Author Appleton

Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery

writers

Will Content Creators shape the Future Social Media Landscape? Or are they doomed to follow it?

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Amid the prominent censorship by tech giants Twitter, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon, the question occurred to me: Who will win the info wars? Will conservative voices and even independent voices be silenced on the web, or is there a path for us to succeed? What about to win against the tech giants! Wouldn’t that be encouraging for freedom-lovers the world over?

The story is widespread: Twitter took down Donald Trump’s account, and shortly afterwards Apple banned Parler from their App Store. Not only that, but Amazon has kicked Parler off of their web hosting service!

Now, for the purposes of this article, I am not interested in the politics of these tech giants’ actions. Rather, it occurred to me that the conclusion to all of this is going to be determined by Content Creators . . .. And I think that Facebook, Twitter, Apple, and Amazon are completely unaware of this. Why? Because they are confident of their culturally-pervasive political stances.

I have long said that book publishers have it wrong when they try to follow trends in the market, because great content creates trends. As it stands, most of them follow the trends in the hopes of launching books into categories that have already proven popular. Right now, Facebook is dominant in the social media sphere. Vastly dominant and there is no denying it! But that is because all of the interesting content is published there, and it is published by the everyday mom and Joe. So who holds the power of societal influence? Facebook, or everyday mom and Joe?

Imagine that your favorite TV shows move to an alternative social media platform. Say, like DailyWire.com Then you notice that the authors that you love to follow are on MeWe as well. A conservative-owned manufacturer of quality makeup moves to MeWe. Your favorite YouTube channel moves elsewhere due to censorship . . . Is it now so hard to see who is in control?

Content consumers, whether they are book readers, television viewers, or podcast listeners, are going to follow the content creators. This is is why, throughout history, writers have had enormous impact on societies. Such is the power of writers that they have been feared and outlawed, their works burned, and consequently their names growing in fame.

I believe that we writers are not dependent on which media platform is reaching the right people. Instead we are creatively building a following of like-minded individuals who are hungry for the content that we are producing. Money talks! and if we take our content elsewhere and the readers follow, then we are steering society instead of letting it drag us down. Why? Because YouTube, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram… all of them would not have this power without OUR content. If they become boring, why would people stay?

If they censor us, then they do it at their own peril. Because those of us who write do not do it for the money, we do it because we love it, because we are passionate for the power of the written word. If we are fearless, bringing out content to platforms that do not censor us, then the starving consumers will follow us . . . and who’s to say that big tech companies will find themselves replaced by different platforms that encourage Free Speech! After all, in America we have long enjoyed our freedoms and most of us are loathe to part with them. This is the power of capitalism to encourage the rise of something new to replace that which is authoritarian.

Personally I am tired of Facebook and Twitter censoring what I have to share. They don’t like my politics most of the time, and they do not like my pro-life stance, so they have messed with my posts quite a number of times. The bulk of my writing content will continue to live here on my website, where censors can’t touch me, but I do enjoy connecting with folks online through social media. So I recently adopted the Facebook alternative site MeWe and I am quite enjoying. It feels like FB did a decade ago, uncensored! Feel free to connect with me on there: mewe.com/i/scottappleton2

Q: Do you believe that writers are stuck with popular social media sites, or can they gather followers by leading the way to new and better content curation sites?

Reflecting on the future you

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While cleaning and organizing a bunch of stuff recently, I glanced at a couple of manuscripts that I started writing almost ten years ago. What caught my attention was how well the prose flowed. One manuscript in particular brought me back, it is titled The Death Knight Chronicles and I wrote it as a dark follow-up to the primary The Sword of the Dragon series. After years of published writing under my belt I realized how many highs and lows my career has experienced. I’m sure every writer feels the same way.

Do you ever find yourself reflecting on your past accomplishments, much like you do on your past failings? I do. It is unavoidable when the vision for my writing future is to return to that lifestyle of frequent writing, signings, and some speaking engagements.

Sometimes it is only in looking back at our own life that we can grasp a firm hold on our future.

Stories flowing unhindered by multiplied obligations and responsibilities. Time dedicated to pursuing the passion that the soul is eager to set on fire.

