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Category: creative writing

How To Use ‘Same-Same But Different’ to Get Published

Kylie Fennell

What may come as a shock to some writers is that many agents and publishers need to fall in love with your idea, as well as you (as someone they want to work with) often before even reading your work.

You need to hook potential agents and publishers with something that sparks their interest. You also need to help them understand how you and your work are ‘sellable’.

Why? Because agents and publishers only make money if your books sell. A good agent/publisher knows the market and the readers, so they will want to determine from the outset what your commercial appeal is.

The good news is that you can increase the chances of agents and publishers buying into you and your work with a simple concept: Same, Same but Different.

As part of your pitching and querying, you will want to make clear your ‘Same, Same but Different’ proposition.

Same, Same

Same, same refers to how you and your work are similar to other authors and books.

Do you have good comparison authors and/or books that are similar to what you have to offer?

If not, start researching and come up with some.

You will want to choose comparison authors or titles that are well known within your genre and preferably they should be fairly recent examples to demonstrate you understand the current market.

The purpose of comparison titles/authors is to help agents/publishers understand where your book would sit on the bookshelf. Where would your work fit in the marketplace?

Do the hard work for them and give them relevant examples. For example, if you are writing a story about a female assassin in Regency England you might say it’s Atomic Blonde meets Pride and Prejudice. The comparisons don’t always have to be books, they can also be films or TV series, for instance.

If your work is particularly unique or you really want to get someone’s attention you can choose comparison titles that are very different from each other, as shown above, which brings us to ‘Different’.

Different

To use a well-known marketing term what’s your point-of-difference or unique selling point (relating to you and/or your writing)?

Your difference is important after demonstrating where you fit in the marketplace, because you need to show what would make someone choose you or your book over a similar author or title.

This can be achieved quickly and easily in your pitch by using clever comparison titles or adding to your comparison spiel.

Let’s say you’re writing a contemporary love story about zombies. Then the same, same but different proposition may be: It’s the Notebook meets the Walking Dead or It’s the Notebook with zombies.

Okay, so the above examples are fairly unique sounding concepts so the same, same but different is a little easier. For less obvious differences you may need to dig a little deeper, but this is incredibly important if you want to get an agent or traditional publisher.

If the plot isn’t typically unique is there something unique about the setting, the points of view used, the structure of the book? Is there a unique reason you are the best person to write this book?

So what are you waiting for? Get started on your Same, Same but Different today.

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Orange Isn’t My Colour – Flash Fiction

Kylie Fennell

Not many people can pull off the colour orange, except maybe Isla Fisher in those ING ads and an oompa loompa. I was neither of them but I’d left my Halloween costume to the last minute.  

As I yank down the rising hem I curse whoever designed this bloated sack-dress masquerading as a pumpkin.  

Tanya had insisted I attend her American cousin’s “legendary” Halloween party. I had reluctantly agreed to pop in after I finished the late shift at work.  

It’s 11.35pm and the air was thick with unseasonable fog. I’m struggling to find my way and I press the home button on my phone. Siri tells me my destination is just ahead. 

I arrive at a rundown period home that has a Scooby Doo haunted house look about it but is oddly deficient of any Halloween decorations. I check the house number and confirm I’m in the right place. An icy chill shoots up my spine and I’m tempted to leave when the door opens to reveal an immaculately dressed woman with perfectly coiffed bouffant hair.  

“What a charming costume.” Her voice has an old-world American meets British timbre to it. From her pearl necklace to the pastel pink shift dress with matching lipstick, Tanya’s aunt has nailed her costume.   

“Jacqueline Kennedy!” 

The woman flashes a gracious smile. “Please, come in.”   

The house is eerily quiet. “Have I missed the party?” 

“Not at all. The party’s just beginning.”  

I sip at the saucer of champagne she has handed me, and glance around the wood-paneled room wondering where everyone else is. 

“Do you know the story behind the jack-o’-lantern,” the aunt says indicating my costume.  

I shake my head as I fire off a text message to Tanya: “I’m here. Where are you?” 

“Jack was a famous Irish trickster who cheated and outsmarted everyone he came across. He even managed to trick the devil. When Jack died he was refused entry to heaven but the devil wouldn’t allow him into hell either. 

