This was Darrell’s first real ambitious project, having written nothing much longer than 3,000 words before. It’s a wonderful book that takes place in the early 20th century but feels incredibly of the moment. People worried about newspaper influence back then the way we worry about social media influence today.
Darrell also talks about when he’s ready to share a work in progress and simplifying the structure when it became evident that the structure was dictating the terms, not the story itself. Really rich stuff.
I understand how tiresome it is when someone talks, talks, talks about social media use, the struggle of it, the do-we-really-need-it questions.
Over the years, you know my tendency is to rage against the algorithm. It’s my passion. I’ve deleted apps from my phone. Put them back on. Deleted certain accounts. You know the cycle; it’s the cycle of an addict.
A few weeks ago, I experienced a revelation regarding social media: It drains me. It makes me sluggish. I saps my motivation. It was a physical reaction.
She’s practically running a school for writers with the incredible offerings she has over at janefriedman.com. If you want to be a better writer and, more importantly, have a greater understanding of what it means to marry your art with commerce, Jane’s work is required.
Though we didn’t delve into book proposals, a CNFin’ faux pas if there ever was one (my b), but I had taken a book proposal refresher with her as part of Creative Nonfiction Magazine’s offerings. She’s a pro. (@janefriedman)
So we dig into plenty of stuff that’s germane to your journey like author platform, building a newsletter audience, social media (and its trappings) and the tension you can glean from a show like Better Call Saul.
Again, and I apologize, I come back to social media.
Ever notice how you don’t notice when someone has taken a break from social media?
Really, the only time you ever notice if someone has taken a break from the hamster wheel of social media is when they return to social media and tell you about their break.
Then you’re like, “Oh, I didn’t notice you were gone. Well, welcome back, buddy!”
That gets to the point of how insidious the whole machine is: We need to then broadcast on the very platform we’ve abstained from the fact that we left in the first place for the bump of dopamine and validation. But we’re back … on the platform … to tell you how great it was to be away from the platform.
There are no gaps in your feed. Imagine if you saw a gap in your “programming.” A channel that appears on or off. But no, there are no gaps. It gets filled in with whatever the bots have detected you need at that moment. Not because you liked so-and-so’s riff, but because something in your browser history, or a link you clicked, or something else told the AI that at this time, we’re gonna shovel this coal into your furnace.
And I don’t need to tell you: coal doesn’t burn clean.
This isn’t a tip on writing, but then again maybe it is.
I won’t bore you with what you likely know, but social media as we know it: Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and others are doing way more harm than good. The details of which I can’t and won’t get into here.
My real quandary is how do we get notices and broadcast our work if we’re in the digital sphere. After all, I make podcasts and blog, so how can I get the word out if I’m not findable in the context of social media?
“Find the something else that is so absorbing to you. That is a place you can go to get away from this.” —Jenny Odell
“You can’t write for everyone. And if you did, it wouldn’t be good.” —Jenny Odell
“Sitting there is a reminder of how different a physical space is with how we consume information online.” —Jenny Odell
Welcome, friend, to CNF, the creative nonfiction podcast where I speak to badass writers, filmmakers, radio producers, and podcasters about the art and craft of telling true stories.
The book stemmed from this talk she gave, which makes me think: maybe the way to a book deal is come up with a great talk? Side note: It’s amazing how Jenny stood in the same spot for this entire talk. I’m definitely a walker.
Anyway…
Be sure to subscribe to CNF wherever you get your podcasts. And, if you’re feeling kind, leave a review on Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, take a screenshot and send it to me. I’ll edit/coach up a piece of your writing of up to 2,000 words. The one thing we know about reviews is that they help with the packaging of a podcast. More reviews = more validation for newcomers.
So Jenny was amazing. We talk about birds, Austin Kleon, and how best reclaim your attention from social media companies that are hell bend on ensuring you keep scrolling.
