How Very Pinteresting!

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Thursday, February 27, 2014

How Very Pinteresting!

Pinterest? What the heck is that? What could possibly be interesting about looking at someone else’s scrapbook posts? I couldn’t figure it out, chalking it up to another plot by Social Media to suck my time away.

Then I was getting my nails done (my only self-indulgence – snort!) and talk turned to food (it was after work and my stomach was growling!). My nail tech/hair wizard whips out her tablet, cues up her Pinterest page and starts scrolling through recipes. How cool is that?! And then we go to her board on nail art. OOO! LOVE IT! Okay, I’ve got to get into this. I’m raging ADD/OCD so I crave organization and sorting of any kind. By the time my acrylics are dry, I am on a mission to make Pinterest my slave. But how does it work?




My daughter-in-law co-worker Mary Gideon makes awesome repurposed jewelry and uses Pinterest to tuck away ideas and inspiration. In a matter of minutes she has me fixed up with an account. Now, what to do with it? What types of boards should I have and for what purpose (Oooh, list making. I am so fan girling!) Where do I find things to Pin and how do I go about it? The site has simple instructions and suggestions. Creating the boards (where you ‘Pin’ a collection of like-minded things under one heading) is a snap. Filling them is ridiculously easy. You can pull things saved on your own computer (pictures, etc.) by browsing or from the web (You Tube videos, articles, blog posts, etc.) using a specific URL. Put that PIN on a specific board, caption it – PIN. Done! The perfect place to store all those funnies that populate Facebook and clever videos you want to watch over and over. Mistakes are quickly edited. You can use the Search bar to see what others have pinned . . . and steal them for your own boards. Arrrrgh, Matey! Pins Ahoy! You can follow boards you like and their new Pins will pop up on your site like magic. And they will Follow yours. It’s Twitter in pictures!



Follow Nancy Gideon's board Nailed It on Pinterest.

Nails. I am a nail whore! I name my first board “Nailed It” and go in search of nail art. Pin Pin Pin Pin! What fun! Jewelry. I’m also a jewelry slut. “Bling-a-Ding-Ding.” Pin Pin Pin Pin! Squee! And it’s my lunch hour and I’m hungry. Start looking up those holiday recipes. Pin Pin Pin Pin! I am in obsessive compulsive heaven! Funny animal memes! Look, Squirrel! Oh, I am an addict at a Breaking Bad marathon! Before I know it, my lunch hour is long over and I’m jonesing for that next Pin.

Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all . . . Pinterest has made me its b*tch.

Trying to rein in my enthusiasm, I decide to see how other less out of control people use their Pinterest account. So I visit book buddy Eileen Dreyer. Okay, lots of recipes and bling but the clever girl also slips in book promotion. Boards on her research, on her characters, on the clothing they wear. Ahha! A sales pitch subliminally tucked in amongst the cuddly kittens and LOLs. I get it now. Pinterest is a visual Facebook profile of likes, activities and professional accomplishments!

Smug with this new knowledge, I begin to list boards with a purpose. About me. Communal likes and interests. Sharing who I am and what I do. AWESOME! And in no time, I have 19 Boards populated with Pins. Post-It Note Nirvana! Boards on where I’ve been, what I’ve read, what I’m religiously watching. Heroes, holidays, diets, theater and videos of music that Rocks! For readers and authors, posts on the writing life, the who’s who of my blog guests, book settings and trailers and what I imagine my characters look like. And, of course, my books. And Guinea pigs. You can attach your Pinterest boards to Facebook, to your blog, to your website. Pin suggestions will even appear in your e-mail.

Have I hooked you on Pinterest yet? Stop over to my page and browse. Better yet, invite me over to yours so we can share cat memes and hunky guys. And learn a lot about one another in a creative new way. And maybe even find a book to read.

If you’re a dedicated Pinner, what do you have on your page? If you’re heading over to visit mine, what would you like to see there?

Oh, look! Hugh Jackman without a shirt! Recipes to devour during the Oscars! Pin Pin Pin Pin!

12 comments

  1. Hi Nancy, I like it for all the people I can find on it that I can say this is what my characters look like in my wip. It helps to keep the hair/eye color straight, etc. I LOVE pinterest, but have to limit my time to it. It's got some incredible good looking hunks, er, um, men. LOL

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  2. The recipes hooked me too, Nancy. I've found its an easy way to find delicious looking treats all in one spot and theme. Now I'm eagerly heading to your board to learn how to use it creatively geared toward writing. Oh, and eye candy....yes!

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  3. Yikes! I have heard about it. My daughter is a forever fan! Guess I'm going to have to take a stab at it one of these days. Here's hoping I don't get stuck! (Sorry guys, I couldn't help it!) Go Nancy, more with the inspiration!

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  4. Hey there, Nancy. Love how you've organized your boards. I need to pay more attention to my board and make it more useful or my writing. Thanks for all the super suggestions. Now to try them out.

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  5. I'm surprised you didn't go on Pinterest long before this. I use my boards for ideas for my books along with "stuff" for me--fav movies, books, sayings. I also have a board for authors who've been on my blog and link to their interviews. Something fun and gives them exposure. When we were thinking about building, I started a board on what I'd like in my new house. Some ideas were way out there. Again, fun. Hope you enjoy Pinterest.

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    1. LOL. You know how I loathe new things and change. That's why it took forever for me to get a computer! I confess . . . I got the idea of pinning my guest posts from you!

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  6. I have an account but don't use it as much as FB. I have pins of hunky guys and pins of my covers. I also have pins of places I'd love to visit but really I can't afford to be sucked in. I have so many other things on my plate. :)

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    1. FB is my big time suck. I could scroll forever! Pintrest is more a lunch hour break. That helps keep it under control.

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  7. I've had a Pinterest account for me, but I recently opened a separate account for my alter ego, simply because I want to be able to keep the writing stuff separate. Right now I set it up with the idea a separate board for each book or series. We'll see how that works.

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  8. Oh dear. You made this sound so interesting, I went and opened an account and created two boards. Now I have one more thing to keep me away from writing. BUT, as you said, it is fun. AND I think I might actually find it helpful with my writing. That is, if I don't start spending too much time there.

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  9. I began pinning some time ago but only recently really took interest and started building more boards. Very addictive, I might add! I still have a lot of organizing to do! Just add a By Moonlight board - copied from you, of course!

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    1. Imitation is the highest form of flattery! Glad to help fill a board!

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