" and you could select a pre-determined time slot, choose your own time, or share now. You could also customize the post per profile in the same place which was a convenient trick.
Planoly's interface is the most aesthetically pleasing of the contenders. I set-up Instagram and Pinterest. I was a little confused on how to draft a post, but then I realized I had to upload media first (add to grid for IG and add to library for Pinterest). Posts have to be composed separately for each profile, but that makes sense as Pinterest asks for different information for its pins. You also have the option to upload media into your library (and save for later) to plan your future pins (remember this counts in your upload limit). It shows both posted and scheduled posts for IG, including the number of hearts and comments. You can select custom or quick schedule.
This is my very, very initial assessment of these tools and, by no means, a comprehensive evaluation. I'll try them out for the rest of the month (at least), and let you know if I pick one to use exclusively or if I use them all. You have to be creative when you are a struggling writer (aka writer in the red). In the meantime, I'll keep writing and hoping to make enough of a profit someday so I can afford to pay for Social Media management.
April 13, 2021
April 12, 2021
April 9, 2021
Dimensions of Character
I am a beginner, a novice. No matter how long I write or how many books I complete, each experience is different. My process is very character-based. They are in charge, no matter what I think when I first sit down at my laptop, fingers poised over the keyboard. They never let me forget it. My goal is to help them fulfill their destiny.
Two-dimensional notes physical characteristics. Alina from A Fairy's Quest has blonde hair and green eyes. Three-dimensional includes personality traits. Words like independence and loyal describe Alina. But, four-dimensional... That's when you become immersed into the character. You become Alina. You sense everything she senses. I bring you into her world where her fears, hopes, and dreams become yours.
In this book, in particular, I relied on sensory input to present her flashbacks. Writing devices like dreams, flashbacks, and premonitions may seem confusing to the reader. Especially if the experience is confusing to the character. Alina couldn't understand or control her flashbacks.
***
Excerpt:
Alina trailed closely behind, muttering softly to herself. They walked through the poorly lit tunnel, following its numerous twists. The dank smell of the unused passageway clung to her nostrils. Only the ceaseless, nagging fear kept her moving forward. Despite the dim light, her head continued to throb incessantly. Every part of her being wanted to stop, stomp her feet, and ask how much farther. She resisted the temptation. The faster they went, the closer she’d be to the exit and the fresh air she craved. The odorous space didn’t seem to bother Rylan as he trudged ahead. The silent trek gave Alina plenty of time to second-guess her decision to follow Rylan. And pretty much every decision she’d made since…
A sharp pain sliced through Alina’s head. Her smile faded as the images invaded her thoughts like a shaky, poorly shot video. Oh no, not now.
She watched herself step outside the cottage and freeze as the unfamiliar sensation of a cold gun butt touched her temple. Everything around her slowed to a crawl. Her vision blurred as she scanned the yard for Kurtis. The sounds of clanging weapons and the thud of successful punches and kicks filled the air. She squeezed her eyes shut.
She gasped for air. Her chest vibrated with sharp pain. The darkness acted like a sponge, absorbing her energy, her very essence. She had the unpleasant sensation of falling through the sky. Falling, falling. With no end in sight.
“Alina?”
“I’m not good in dark places.” She licked her dry lips. “I don’t feel well.”
“Stay with me.” He reached for her hand. “If memory serves me right, it is not much farther.”
***
Through a series of flashbacks, I wanted to transport the reader into Alina's world. I hoped to convey a feeling of her helplessness and demonstration of her true strength.
Have you read A Fairy's Quest yet? It's available now. And you may enjoy the rest of The Magicals Series, also available now.
Buy Links:
April 2, 2021
Vote for A Fairy's Quest
They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you like the cover of my book, A Fairy's Quest: The Magicals Series, #3, please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!
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