Calling All Friends

I’m looking for friends. I know, it sounds a little strange and pathetic, doesn’t it?

I write under a pen name. My reasons aren’t anything exciting and if you also write under a pen name, you probably share at least one of them.

• I am incredibly shy- in real life and here, in our blogging universe- it’s just who I am.
• Although I have never faced a harsh word here, I’m still timid when it comes to sharing my writing.
• If I was to write under the name I was given, I suspect that I would face criticism from some and to be honest here, I just don’t want to hear it.
• My children have lives of their own and I want to respect their privacy.
• One of those children is transgender and in what could easily become a changing climate, I am protecting their identity.

Why am I looking for friends now?

When I began writing this blog, I intended to fill out my profile more and create a presence on social media that is separate from my day to day life. I created accounts all over and became overwhelmed quickly. Anyone who is connected to me through them can attest to this.  Looking back, I realize that I took on too much all at once.

I want to be able to support and advocate for my child and the LGBT community. I really am a fierce mama bear. Displaying that fierceness in my day to day life will hurt my ability to help the very people I am championing. I would like to achieve a balance between expressing myself authentically (here) and doing the important behind the scenes work needed to help trans kids locally (at school).

So, I am looking to build up my tribe! If you would like to connect socially, I’m including my info below. And I am more than willing to return the favor! Since I can’t be two places as once, these will be my primary social medias with the personal ones being used for the cute little kid pics and the things people expect to hear from me in my everyday life.

If not, I understand. We live in a world where there is SO much social media and interaction that sometimes you need to draw the line.

Facebook- My profile name is Kat Carpita or you can send me a message on my Facebook page- Dandelion Fuzz (on the right sidebar)

Twitter- @katcarpita or you can find my Twitter feed here on the right sidebar

Pinterest- Kat Carpita

And a few final words-

Thank you for being here and reading my posts! Your support has given me the courage and confidence to keep writing!

Have a glorious day! I hope you are enjoying amazing weather like we are here in the Midwest!

-Kat

 

 

 

Hashtags Scare Me

When I began my blog, I wasn’t even thinking about social media. I had personal Facebook and Twitter (yes, my Twitter-phobia out dates my blogging experience, Hugh!) accounts. While I keep close touch of my Facebook, Twitter is often neglected for months on end. The topic of using social media along with blogging presented me with a problem that is not unique to just me.

-How to use social media when you’re using a pen name……

FACEBOOK-

Originally I created a new account with my name- Kat Carpita… The only glitch. I didn’t have any friends that I could “friend” without giving away my name. One of my reasons for using a pen name was to protect Kris’s identity. Pretty quickly I felt like I had split personalities. I didn’t want to make up information because I’m me whether I’m using this name or that.  I was stumped. It’s kind of hard to say, “Hey, wanna be my friend? By the way, this isn’t my real name….. (I’m still stumped….and friendless.) Maybe there’s a special facebook group I can join for writers using pen names who want to make friends….. Anyone know of one?

So I set that aside and created a Facebook Page for Dandelion Fuzz. That has gone pretty slow because I can’t really promote the page on my personal Facebook- same problem…… Am I the only one who has a problem with this? Maybe that’s another group that I need….

PINTEREST

I LOVE Pinterest!! Absolutely love it. And since I love it, I figured I might as well create an account under my name. I’m sure it’s another avenue to get my blog out there. I just haven’t set aside the time to figure out how to do it. So until then, my Pinterest boards mostly have to do with writing, quotes, prompts and things along that line. My blog posts have not made it into the Pinterest world yet…. Is anyone using Pinterest? And if so, how do you use it in a blogging/writing capacity? I have no problem managing Pinterest on a personal level. I can spend hours pinning away.

dum de dum dum

TWITTER @katcarpita

I have a confession to make. Hashtags scare me. They scare me to the extent that I’m not even sure if they are one or two words. I thought they were one word but I see I have a zig zaggy red line under “hashtags” which tells me I’ve spelled it wrong?  So I really need to get a handle on the #’s. And yes, I don’t understand Twitter and I openly admit that I’ve spent more time complaining that I don’t get it than actually trying to get it.

For such a quiet person, I find myself exceeding the word limit most of the time and spending way too much time trying to re-word what I have to say. I seem to go in stops and starts. I know, I know. I can see you all shaking your heads, thinking, come on, Kat, it’s not that hard. You’ll have to trust me when I say it’s frustrating for me because I know I should understand it. 🙂 It’s causing me to have flashbacks to my high school data processing class that I nearly failed. (The ONLY class that I got a D in.)

My first step is going to be to go back to the beginning and read up on Twitter as if I had never seen it before. Then I’ll head back to my badly neglected Twitter account and try my hand at tweeting and hashtagging and interacting with the Twitting…..Tweeting world. (I will try not to drive Hugh crazy with a million questions, too!)

I’m going to take another look at Hugh’s – An Insider’s Guide to Planet Blog and More Blogging Tips From The Insider On Planet Blog . While I’m revisiting helpful blog posts, I’m also going to head over to Ronovan’s place to check out the archives in his Twitter Category. If you have Twitter issues, like I do, or are just looking for some good solid blogging tips, check these guys out!

Kat Got Your Tongue- Let’s Get Social!

Welcome to this week’s Kat Got Your Tongue Challenge!

I want to hear your thoughts on social media. It can be in relation to your blog- what social media do you use? or don’t use? What have you found to be successful? Or what really did NOT work?

Do you love it? Hate it? Tolerate it?

Do you have any tips to share?

Do you keep your blog’s social media separate from your private accounts?

Want to share links? Feel free to share them either in a pingback or in the comments section.

I will share them in next week’s prompt.

Guidelines-

Each Monday a prompt will be posted in the form of a word, phrase, photo, song, poem…

Share your thoughts in your own post in any form you like over the next week. You can write a poem, rant, share a picture…..

Create a pingback- (linking your post to the challenge post) or post in the comment section.

Remember to tag your post “katgotyourtongue” so we can find your post!

If you would like, you are welcome to use the “Kat Got Your Tongue Challenge” badge in your post.

This is a “just for fun” challenge- everyone is a winner here! I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Have fun!