We are delighted to welcome Emma Finlayson-Palmer, to the blog.  Emma is an author, artist and illustrator and runs the #ukteenchat  on Twitter and is one of the mentors for #WriteMentor.  Emma discusses her involvement with social media and how this has supported her own writing including the  brilliant new chapter book Autumn Moonbeam: Dance Magic, illustrated by Heidi Cannon and published by UCLan Publishing.

We’re in a world where it is virtually (no pun intended!) impossible to avoid social media or digital aspects of life. It can be addictive and a drain on precious writing time if you’re not careful. But it can also bring opportunities, friendships and a sense of community and belonging.

For me, Twitter has been a huge writing base ever since I joined in back in June 2011. It was a place I could be myself, and be a writer, unlike Facebook where it was filled with people who didn’t know I was a writer. Twitter provided a platform for me to openly talk about writing with other people who were writing and industry professionals too.

I first found more writers through #AskAgent sessions, where I went from seeing names of literary agents in books such as the Writers and Artists Yearbook to suddenly being accessible. Here they were online and open to answering the burning questions aspiring writers had about each stage of the writing process and publishers and talking about their favourite biscuits.

Social Media has been a huge part of my career as a writer. There are so many different events, festivals, both online and in real life that I’d never have known about if it wasn’t for social media.

I’ve become an active part of writing communities on social media over the years and seen some start up and grow because of places like Twitter, without which they wouldn’t exist. It brings writers from all over the world together in one place, giving a level of access and inclusion that wouldn’t exist without it.

This has been especially important in recent years, if it hadn’t been for the communities and writing friends I’ve made online I’m not sure how I would have managed during each lockdown. I love how this new hybrid way of life has evolved out of a terrible situation and now we have a blend of online and in person events, allowing access to individuals that wouldn’t be able to attend in person events.

Twitter is host to many different writing related chats that cater to every genre and age group people are writing for. One area that seemed to be lacking in the market I found was Teen, for that gap between MG and YA, where there needed to be more of a bridge between the two. And from this and a discussion with other writers and literary agents, that my own writing chat came about. #ukteenchat came about to champion Teen fiction and help people understand exactly what it is. Over the years since I set up the chat back in February 2016, the chat has evolved into a community where writers support others and we talk about all aspects of being a writer. The chat has also given me the opportunity to talk to so many wonderful writers and industry professionals from agents to competition organisers and publishers too. It started off as a fortnightly chat, but it’s now become weekly to accommodate the interest and being able to give a platform for me to shout about writers and stories that I love. I feel very lucky to be part of such a wonderful book related chat!

After swearing I never would, I have recently joined TikTok and have found it to be great fun to create book, nature and writing related videos. As long as I don’t post any embarrassing dance videos my children might not be totally mortified at having their mother on there! It’s a great community for writers and book reviewers, and more and more indie bookshops, publishers and writers are joining. I love the more immediate and visual side with TikTok, couple with music and the random mixture of cute cats, asmr relaxation videos, BookTok and more.

Whilst I have to be careful not to allow myself to give too much time to social media, and it’s a good idea to set aside a certain amount of time for this each week, it’s also influenced my writing. Social media filters into my own writing in various ways whether it be through my characters and their use of it, or for research purposes. But one thing I have found about social media that influences every aspect of my writing life, and that’s community.

The communities I’ve found myself part of and wouldn’t have been if it wasn’t for being on social media, have been integral to making me the writer I am now. So whilst it might have its downsides, for me social media has been a place of friendship, fun and finding my feet in the world of writing.

A huge thank you to Emma Finlayson-Palmer for the blog and to UCLan Publishing for the opportunity.  Don't miss the amazing activity pack based around Autumn Moonbeam below.