But it is in looking back that suddenly my vision for the future is encouraged. Why? Because suddenly I can see an older, more matured and experienced version of that younger, passionate me. I see myself looking around at my growing family, my children pursuing their own passions. Difficult stages of life behind me, lessons learned, greater understanding achieved. It will be a beautiful thing.

And when that future me is turning pen to paper, so to speak, he will have a deeper well of inspiration from which to draw. God will have imparted experience and wisdom that before could not be communicated by written words.

Younger me had failings and successes, and the words poured freely into the stories and articles he pursued. Today’s me is struggling with different things, and growing through greater challenges, being matured as a Christian husband and father.

Nowadays I have a lot to write but not as much time to do it. Wow, future me is going to have a lot to write.

Q: Are you catching the vision for your future self?

Materialism: the writer’s enemy

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Recently I took my wife and kids to the mall. It is only about twenty-five minutes from our house but I had never been. In fact, it had been a long while since I had been in any mall. Firstly, I am not a big shopper and second, I find malls are filled with clothing above all else (which generally I find clothes shopping boring). We only moved to South Carolina in the past year so there is much of the area yet to explore. But in my trip to the mall I was reminded of the dangers of materialism and specifically how they impede creativity and writing.

After eating dinner we had walked through a portion of the mall. As I said before there were many clothing stores but there were also other shops. The myriad of jewelry stores, a few department stores, various kiosks in the aisle offering anything from bracelets to perfume. Then, on the lower level, there was an apple store. You must understand that I am not an Apple-only customer. My laptops have always been Windows machines due to the flexibility of the programing. However, I bought an iPad2 a few years back and have been thrilled with the quality of the product. Battery still holds almost 10-hours of life. I’ve dropped the thing on a tile floor and still it works seamlessly. But I have never been inside of an Apple store, though many people have told me it is fascinating because they carry the latest gadgets.

I love gadgets. Technology fascinates me and I do not mind spending good money on tech that lasts longer and gives me greater flexibility in my life. My wife stopped at one shop and I walked off with my youngest boys in the stroller to check out the Apple store. When I arrived I stood outside of the doorway and looked in. It looked like fun. But the desire to go in and fiddle with the new tech left me. I found myself thinking about all of the good in life that I have… and I have it without creating new cravings for more stuff.

Do not get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with shopping for good tech. But in that moment I realized that I have all I need. A beautiful wife and four great kids, a house and a bit of land, and a good job. Above all of that is God’s love surrounding and feeding that contentment.

No greater illustration can be given of this struggle than that of Pilgrim’s Progress, in which Christian carries a burden of sin along his journey to the Celestial City. The writer is Christian and the burden is Materialism. Especially in America where we are given so much and given the opportunity for so much more. Materialism consumes many of us. It drowns creativity and exterminates healthy ambitions.

I do not want to be always desirous of the things in this life, I want to be creative in expressing the love, the satisfaction, and benefits I enjoy. Writing is my way of expressing myself and when I write I convey the things that matter most to me and why they matter most to me.

Materialism is the writer’s enemy. Seeking after things only leads to more lust. Seeking instead to find that inner peace and communion with God leads to an abundance of creativity.

Q: How do you view materialism?

3 Elements of Creative Thinking

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Often the best things in life cannot be forced into existence. It is not easy to think creatively. Sometimes the creation flows, bringing us endless smiles. Other times we are hanging on a thin rope over the edge of a black chasm, groping helplessly for that sliver of light that will bring our creativity back.

Creative thinking is composed of three key elements:

  1. Absorption
  2. Reflection
  3. Inspiration

We start by absorbing books, music, movies, conversations with friends, and activities with family. Thinking of ourselves as a large pool, absorption is the process of filling up with so many ideas or concepts that our creative reservoir reaches maximum potential.

With all the new ideas, considerations, and dilemmas flowing through our mind we are ready to sit back and reflect. Meditation frees the mind to examine how best to use our creativity. Process it before we move forward on a particular creative path, whether that be writing a blog post, drafting a novel, painting a picture. The possibilities of creativity are endless.

Inspiration at last kicks in. Our brain is overflowing with ideas. Some good and some not, yet we can move forward. The reservoir is full and ready to take pen to paper, plan to the drawing board, hands to the loom.

Question: What have you done to break into creative thinking?