Fire Star Press: positivity

Friday, January 1, 2021

The Positive Side of Social Media

Happy New Year!

As a writer, I'm expected to have a social media platform and, for what's it's worth, I do. However, my relationship with social media is love/hate at the best of times, just hate at the worst. *sigh* And, as all relationships do, the one I have with social media has changed over time.

Twitter friends were extremely helpful during the years I was coping with elder care and the eighteen months in which I was dealing with the deaths of my father, mother, and mother-in-law. Many of those friends are no longer on Twitter and I don't blame them. I spend little time on Twitter myself; it tends to be a very toxic place. My favorite social media platform has always been Facebook because there I could interact with people but sadly, that is no longer true. Facebook now actively hides the posts by pages such as mine in an effort to force us to pay to "boost" our posts. Honestly, if they'd let me pay a yearly or monthly fee just to ensure that the people who follow me actually see my posts, I'd probably do it. But pay just so a bunch of people that aren't interested in what I have to offer can see it? No thanks.

Me searching for my tribe

However, while I've been unsuccessful in finding my tribe as a writer, I have found one as just me - a woman who loves video games. As me, not Izzy, I'm a member of a Facebook group for people who love the Mass Effect series of video games. So many gamer groups are toxic environments but this one is not. Is it perfect? No, but for the most part any disputes are handled well and the admins step in on the ones that threaten to get out of hand. For most of us, these games have helped us through the toughest times of our lives; when one of us makes a post to that effect no one mocks us because they understand. This group has evolved to become so much more. We share birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and births. (One member recently celebrated her 70th birthday!) People come looking for - and finding - support when they've lost their job, been diagnosed with COVID, or are just struggling with life during a pandemic. It's great to be a part of a community that cheers each other on, picks each other up, and just generally illustrates the best of what social media can be. So, on those days when I detest everything about social media, I just have to remember this group and the positivity it brings.

What sort of relationship do you have with social media?

Join my brand new Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/1268960476808241/

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/isabellanorse

Website: http://www.isabellanorse.com/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabellanorseauthor/

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Choosing Hope

This post is in a similar vein to that of fellow author and cat lover Mollie Hunt's post in July. (If you missed Molly's post you can read it HERE.) My posts for the last three months have covered #cockygate and book stuffing - two issues currently making big waves in the world of publishing. While both issues started in the Romance world, they quickly spread to other genres. (And sadly, romance is still an much maligned genre so issues have to spread to other genres in order to be taken seriously. But, that's a rant for another time.)

I've had to limit the amount of time spent checking on the latest developments in both areas. Why? Because it depresses me. For me, both reading and writing are for a love of words and stories. To see words and stories sullied by people who enter the publishing arena just to make money, makes me want to cry. I have a hard time calling these people writers because so many utilize the services of ghostwriters; the stories they capitalize own aren't even their own. I don't understand the mindset of those who look at publishing strictly as a way to pad their bank accounts instead of as a way to share the stories of their hearts. And, when these people begin actively working to remove their competition... Well, I just feel like throwing in the towel. Why am I even trying to tell my stories when people with much deeper pockets than me are working to suppress me and others like me?

As someone who has dealt with major anxiety issues in my life, I have learned that it is easy for current events to trigger my anxieties and the best way to combat the problem is to remove those triggers. So, while it's important for me to stay informed, I can do so by checking the latest information once or twice a week, not multiple times a day.

Doctors report an increase in the numbers of cases of anxiety and depression. I firmly believe that, in part, it is a direct result of the never-ending negativity that has become so pervasive in our culture. All you have to do is turn on the television and the news media is more than happy to beat you over the head with how horrible the world is and how everyone in it is out to take advantage of you. Yes, terrible things happen every day, but so do wonderful things. As for people, I still believe that there are far more good, kind people in the world than there are evil.

Image courtesy of Depositphotos.com

I refuse to be a part of the problem. I choose hope. I choose to use my voice, as small as it is, to spread love, joy, and laughter. I write stories about love, friendship, and fighting to overcome the bad in order to find the good. On my Facebook back, I share stories about people (and animals) doing their part to make the world a better place. It may not be much but it's what I believe I am called to do. I hope you'll join me.

How do you spread joy?