Armchair BEA 2015 – Day 2: Visual Expressions and Social Media

 

Visual Expressions–There are so many ways to tell stories. Whether it’s comic books, graphic novels, visual novels, webcomics, etc, there are quite a lot of other mediums to tell a story. On this day, we will be talking about those books and formats that move beyond just words and use other ways to experience a story.

You know what? I’m going to talk about memes. Yeah, I know–there isn’t much writing (or reading) involved, but if you spend enough time on the Internet, you know exactly how a little penguin on a blue background is supposed to make you feel. You know as soon as you see the guy dressed in brown with his hat on backwards that you’re about to read a tidbit about someone being an a**hole. You know the little green square with the dinosaur inside means you’re reading someone’s deep, “philosoraptor-y” thoughts.

Memes aren’t exactly, um, literature, but let’s face it–they’re pretty gosh darn accessible, and even if it’s only a few words, they’re a way people (even non-writers) express themselves through writing. Flash fiction in a .jpeg, anyone? Memes are concise little bites of word and image that prove a familiar picture, and in some cases even just a color, is a powerful method of expression.

Social Media–How do you use social media to expand your blogging/writing horizons?  Social Media is all about networking and connections, and utilizing today’s technology to the fullest.

There are so many different social media outlets–Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Goodreads, to name a few. It’s hard to know which to choose and which to stay active on. For me, I interact the most on Facebook and Twitter. I post my reviews to Goodreads and Pinterest. I also post non-bookish things on Pinterest as well. One thing that I really enjoy on Pinterest is looking at authors’ character boards and other book-related boards. It’s fun to see the inspiration for their stories.

Social media is a must for any blogger or writer. You have to be able to connect with one another. Without it, where will your blog go? Who will find out about your book? What fun would you have? Didn’t you start your blog to chat about books with other bibliophiles? I know that without it, EFC wouldn’t be as popular as it is, and I wouldn’t have the blogger and author friends that I am so close to. And without social media, EFC wouldn’t have the followers whom I love interacting with and chatting about wonderful bookish things.

The bottom line: choose something, get active, and have fun!!!

Please connect with me! I would love to chat!!! Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Goodreads