“He was forced to wander forever in the dark Netherworld between heaven and hell with nothing but a jack-o’-lantern to light his way. Except of course that one day a year, all Hallow’s eve, when the line between the Netherworld and this world thins.” 

I nod politely, relieved when my phone buzzes. “I’m at the party waiting for you!”  

WTF! 

A grandfather clock in the hall chimes signaling midnight. “Excuse me,” I say and head for the door. I gasp at the blinding darkness that greets me outside – a never-ending nothingness. 

“Jacqueline,” I appeal to the aunt, realising I don’t know her real name. 

“You can call me Jack.” I catch the melodic Irish accent in the voice behind me. 

The grinning man who has replaced Jacqueline shoves me out the door into the Netherworld and the house vanishes. The distant echoes of the trickster’s laughter taunt me as I pull at the hem of my costume. I knew wearing orange was a terrible idea. 

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Do You Need a Pen Name or a Pseudonym?

Kylie Fennell

The pros and cons of pen names with best-selling author Bren MacDibble/Cally Black, plus other expert tips.

I had never given much thought until recently about whether I needed a pen name for the books I’m writing.

You see I have been firmly planted in the one genre for a while, specifically YA fantasy, so I figured it made sense to stick with the one name. Also, as a practising marketer, I considered the time and effort I’d spent developing my ‘brand’ under my real name, so I decided to write and market myself under that name. But then something happened.

First, I got an idea for a middle-grade series that would be a spin-off from my YA trilogy. Since the two series were related to each other, and my YA content wasn’t overly graphic I reasoned they could all be written under the same name. But it did pose some risks and challenges trying to market to two completely different aged audiences.

Then the writing muse turned up and threw an idea for a historical fiction for adults into the mix and I knew I had to seriously consider using a pen name.

Naturally, I wanted expert advice so I turned to best-selling and award-winning author Bren MacDibble who also writes under the name of Cally Black. Here is what Bren/Cally had to say on the topic.

Why did you choose to write under a pen name?

I had been writing under Bren MacDibble for a while and had some magazine fiction and educational fiction under that name, so when I won the Ampersand Prize for my first trade novel (In the Dark Spaces) with Hardie Grant Egmont, and because it was definitely not a novel for the under 12s – it’s a young adult novel – we thought it would [make sense]…to launch a new YA career.

Soon after, Allen & Unwin picked up How to Bee and that was a children’s novel which fitted better with the educational fiction I’d been writing in the past, so it made sense then to have one name for children (Bren MacDibble) and one for YA (Cally Black).

What do you see as the pros and cons of using a pen name?

Separating my readership is good. I don’t mind the young adults reading down but those aspirational children reading How to Bee and The Dog Runner should not be moving onto In the Dark Spaces just yet.

The death scenes are a little graphically described. So the pen name keeps me from accidentally terrifying children. Which is good. It also allows a YA reader to pick up my YA book and know it’s written for their age group.

It can be a little difficult keeping those who would benefit from knowing I’m both Bren and Cally Black who could cross-recommend to older and adult readers, like booksellers, etc.

Also, [there is] the double expense in time running double social media accounts and setting up double websites.

What are the challenges you have faced using a pen name?

The biggest challenge is when festivals etc. book hotel rooms and flights. I have to make sure those are under the correct names, or I look really dodgy at check in.

Also if people pay in cheques, that can be awkward if they don’t use the same name as my bank account. My bank has put a note on my bank account about my pen names!

Also… and this is hardly a problem, but when I picked up the NZ Book Award for children’s books last year as Bren MacDibble, I’d just sat down when they called Cally Black to come up for the award for YA books. I jumped up, looked at the audience and I could tell they were way more confused than I was to be getting two awards! I had to do a hurried explanation.

In what circumstances do you think a writer may want to consider using a pen name?

Genre separation or age group separation is a good reason and I think this is the most common reason.

I think this is why Kate Griffin/Claire North/Catherine Webb changes names so often. You can see her site at www.kategriffin.net for how she handles her tri-pseudonyms on one webpage. I think she is keeping her YA separate from her adult novels and her high fantasy from her more realistic setting novels. I just have two websites: www.macdibble.com and www.callyblack.com

Also if you have a job that might be sensitive to your readership, as in if you worked in social work or as a judge or wrote government policies or articles for a leading newspaper, and people might hold up your books in judgement of your values.

In that case, it might be necessary to be even more secretive with a pen name to protect your day job or your reputation as an author. Or even maybe the job of your partner, parents or children…if they are high profile.

Sometimes if you write with a partner you might combine names to produce one simple name, but we’re used to seeing partnerships on book covers now, so that’s just aesthetics really.

If you want to write a true story and pretend it’s fiction, there’s probably no hiding behind a pen name. Apart from consent issues, I think the readers and the publisher would want to know if it was really true, and find it more appealing, because of the honesty that would bring to the story.

Other Pen Name Considerations

Best-selling Author, Joanna Penn from the Creative Penn also writes thrillers under J.F.Penn. She lists the following reasons you may wish to use a pen name.

  • To differentiate brands and write in different genres – as Bren does.
  • To protect privacy – Joanna gives writing erotica and sometimes romance as a common example.
  • To be non-gender-specific – some authors writing in genres that are heavily dominated by authors of the opposite sex, may choose a non-gender-specific name or use initials.
  • If the author’s name is hard to remember or is unusual.

Penn also suggests checking to see if the name you want to use is already taken by another writer. In this case, she suggests adding a middle initial or a middle name.

Regardless of your reasons, if you’re considering a pen name, then you’re definitely in good company.

To find out more about Bren’s children’s books go to www.macdibble.com. For more on her YA books go to www.callyblack.com

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Lost & Found – Flash Fiction

Kylie Fennell

‘Look she’s doing it again.’ It was psychology major uni-girl. 

She doesn’t think I can hear her. I fold and re-fold my T-shirt for the fifth time until just the right amount of Ravenclaw crest is visible.   

‘Definitely on the spectrum,’ nervous-laugh-wants-to-impress-her-friend, other uni-girl, declares. They stuff their collection of still damp skinny jeans into a $9 Kmart overnight bag and leave.  

The laundromat is filled with the regular mix of middle-aged single men, pensioners and me. I’m here every Saturday. I arrive precisely at 8.47am so I have the exact length of time needed to wash, dry and fold my laundry before going to my shift at what was possibly the last physical video store in existence.  

I move on to my final items. No. I rummage through the basket. No! It’s not there. I hold up the lonesome sock emblazoned with Cheshire Cats. They smile maniacally, mocking me for losing their friends. 

The dryer. I peer into the open door seeing nothing but darkness. I reach in as far as I can, my fingers finding nothing but clumps of lint. Socks can’t just disappear, like magic. I lean further in with my knees resting on the edge, but there is nothing. I hesitate for a moment before crawling in as if following a white rabbit.   

‘Are you okay in there?’  

I sit up with a start, banging my head against the metal drum. My cheeks are burning as I reverse out of the dryer, preparing myself for the humiliating interaction to come. 

Instead, a gangly-looking man with floppy hair and twinkly eyes greets me. ‘Just wanted to make sure you’re okay,’ he shouts. 

I point to my over-ear headphones. ‘They’re not on.’ I immediately regret saying it. ‘Too much noise…loud music…I like quiet,’ the words tumble incoherently out of my mouth.  

He gives a small nod. He’s wearing a shirt with an obscure but funny periodic table reference – he understands.  

‘I was looking for the other one.’ I hold up the remaining half of my favourite pair of socks. 

He rubs his chin and looks serious all of a sudden. ‘Curiouser and curiouser.’ 

I clasp my hand over my mouth too late to smother a snort-like laugh. I grab my basket and run, admonishing myself for being so uncool, and the fact that I would have to find another laundromat.  

I am halfway down the street when I feel a hand on my arm. He is there, holding my other sock.  

‘You wouldn’t believe it,’ he puffs, trying to catch his breath, ‘but I found this in my basket.’ 

‘Thanks,’ I mumble, taking the sock and turning to leave. 

‘You can’t go.’  

I raise a quizzical brow.  

‘Don’t you see. Your Cheshire Cat friends wanted to bring us together for a reason.’ 

I glance down at the sock and swear one of those cats winks back at me. 

‘I’m Lewis,’ he extends his hand. 

I take it with a tentative smile. ‘I’m Alice, nice to meet you.’

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Upcoming Marketing Workshops

Kylie Fennell

I’m super excited to be delivering more workshops over the next two months. One is a FREE Social Media for Writers workshop and the other is Build Your Author Website in a Day.

