Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Discovering Pinterest

By Katherine McIntyre

I resisted—for awhile. Years went by and I’d hear friends talking about the recipe they found on Pinterest, or that new craft they had to try. When I checked it out for myself though, I wasn’t too thrilled. For me, I’m fairly comfortable with Facebook, and if I keep up with a form of social media, I like having a practical application to it. When I want recipes though, I’ve got my resources, and chances are, I don’t embark on crafts unless I fully commit, like when I learned soapmaking.
However, this year changed all that. I discovered my practical application for Pinterest: inspiration boards for my books. Now, I’m sure this is no novel concept (har, har) for most writers, but I really have enjoyed this gamechanger. Despite being a writer, I’m actually not great with visualization. I need picture or art prompts to flesh out details of surroundings, and if I’ve never been to a place before, I spent a lot of time on street view in GoogleMaps. Since Pinterest involves organizing pictures to different boards, it was an easy step to pin pictures that fit the settings, style of dress, or technology from the different worlds I’ve created.
So of course, my Decadent releases were given designated boards. By the Sea is filled with beautiful pictures of coastal Massachusetts, selkies, and the rippling ocean at night, which are all themes and settings from the paranormal romance novelette. Same with my contemporary novella,

Poisoned Apple—I added in some Philly area diners, gritty street lamps, goth girls, and unique Snow Clear art since that story was the inspiration for this darker take. And as for my next Decadent Publishing release on the horizon, Soul Solution also has a board. It’s based on the Hans Christian Andersen story, String of Pearls, and part of the Beyond Fairytales line. I am beyond excited for this story, and in anticipation, I’ve been filling up the Soul Solution board with pictures of Copenhagen train line, Denmark, and dark, gritty clubs.
I’ve fallen prey to Pinterest, folks, but one thing it reveals is the sheer amount of different locations and places the stories take you. So if you’re craving summer escapes—books offer the cheapest vacation of them all!


By the Sea Buy Links

Poisoned Apple Buy Links

Social Media:

No comments: