I am pretty active on Twitter, when my kids give up my phone long enough for me to check on it.
The major reason I am active is that I absolutely LOVE to read about other writers' work. I love excerpts and notes and musings. I want to see them complain and celebrate and consider. Nothing makes me happier than leaving a positive note on another writer's tweet.
I get a huge kick out of lifting up other writers. I know that, sometimes, a kind word is the only reason you finish that sentence, paragraph, chapter...even novel. Just knowing someone out there likes some part of your work can give you the confidence to finish what you started.
The downside to this is that I do get distracted. If I see something and comment, then that author wants to start a dialogue, I tend to drop what I'm doing to have that back and forth. This can be detrimental to my own writing, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
After one of my Dare to Dream seminars, I realized that being self-deprecating and tearing other writers down is carcinogenic. Its a creative fungus that eats away at your own confidence and creativity. I prefer to look at each writer as a friend, as someone to share with. I'm not competing with anyone. Good stories are good stories.
There's really no point to this rambling. I just noticed some negativity on Twitter and wanted to rant in my own space.
Lift one another up instead of tearing someone down. It changes your whole perspective, invigorates your own creativity.
Just food for thought from my desk.
Stay safe, everyone!
-C.A.