Social Media for Writers – FREE Workshop

On Saturday 4 May I will be at Helensvale Library on the Gold Coast facilitating a FREE 2 hour workshop on social media for writers.

Whether you’re an aspiring or established writer, this workshop will teach you how to use social media to enhance your writing career and/or author platform.

Discover the variety of platforms available, what type of content to post and when, how to create and schedule great content, and the secret to getting more followers and keeping them engaged. Find out more here.

Build Your Author Website in a Day

On Saturday 8 June I will be back at the Queensland Writers Centre delivering Build Your Author Website in a Day.

You will walk away from this workshop with a published website.
Create an online presence for your writing and author brand, whether you’re just starting out or already published. No technical or website experience needed. At the end of this workshop, you will have a live wordpress.com website. Find out more here. 

I look forward to seeing you there : )

Author marketing

Brand & Marketing Myths Every (Aspiring) Author Needs to Know

Kylie Fennell

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that an (aspiring) author in possession of a book (idea) to sell, must be in want of an author brand or platform.”

I’ve taken some liberty with Jane Austen’s words but I’m sure she would have agreed with the sentiment.

Jane Austen lived at a time when books by women were usually published anonymously. I like to think she would have jumped, in a most lady-like manner, at the chance to promote herself as an author.  

Why then do many (aspiring) authors, who want to get their books out into the world, consider marketing a necessary evil, or just downright evil?

The answer lies in the undeniable fact that creating an author brand or platform can at times be frustrating, confusing or annoying – ‘you mean I actually have to do social media?’.

The good news is that many of the objections or challenges relating to marketing can be overcome with a little persistence and the right guidance.

Unfortunately, this does nothing to address the many misconceptions that continue to plague marketing and stop some writers from embracing their author brand.

I’m here to restore your faith in marketing by busting some of the most common myths surrounding author brand and related topics.

Branding is for Businesses Not Authors

The easiest way to clear this one up is to ask yourself whether you want to make money from selling your books.

If you answered yes, then you need to treat your writing as a business, otherwise, it’s a hobby.

Being a professional writer or author entails all of the regular activities a business owner needs to undertake, marketing being one of them.

Your author brand is the foundation of all of your marketing activities, and it is much more than having a beautiful logo and business cards.

Brand is the experience or feeling you create every time you interact with the world. It is what you say and how you say it – it is how you make people you communicate with feel.

It is about creating a consistent voice for you and your writing that resonates with readers, publishers, agents, and other people important to your success.

I Don’t Need to Worry About Brand Yet

If you haven’t published a book yet, you may think it’s okay to wait before developing your author brand.

In fact, the best time to start marketing yourself as an (aspiring) author is now!

The more time you have to build your platform, get followers and refine your messaging, the easier it will be when you are querying agents and publishers, or are ready to launch your book.

I Don’t Like Selling Myself So I Don’t Like Marketing

Guess what? Most people don’t like ‘selling’ themselves and no one likes being ‘sold’ to.

Fortunately, marketing isn’t about ‘selling’. It is about making meaningful and authentic connections with people who are interested in you and your work.

Connecting with the right people through social media and other communication channels builds a support network of people who, when the time comes, won’t just buy or invest in your book, but will do the ‘selling’ for you. They will become your brand fans and ambassadors.

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Can’t Find Time for Writing? Then You’re Not Busy Enough

Kylie Fennell

You have probably heard the saying that if you want something done, you should ask someone who’s busy, and I have found this to be true when it comes to my creative writing.

The last couple of months have been some of the busiest of my life. I got two new clients for my business, which both involve steep learning curves and a lot more work. Plus I was offered two amazing speaking opportunities that involved a lot of workshop development and prep work.

At the same time, an idea for a new book started pestering me. This idea was very loud and persistent, demanding it be written. The problem was that I had three unrelated manuscripts in varying stages of completion – polishing, editing and revising.

There were no specific deadlines for these manuscripts so I was just chipping away at them when I ‘could’, while simultaneously lamenting that the process was taking forever.

Goals, Targets, and Deadlines

I wasn’t prepared to put the other manuscripts on hold, so instead I set myself some ambitious goals, which were realsitic if I buckled down.

I set myself word count targets and a deadline for completing the various stages of each work-in-progress book.

For my new ‘idea’ I set myself a goal of entering the completed manuscript in a specific competition in 12 months time. Working backward I laid out a plan and a timeline that started with research while I finished off the other books.

There was the tiny issue that I was incredibly busy with my business, as well as many other parts of everyday life which include being a mum to an 8-year-old boy.

The Difference Between Being Busy & Out of Control

It didn’t take long before I was feeling overwhelmed. I’m a trained journalist and the idea of missing deadlines (even if they are self-imposed), doesn’t sit well with me.

I’m also someone who likes to feel in control of most aspects of my life.

While I know I am way more productive when I’m busy, I don’t like being the kind of busy where you feel like you are spinning multiple plates and if just one of them falls, everything will come tumbling down.

I needed to put order into my life.

Order and Routine

Deciding to ‘Marie Kondo’ my whole house at the same time may seem counterintuitive to the idea of finding time to write. But doing a massive tidy up, starting with my desk, removed not just physical clutter but mental clutter from my life.

I created a space that I love turning up to every day and it has made a world of difference to my sense of calm and productivity.

I also put in place a routine to write every day (Monday to Friday). I know this isn’t practical for everyone but what I found was that my target word count became easier to achieve each day as I had momentum from the previous day.

In the past, I had only made time a couple of times or maybe even one day a week to write, and I found I wasted time having to catch up with where I had left off.

Why Busy Is Better

There have been periods when I wasn’t as busy with my client work and I could have spent more time on my writing but for some reason, I wasn’t motivated to get on with it.

At times I dreaded it because I had left it too long between drinks and not regularly immersing myself in my fictional world had dulled my enthusiasm.

The lack of a goal with a specific timeframe also affected my motivation.

Now with so much on my plate, I feel like I am kicking goals in several areas of my life. Having small wins in other activities, gives me the lift I need to write.

And even when something isn’t going right with my creative writing, I gain strength from other parts of my life – like Elizabeth Gilbert says in Big Magic, don’t put too much pressure on your writing by making it the only thing to focus on.

I counter my really busy periods by not working weekends and rarely working at night. This ensures I have time for family, friends and me.

So yes I am crazy busy during the limited hours I do work, but it seems to be working.

I have learnt how to be incredibly efficient with the time I have and am more productive than ever.

Don’t take my word for it though, the science agrees. Research has found that being busy can increase motivation and reduce the amount of time it takes to complete a task.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get busy.

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Flash fiction candle Kylie Fennell

KonMari, the Cabinet and the Cliché – Flash Fiction

Kylie Fennell

Another freakin’ candle. How many was that now? I’d lost count after the eleventh one. I read the embossed label. Leather and cedar infusion – what the…?  

“Okay, candle. Thank you for…I don’t know what, and goodbye.” I chuck the candle into the donation box.     

I was nearly finished with the fourth KonMari category, komono, or miscellaneous items.  

Now you won’t find any Instagram posts of my perfect rows of underwear and fitting sheets standing to attention in their origami-like forms, because that’s not why I’m doing this.  

The ‘clean-out’ had been a long time coming – my therapist will attest to that. Marie Kondo with her ‘Does it spark joy?’ test was just the final kick in the butt I needed. It gave me permission to move on and dispose of things that no longer served me.  

When I started with clothing, I shed rivers of tears farewelling the maternity clothes, a collection of the barely and never worn. Then there were the piles of T-shirts and shorts he hadn’t bothered to take with him. Next, were our shared mountains of books, paper, and endless komono. 

Then I got angry. Angry that I was left to clean out his…‘our’ crap, and that he’d been able to tap out when it had got too hard. He’d left his…‘our’ life behind. He’d got his clean slate with Lisa, sweet and uncomplicated Lisa, super-fertile Lisa. How many kids did they have now? That was another thing I’d lost count of.  

The anger had sustained me over the weeks. It had enabled me to deal with even the most sentimental items. Sorry, Marie, I jumped a step, but damn it felt good when I burnt that box filled with love letters he’d written me, the movie stubs from our first date and the wedding garter he’d insisted I wear.  

Now all that was left was the hall cabinet. I’d nearly forgotten about it. I walked past it dozens of times every day, but its shelves and drawers were nothing more than a catch-all for all forms of junk. It was where useless and half-broken items went to die – a shrine to things that had outlived their purpose. 

The ‘goodbyes’ came thick and fast as I tossed everything from loose screws and dried out tubes of super glue. In no time the cabinet was empty. It was completely bare and waiting to be refilled with new junk – junk from my new life. All of a sudden, I felt scared, terrified of the ‘what ifs’ that lay ahead. Would the new junk be any better than the old junk? Then it hit me.  

For the first time in my adult life, it would be ‘my’ junk and the ‘what ifs’ would all be of my own doing. I had chosen to live with the possibilities of ‘what if’ instead of surrounding myself with daily reminders of ‘if only’. I smiled stupidly to myself because as clichéd as it sounded, I had chosen joy.   

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7 Things You Need to Know to Conquer Social Media

Kylie Fennell

Marketing and social media are surrounded by a lot of misconceptions and myths which can mean the difference between failure and conquering your online presence.

Here are my top tips for how businesses and (aspiring) authors can avoid the biggest rookie mistakes when it comes to social media.

1. Don’t like it….’say’ you like it

You probably have heard that engaging with other people is key to your success on social media, and what you’ve heard is right.

Liking other people’s posts and comments is a great way to build a network of supporters and people interested in your work.

But ‘liking’ content will only get you so far.

When you see something you really like on social media, something that resonates with you, then ‘say’ you like it. It’s far more effective to add a comment expanding on why you like it.

This is likely to get you more engagement and appreciation than a simple ‘double tap’ or thumbs up will get you.

2. Numbers don’t count…unless they are the right numbers

Many social media users can get hung up on the number of followers and likes they get, but here are a few things to consider.

On some platforms, particularly Twitter, you may find it reasonably easy to get followers – sometimes without even trying. But when you drill down to look at those followers, how many of them represent your ideal target audience?

While the number of likes are one indicator of engagement levels, they can also be skewed. There are bots, particularly on Instagram, that automatically like photos. Even if that’s not a problem you’re experiencing, as we said above, double tapping or giving a thumbs up is a quick way of engaging in social media content but also can be an indication of ‘low investment’ in your content.

Real engagement is measured in terms of the relationships you form with your followers, through conversations.

3. Automated posting is okay…as long as you back it up with engagement

These days there are loads of options to automate or schedule your social media posts, but this is considered passive posting, unless it is coupled with engagement.

What I mean is, you can’t just set and forget when it comes to social media. This kind of posting is the equivalent of going to a party, announcing loudly to the room who you are and what you’re doing, then walking out again.

No one is interested in a party guest, or social media user, who only wants to talk about themselves. Real engagement comes from two way conversations.

It’s absolutely okay to use automated or scheduled posting for some of your posts, but you also need to take the time to monitor and check your feed and engage in other people’s posts, as well as respond to users who engage in yours.

4. Followers will find you…only if you are looking for them

Unfortunately social media on the most part is not a case of ‘build it and they will come’.

Sitting back and waiting for people to find you and follow you, will limit your overall number of followers but also the kind of followers you get.

The best way to increase your follower base is to consistently search for social media users who reflect your ideal audience and post content you like. You can use hashtags or the built-in search facility on social media platforms to find accounts relating to topics you are interested in.

What you will see is that a lot of the time you will get follow-backs and you are building a targeted community of people who resonate with you.

It’s best to do this very regularly, rather than in one big burst. This way you can keep your follower/follow back ratio in check and you won’t exceed any follow limits.

5. Always follow people back…unless…

One of the most effective ways of getting followers is to follow back those people who follow you.

Generally I follow back people who follow me unless:

  • They say they are The Rock, Prince Harry or some other celebrity that they clearly are not.
  • The user does not have a profile picture.
  • The bio is riddled with mistakes or information that doesn’t make sense.
  • The follower is clearly unrelated my areas of interest, and I’m not even sure why they followed me. I find this is often a bot that has followed me, looking for a follow-back. Soon after, bots just as often unfollow you, even if you liked them back.
  • They haven’t posted recently or at all.
  • Their profile and/or bio contains offensive material.

I’ve gotten pretty good at screening followers, and a quick glance at their profile and/or bio usually determines my follow-back.

I do sometimes find out that an account I am following doesn’t turn out to be what I expected and I immediately unfollow or even block if needed.

That all being said, I generally follow-back and try to do so in a timely manner (within 2 days of a follow).

6. Be the most interesting…listener

You should never set out to be the most interesting person on social media.

That doesn’t mean you should strive for boring. It means you should be yourself. Show the best version of yourself, but at the end of the day, be authentic.

But that is not the most important thing to take from this.

On social media it’s vital to be ‘interested’ rather than ‘interesting’.

Be a listener. Ask people about themselves and their content? Start conversations not a one-way showcase of how amazing you are.

7. Post exactly what you’re thinking…within reason

We all have issues, people and topics we feel strongly about but it doesn’t mean we have to vent all of them on social media.

Sure if there is something you really believe in or is highly relevant to your work, that you feel compelled to share, even if it may upset some people – then by all means go for it (as low as it’s not unlawful or defamatory to do so).

Generally, I choose to avoid politics and rants, as well as anything really personal. If I do share something potentially controversial, I usually share something from a credible third party rather than just ‘my opinion’. I also choose not to show images of my child, unless his face can not be identified. That’s just my personal choice.

Where possible I will share content that has a positive angle to it, where action is being taken to right a wrong.

For me, it’s important for people to feel inspired, interested or entertained by my content, rather than angry or outraged.

Of course for some people it is important for them to share their authentic voice in its full glory, and I support this. In fact I follow a lot of people with very strong views.

In any case, there are always consequences for posting on social media. Even the most innocuous posts can rile up a person in the most unexpected way, resulting in them making nasty comments on your account.

When this happens, you can ignore it, politely and professionally respond, or block the person if necessary. It’s your call.

Bonus tip for aspiring authors

To finish up, I’d like to share this tip for aspiring authors. Generally, the writing world is a very supportive one and even highly successful authors are happy to engage with their followers.

Don’t assume that just because someone is famous or a best selling author that they won’t be interested in you or your content.

Take the time to engage in their content and you may be surprised to find…they’ll engage right back.

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The New Me – Flash Fiction

Kylie Fennell

New. “Today is the start of the new you.” My mother’s words are an earworm burrowing into my mind. What’s wrong with the old me?

In the mirror she stares at me, daring me to defy her. My inner voice screams to defend the current me. My mother flashes me a Sale of the Century model smile, and I stay silent. I’m 37 but the child in me is eager to please.

My mother had arrived on my doorstep an hour earlier after I had ignored her last nineteen messages. She had even taken to posting ‘there’s nothing as strong as a bond between a mother and daughter’ style posts on my Facebook timeline.

“I thought you were dead,” she had said.

“I’ve been busy with work.” I was a merger and acquisitions lawyer. I worked long hours but I loved my job. A point lost on my mother.

“If you didn’t work so much, Tom wouldn’t have escaped to the desert.”

I take a deep breath. “I’ve told you, Mum. The break-up was a mutual decision. Tom had a great job opportunity in Dubai.”

“Maybe if you made more of an effort…” Her eyes went to my unwashed hair, pulled into a low ponytail, before landing on my leggings and Ugg boots. “You could get some style tips from your sister.”

I groan, readying myself for the great list of achievements. A muscle under my mother’s eye twitches momentarily, and then the mask is back. “Married and two children, all before the age of 32.”

“There’s still time…” My voice is a strangled whisper. How is it that I can bring CEOs of multi-million dollar companies to their knees, yet this woman can still render me a self-doubting mess?

My mother’s eyes flash in triumph. “I have a present for you.”

The ‘present’ was an appointment with my mother’s hairdresser, Rhonda – a woman whose 80s poofed hair was reminiscent of Spike from Degrassi Junior High.

As Rhonda’s scissors hover, I open my mouth to protest, but my mother is prepared. After all, this was premeditated torture. 

“You do want to do something before it’s too late?”

I give a dutiful nod and in one fell swoop my ponytail is dropping to the floor. In no time Rhonda has transformed me into an eerie mash-up of Hillary Clinton and Sharyn Osbourne. It is my mother’s haircut.

My mother beams at me. “Much better.” She trots off to the counter to make a show of “treating my daughter – she’s had such troubles you know.”

I feel a fury buried deep within me begin to rise. I am watching myself from afar as I reach out for a set of clippers. My hands seem forged in steel as I run the clippers through the side of my hair, leaving a trail of bare scalp. I can see my mother in the mirror flapping like a dying fish, and I keep shaving. “You’re right, Mum. This is the start of the new me.”

Writer’s Note: This story is pure fiction. My mother is amazingly awesome – she told me to say that : )

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