How Instagram Helped Me Grow As A Writer

The Beginning

My venture into Instagram was akin to when I self-published my children’s duckling picture book, Dilly Dally Sally. I was propelled from my comfort zone. With no map, compass, or plan, I accomplished a multitude of mistakes and realised the world didn’t implode. This taught me perfection wasn’t important.

Connecting

My account has more than 2,200 followers and hundreds of likes per post.

I consider my followers to be friends, even though our only interactions are online. We have a spirit of kinship, understanding and unity. They reach out when I’m overwhelmed, cheer me on, download my book, tell their followers about it too, and even write reviews!

Creating content sharpens my ability to connect with an audience. It forces me to be vulnerable, because sharing my writing reveals a fragment of myself. This is awkward, as I’m a private person.

Consuming content is comparable to indulging in books and investigating various perspectives. I’ve unearthed styles that are my cup of herbal tea. The protagonist’s stories unfold, along with a cast of characters, subplots, drama, humour and backstory.

I’ve expanded my mindset, ceased judging social media as a necessary evil I don’t have enough time for, and thinking it doesn’t add value. The world has evolved. We’re influenced by social media. For example, the proliferation of acronyms and slang has grown from Twitter and texting: ICYMI, FOMO, IDK.

The beat and pattern of my days are broken up by receiving and writing comments, which nourishes my creativity. It fosters self-reflection, too. Connection cobbles together a sense of belonging and feeling valued. It’s a breath of fresh air, a bouquet of peonies, splashes of azure blue in a cloudy sky.

IMO Instagram is...

• The least toxic of social media platforms.
• A tool to communicate in Japanese, Spanish or other tongues with people around the world.
• Less clunky; though with more features, it’s becoming more complex.
• Artistic with the nostalgia of photography.
• About giving us a voice, choice, a destination to visit, informing and entertaining.
• Less of a struggle to engage and find an audience.

Instagram is a scrapbook journal, a reminder of the miles I’ve strolled, scrambled and waltzed.

Top 10 Tips For Writers On Instagram

These are some strategies that worked for me:

1. Aesthetics – educating myself on photography and using the free filters in the app. It’s in the vein of editing my writing and sending my best work into the world. Would I print, hang it on my wall, or keep it in my wallet? For carousels of posts without photographs, I’m inspired by #wordswordswords or @atticuspoetry, and I love creating on Canva.
2. Analysis – studying successful posts just as I examine great authors and books.
3. Engagement – liking and commenting on posts from my followers and also people I don’t follow.
4. Curiosity – following accounts of different sizes and types, not just writers.
5. Kindness – it’s a privilege to glimpse into others’ lives. They ignite ideas with their words, stories, and photographs.
6. Drafting – creating hooks with short captions, or when writing longer captions, checking they have a purpose. My posts are about some of my interests, such as creativity, wildlife, flowers and London. I occasionally include posts about my book or other works.
7. Hashtags – researching, using and including them in posts because they’re a gateway into subjects and allow Instagrammers to discover me.
8. Public account – there are scammers and harassers online, as with real life. I ignore their comments and direct messages. If I need to, I block them.
9. My audience – I balance what they are interested in with experimentation and content that matters to me.
10. Mindset and attitude – I’m open to learning and trying new tools. Lately, I’m messing about with the ‘Add Yours’ feature. As with the craft of writing, I’m patient and persevere.

This is an abridged version of an article that originally appeared on www.pentoprint.org. To read the article in full, click here.

E.M. Blake is the author of Dilly Dally Sally, a picture book about a duckling who is lost and won’t give up. She’s just finished her second picture book, This Silly Bench, which is about Joe the crow and the end of his friendship with an Egyptian goose. She also blogs and regularly contributes to Write On!

Connect with Ellie on her website: mycreativeveryday, on Instagram (@mycreativeveryday), on Twitter (@EllieMBlake1), on TikTok (@mycreativeeveryday) and on YouTube (E.M. Blake)


Image credit: (c) Brick Lane Street Market, A Second-Hand Book Stall, by E.M. Blake (Instagram: @mycreativeveryday)