Choose your own Sharni Adventure

I wonder if you have a Writing Challenge for me? An Assignment? I know that may seem lazy...

My mind is bogged in websites and festivals and the blogging component of my brain is not getting much love.

I do wish to write. Sometimes something meaningful comes from a topic suggestion. Makes me delve into something I hadn't thought of myself... 

Help me dig out something good. I don't want to write odes to PMS or do lazy little intermissions. 

You deserve better.

So, is there anything you want to know about? Or just a quirky writing challenge? Please be my brain in these here frantic times.

Hit me with your bloggy sticks - hit me! hit me! 

Intermission

Monte with Rusty 

and Monte with his Pop at OHT Australia Day celebrations 

Cue in intermission music 

Haven't time for words right now. 

Show us your Tweets!

I am a new recruit to the world of twitter.  I have been on it for a while, but I have only really taken to  having a crack at it and learning about it in the last week.


I am pleased to report I am quite taken with him!


Sure, our first few dates were a disaster, but I have delved deeper and really tried to get to know Twitter - and have to tell you , he has really grown on me. (yes Twitter is a male, and no it has nothing to do with the word twit being in the word)


The whole concept of summing up what you want to say in 140 characters or less is a wordy challenge that I like! I am just quietly a fan of the status update on Facebook too. 


I'm a word nerd, if you please.


In some circles, Twitter has the reputation of being a useless add-on in the world of social media.


People who have come to this conclusion haven't really taken the time to get to know the charming young man, who at first seems a little shallow.


Sure, those who have misread his cues might find him to be nothing but a self-indulgent vehicle for people to lament how tired they are, or how hot it is. 


Hey I have toyed with these type of announcements too, they went down like a lead balloon. 


With good reason.


Happily, I have discovered his  good side (and have quickly learnt just not to follow those types - easy!)


When I first registered I threw myself into it by just randomly following a  stack of people. Anyone I came across.


I treated it like a numbers game, hoping they would follow me back.


 I quickly ditched this idea. 


It felt desperate and futile all at once.


Twitter wasn't at his best when I was just using him as a popularity contest.


 He left me feeling empty and wondering what the point was.


Then I started reading up on the art and science of Twitter. I was intrigued as to why so many people claimed they were hooked.


I was missing something, surely.


I started following 'Twitter tips" who have interesting lessons in tweeting. For example, to get news spread it is not how many you know, but who that counts (hence my culling) 


Another interesting snippet was how to get followers without following


Sure I had a heap of people to follow - but most of them were annoying the hell out of me with self-indulgent tweets.


I didn't care if they were hungry. 


So I 'un-followed' a heap, and found some more.


I found people of interest to follow, celebs I like - including Jane Kennedy, Sarah Wilson, Wil Anderson, Dave Hughes and Mia Freedman. They generally have good value tweets that often lead to interesting places, but of course like anyone are sometimes riddled with self-promotion (which is another point of it, so follow those who you don't mind reading about their products or gigs)


Stand up comedians are particularly good to follow as it allows them to perfect the one-liner! 




Twitter is also unique in that it gives you an opportunity to interact with celebs you admire. 


I have bantered back at a couple and happily received direct messages back. 


Gives your heart a little flutter to know the celebs you admire are a little more accessable! 


I have since started following Richard Fidler (love him on Conversations on ABC radio) and I follow Pro Blogger who advertise blogging jobs which I have been able to forward to appropriate friends.


Through following some PR groups and newsgroups, I get quick links to news of interest and feel my general knowledge is rapidly increasing.


In fact I think I would be a far more interesting guest at a dinner party now thanks to Twit.


For me, tweeting replaces watching or listening to the news.


I am going to read the news that interests me and save the propaganda of elsewhere for the masses. 
Tweeting lets you be selective in the news you want to read about. 


Following people with similar interest is a great way to fast track getting  the latest information on the stuff you are interested in.


I am loving it.


If you tweet with like-minded friends it can be better than a night at the pub AND you can quickly share great links - you can also toot your own horn guiding people to your blog posts. 


 Though having said this too much of this is a turn-off.


I think a balance of tooting your own horn, banter among friends, sharing interesting bits you have found online and following people you admire is my recipe for enjoying twitter.


So do you tweet? Join me!!! You don't tweet because you think it is silly? It really isn't, if you do it right, so I am learning anyhow. 


