Wednesday, November 10, 2010

What Can I Tweet For You?

By Tamara Girardi

I woke up this morning in New York City. The sense of confusion when you open your eyes in a different place and wonder where you are doesn't last long here. The beeping taxis and cars rushing outside your window remind you pretty quickly.

I'm here for a writing conference, and I'm thankful to be here.

Yesterday, I had dinner with college friends at Dos Caminos in midtown. An open-faced shrimp quesadilla. A shared pitcher of sangria. A blueberry margarita with sugar on the rim. I was very thankful for all of those things.

My fabulous and recently agented critique partner emailed me her thoughts on the final 30 pages of my manuscript yesterday. She challenged a weakness in them, and I plan to spend the entire day either at a bookstore or Starbucks working to employ the changes she and I brainstormed. I'm immensely thankful for her and the fact I can spend the full day working on my writing.

But being thankful is not just about saying the words. It's about doing something about them. Let me explain.

Tomorrow, the Backspace Conference begins at the Radisson Martinique on the corner of W. 32nd and Broadway, and I will be the official Twitterer for the conference. I'll spend all day Thursday and Friday hanging on the words of other writers and literary agents, finding the gems that will be helpful to others who cannot attend the conference, and tweeting about them to my followers (@TamaraGirardi) and followers of Backspace (@bksp_org).

I'm thankful for this opportunity, and in order that you and other writers might be thankful of it, too, I'm asking for your help. If you knew a woman who was spending the next two days in a roomful of writers and agents (ha hemn, that would be me), discussing query letters, opening pages of manuscripts, and writing in general, what kinds of things would you want that woman (again, me) to look for and tweet about?

I'm thankful for your responses.

9 comments:

Joyce Tremel said...

I can't think of anything I want you to tweet, but you can be sure I'll be reading everything you do!

Have fun at the conference!

Annette said...

Dang. So many of our Working Stiffs are at or headed to great conferences. Joyce, how did you and I get stuck at home?

Have a great time, Tamara. I'll be following your Tweets, too.

Laurie said...

Have a wonderful time, Tamara! The conference and being the official Tweeter sounds like a great experience. I will follow your Tweets! Good luck with your changes and writing today.

Joyce Tremel said...

Annette, next year will be our turn!

Jenna said...

I'm envious! Both of you being in NYC and at the conference. It's been a while since I've been back there (and you're right; it has a sound all its own). If you happen upon Karen Dionne (and I'm sure you will; it's her conference) please give her a hug from me!

Paula Matter said...

Have a wonderful time, Tamara! I'll be sure to follow your tweets in between CrimeBake stuff.

Tamara said...

Jennie,

I will be seeing Karen this afternoon, and I will give her your best!

Tamara - who is still in her hotel room hearing NYC pass by, wondering what she is still doing in her hotel room...

Wilfred Bereswill said...

I always wanted to go to the Backspace Conference. I don't know how you can do it. If it were me, I'd be too worried I'd miss something at the conference to have time to Tweet about it.

Tamara said...

Wilfred, that thought has crossed my mind. I'm just going to have to take advantage of down time to get all my tweets sent! Wish you could be here!