My Tips for Writers Using Pinterest

I mentioned in another post that I had a new obsession. The social network Pinterest is growing quickly as users post images and links to a virtual pinboard.

The official definition from Pinterest:

"Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

Here are my top ten tips for writers in particular, although many will apply to anyone learning to use Pinterest.

1. Post your favorite books on your personal Pinterest page by adding images
of all the books you love in your life.

You will probably want to have one board devoted to your books. That's fine, but be sure to have other boards devoted to books and authors you like and different topics that interest you. Avoid giving the impression that your Pinterest profile is being used solely to promote yourself. Be sure to follow the site's rule: "Pinterest is designed to curate and share things you love. If there is a photo or project you're proud of, pin away! However, try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion."

2. Find other writers on Pinterest and follow their examples. Use a board for characters, clothing, research, and scenes.

3. Someone said a Pinterest board is like your high school locker (remember those?) as it is a way to show your readers what interests and inspires you as well as what you're working on right now. 

4. Look for book recommendations or comment on other boards in the Film, Music & Books section.

5. Share writing tools, stationery, journals, books and writing-related items in the "Gifts" section.

6. Use #hashtags and keywords. Much like on Twitter, tagging your pins with trending hashtags or keywords will help you find new followers. Searching for other pins and boards using hashtags will also help you find similar brands on Pinterest to follow.

7. Add the Pinterest bookmarklet to your browser's bookmarks bar. This is a time-saver, because it allows you to easily pin things you find while browsing without going to the Pinterest website first. To get it, visit the Pinterest "Goodies" page and drag the "Pin It" button to your browser toolbar. Now, when you see something you want to pin, click the bookmarklet and you'll be prompted to create a new pin. Be sure to scroll to the correct board for each pin.

Another vital tip from Pinterest - "If you notice that a pin is not sourced correctly, leave a comment so the original pinner can update the source. Finding the original source is always preferable to a secondary source such as Google Image Search or a blog entry."

8. This tip has saved me a lot of time. If you're pinning an image from a website using the Pinterest bookmarklet, you can highlight some of the text on that page before you hit "Pin It" and the text will automatically show up in the description box. Still edit and add hashtags.

9. You can also tag other Pinterest users by using the @ symbol with their Pinterest user name. You have to be following at least one of their boards. That user will see the pin, and it will link to their Pinterest profile. Use this tip to help promote each other on Pinterest.

10. And finally, follow me! I'm at http://pinterest.com/donnashepherd. My boards are a hodgepodge of recipes, crafts, interesting and funny pictures (Bonus tip - funny pins gets re-pinned more often!), and of course, a couple are dedicated to my books. I hope you'll check them out.

What Is Pinterest?

My new obsession - that's what it is! I joined Facebook a while back and what I enjoy most are the pictures everyone posts between all the updates and conversations. Then I found Pinterest and it is ALL pictures ALL the time!

According to the website:

Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard. Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests.

Here's a screenshot of my boards.

I have boards for things like my books, coloring pages and activity sheets for the kids, humor, recipes, decorating ideas, gadgets. You get the idea. The possibilities are endless. I've seen all kinds of boards and it's fun to see the personality of the persons 'pinning' reflected in their boards. You can 'follow' people if you find their boards interesting and when you open the home page, you'll see all the new pins of your favorite people. If you see a pin you especially like, then you can 'repin' it to one of your own boards.

Now, I've got to back to pinning!

For more info, visit:
http://pinterest.com/about/help/
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/6977
http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/852875/pinterest-what-it-is-how-to-use-it-and-why-youll-be-addicted
http://www.themomcreative.com/2012/03/10-tips-for-using-pinterest-well.html

Out of Control Social Networking

If you don't see me as much on sites like Facebook and Pinterest as often as you're used to, it's because I'm putting limits on my time. I check in, set the timer for one hour, and then I allow myself to check in again.

I was getting to where I'd check Facebook, Pinterest, and Amazon way too often. I talked to someone who just finished a Facebook Fast. I'm not going that far, but this is a start. I'm not sure how long this discipline will last, but I do like that I'm getting more work done. Lord knows I need to!

How about you? How do you limit your social networking time?

Proclaim Clearly - My Photo Inspiration for 2012

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. – Colossians 4:2-4

In the past, I have prayed for and chosen a word or phrase for the New Year, a small reminder of what I wanted to accomplish and work toward during the next twelve months. Sometimes, I found a Bible verse that became my inspiration. This year, my friend, Mary DeMuth, challenged her readers to choose a photo to inspire them. As a more visual person, I liked this idea very much.

I've recently found a website called Pinterest and started posting links. Here's my page: http://pinterest.com/donnashepherd (Watch out! It can be addictive!)

I browsed the photos on the web and on Pinterest. First I chose a picture of an eagle fishing. One of my favorite verses, and a chorus we sing in my church, is Isaiah 40:31.

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

That seemed like a great image for that verse, plus I imagined myself "fishing for men" as Jesus spoke of in Mark 1:17.

Then I saw a Ferris wheel. I thought perhaps that was appropriate for me as many times I seem to be going in circles!

But no – I want to find something that will inspire me for the future, not remind me of the past. I paused to ponder a few more before I finally landed on this one. Perfect!

Source: google.com via Dallas on Pinterest

Why? The door is worn and bit older - like me, but with age, hopefully, comes wisdom.

Who knows what's on the other side? I don't know exactly what year 2012 will be like. But I won't know what the Lord has in store for my life unless I open the door of my heart and life to God's leading.

While God has a plan for my life, I must participate fully, on purpose, and prayerfully follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. I must make the choice to reach out and turn that knob, or take that next step by faith, to find out what's on the other side.

What's on the other side may not be what I'm expecting – or even wanting. Many times, God's plans do not line up with mine. This coming year, I hope to be gracious in times of victory and what I might consider defeat. Of course – when God says "No," it might just mean that He has something better in store for my life!

I chose a verse from Colossians as my theme verse for the year. The apostle Paul is in chains as he writes this. Humbling, isn't it? He wants us to:

• Continue in prayer – and steadfastly. Not that quick, throw-up-a-prayer type communication with God.
• Watch with thanksgiving. Remember – Jesus will return to earth one day for His bride. Are you watching for Him?
• Paul asked for prayer. I pray this now. Pray for me if you have nobody else to pray for today, that God will open doors for the words that He wants to speak through me, whether in a book, as a speaker, teacher, or in song.
• Pray that I proclaim it clearly. The Amplified Version says, "speak boldly and unfold that mystery as is my duty." One of my favorite moments when speaking or teaching is that "Aha!" expression when someone in the class or audience 'gets' what I'm saying. Of course – the Holy Spirit brings light and understanding of the Word. Please pray that I am His conduit in a greater way this year. And I pray that for you, too.

That's my process for finding a Pic of the Year. Perhaps you'd like to find an image to inspire you. If you do, be sure to leave a link under this post so we can all be inspired.

Donna