Twitter and the #WritingCommuinity - Distant Web

There are a few things that have been on my mind lately; unfortunately my mind is so unfocused these days that it's hard to really put my thoughts into words, especially in a way that will have them make sense. But I am going to try.

One topic I'd like to broach revolves around Twitter, and my experiences with the site/platform throughout the years. I've never liked it in the past, I've seen it as a vial and toxic environment. Recently (the last year or so), I've started a journey I never expected to take; writing a book. And in that journey I found myself on Twitter, primarily just to promote my book once it was ready.

That was all I had planned on. Twitter was a tool that I was going to do my best to utilize; there were going to be issues, as even though I saw it as simply a tool, I did still understand that behind most accounts would be a real living, breathing person. And I never wanted to treat any person like a number, a commodity.

But at the end of the day, Twitter was still just a tool, and I expected nothing special from it. The years of watching people bicker and fight certainly didn't leave a good impression after all. I never expected what happened; in hoping to find an outlet to promote myself, I found an amazing community hidden within what I always saw as one of the most toxic platforms out there.

Now, one thing I should state is that as I've gotten older, I've come to realize that for the most part (exceptions will always exist, after all): what you get out of any social media platform will be directly connected to what you put into it. If you go looking for toxicity, that is exactly what you will find.

However, if you go looking for positivity, you will *probably* find it; unfortunately I will admit that positivity can often be one of the hardest things in life to find, even if you are looking for it, but it is often there somewhere.

In the case of Twitter though, I will note that ultimately I do still believe that it has far too much toxicity, and that the platform IS kind of centered around that mentality; as a whole. I say this because I myself never went looking for toxicity, ever. BUT, I also never had a true purpose on that platform; I basically just wandered around aimlessly like a tourist who never made an actual plan. And in my personal opinion, if you wander around aimlessly and only find vial garbage, it's probably because that's the main commodity. Fortunately, even in a barren wasteland, some life can still thrive.

I'm sorry that I got side tracked there for a moment. Allow me to get back to topic.

When I first created this new account, which was in February of 2020, I was not expecting much. This was either my third or fourth account there. Over the years I'd create an account for one reason or another, HATE it there, then delete my account and move on. I honestly didn't expect this to be any different, and the account just sat there for a while, collecting virtual dust.

Eventually, however, I began dipping my toe into the waters of the writing community. Almost immediately I was overwhelmingly welcomed by some of the most amazing people I've ever connected with! I could probably spend a million characters shouting out some very special and amazing people, but I do feel like that would divert the focus a little.

I do try my best, as often as I can find the time, to show everyone just how much they mean to me. I hope that at least some do know. And those that don't, hopefully one day they will.

Anyway, I guess that that was not so much of a topic as simply a universal 'shout out' that I just wanted to get off my chest. If you are reading this, and you are a part of the writing community on Twitter, you absolutely ROCK and I adore you! If you are a writer and you are not a part of the writing community on Twitter, I am begging you to give it a shot!

If you are shy, or not confident in your writing, or you are simply like I was and see Twitter as vial and toxic, please believe me when I say that you should check it out. Don't jump in head first with your eyes closed or anything like that; but at the very least, try dipping your toe in. The water is great if you find the right spots!

(I apologize for the lame metaphors by the way.)

And if you want a guide, I will do my best to show you around. Just send me a message explaining exactly who you are and what you are looking for. There are bad elements to the site, and bad people here and there; be careful and cautious, but the important thing is to try with an open mind.

For the record here, I only ask your messages to be informational and direct simply because I do get a lot of crap DMs from people; and a lot of those start out very vague and cryptic. “Hello”, “Hi there”, “How are you today”. And then they turn into scams or spam or people selling sex. Just explain who you are and what your point is for contacting, and all should be fine! With me anyway lol.

(I guess this was really just a love letter to a community I never expected to find. But some actual topics I'd like to get out of my head include various things I've seen or learned in my journey writing this book. For example, trying to wade through feedback, identifying helpful and unhelpful criticisms and advice, that sort of thing. One thing I've learned in abundance is that when people critique or provide feedback, they tend to have a hard time distancing their own styles and voice from that of the author of whatever they are reading, which can be quite frustrating. If this sounds interesting, please let me know!)

P.S. One final note I would like to throw out into the void; the whole idea that other writers are your direct competition and should be treated as such is absolute garbage in my personal opinion. Writers, true writers, left each other up. They do NOT drag others down.