I am enjoying learning about it.


You can follow me here 

image from here

I'll warn you though, if you give me all your boring details in 140 characters or less, you will be culled.

Wilosophy DVD Winners

Thanks to all who enjoyed and commented and retweeted and facebooked the Wil Anderson interview.

Cowboy just drew two names randomly from the hat and the winners are:

Bryce, from Central Coast - whom I haven't seen around these parts before (and have a feeling I won't see him again..!) BUT big Congrats Bryce and thanks for tweeting!

and

Natasha from Muse of Flights of Fancy an avid commenter and it makes me happy to send you this prize!

Congratulations guys. I will await your contact details. If I don't hear back within hmmmm a week I will redraw.

Wil Anderson DVD Winner One

Rhona from Acting the Maggot is the winner of the first Wil Anderson DVD and he is on his way to her!! Congrats Rhona.

Thank-you to everybody who took the time to give me some feedback for that aswell. Appreciated! 

The second batch of Wil Anderson DVD winners will be drawn tomorrow so stay tuned! 

Thanks for all the entries!

The Wil Anderson interview made my ratings higher than Channel 7's for one evening. 

Who needs Home and Away when you have The Chronicles of Sharnia I ask you? 

I have become unfrozen and am busy working on the most talked about (by me at least) website since.... Perez Hilton....

Sharnanigans.com

So if I'm quiet, that is why. If I'm not, then I just am not. I have learnt not to make bold statements about disappearing from here because generally I am back within half an hour hahaha

I don't know where he gets it from

Empowered by the Blogosphere

I received two Best Blog Awards  today one from Tony at the Artisan of Spirit!
Thanks Tony, WOW you are a spiritual, worldly AND a hairdresser. Hello!


Just kidding Cowboy!


It is nice to know I have a man reader, aside from Cowboy... and my Dad. haha (and some that came out of the woodwork lured by the Wil Anderson giveaway probably never to be seen again)  


and the second one from Aine at the Evolving Spirit - a very inspiring and knowledgable lady - I am honoured!! Thankyou!


Two in one day was enough for me to break some funky dance moves around the kitchen table!
You know my favourites are to the side of me so I am not going to give them any more awards, just yet. 


So I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about different kind of blogging that I have discovered.


This week I was curator on She Writes , which meant I had to look in the members list of blogs and review some of them to share.


There is quite a gathering of bloggers on there - 800 or so, so I suggest you get on board if this is indeed your thang!


I'd like to share with you one that I discovered from this list and what I wrote about it: 

photo from here 

 Afghan Women Writers Project

An amazing blog to discover!


The Afghan Women Writers project began as an idea during novelist Masha Hamilton’s trip to Afghanistan in November 2008.


 Her interest in the country sparked in the late 1990’s when she understood it was one of the worst places in the world to be a woman.

The first post I read on this blog “Escape from the Taliban” is incredibly stirring. 


It feels very important that the women of and from Afghanistan are given a voice and I think blogging is a sensational outlet for this. 


So, for this reason I think this blog is a very important one to read and to support.
You can also make a donation on the site to help Online Donations to the Afghan Women’s Writing Project will purchase laptop computers and Internet access for female Afghan writers
                                                                

****

 I was "introduced" to an amazing blogger and social media expert Laurel Papworth via an ex work colleague of mine recently.


While flicking through her website I became intrigued to read about the work she has done with women in Saudi Arabia.


She was invited over there to run workshops for Saudi Arabian women teaching them how to use social media.


The idea being similar to the Afghan Women's Writers Project, to help give these women who live in a patriarchal society - a voice.


I found this a fascinating read - check out her interview about her  experience here. 


Also thanks to Corinne for introducing me to My Marrakesh, some stunning imagery from Kabul in Afghanistan from an American lady living over there.


Some days I might sit down at the Chronicles and decide I am having a shit-house day, and I think to myself bugger it I am going to write a poem about PMS.


It is not until you see blogs such as these, that you take a step back and have a good hard think about the rubbish we sometimes rave on with!


Sure, some minor irritability that lasts 2-5 days can be annoying, and of course ,compleeeetely fascinating blogging material, but the women and websites I  have mentioned today have really inspired me.


They have really brought home to me that while blogging is indeed a great unclogger and social medium that can be used for rants about PMS - it can also be a liberating and powerful medium for so much more than that. 


Makes me love the blogosphere even more!