How to Use Pinterest as an Author

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Pinterest is one of those things that most people have … but very few people use.

Sure, you dink around on it for an average of ten hours a day and now you feel like you’re attached to your account at the waist (you laughed, you cried, you smiled … you don’t take that kind of relationship lightly). But does anyone actually have a reason for being on there?

Most would say no.

As an author, I say yes.

Let’s talk about that. (Look at me, getting all Rhett&Link-ish!)

Let me start with a small but important admission: I spent too much time on Pinterest.

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Well, more accurately, I either don’t spend time on Pinterest at all or I spend two hours on it. There is no in-between.

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We all admit that Pinterest is an addictive waste of time. However, as an author, you should really use the wide variety of resources Pinterest places at your fingertips.

So. Are you ready to reorganize your boards in a way that will change your waste of time to your inspiration?

If so, let’s begin!

First, what kind of boards do you need?

Before you can organize the actual boards, you need to figure out how you want them organized. What boards do you need? Well, every author is different, but here are the kinds of (writing-related) boards I made.

Work-in-Progress Boards. In these boards, you’ll contain your inspiration for your works-in-progress. For example, my board for Caught in a Spell.

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Inspirational Boards. In which you’ll store things that might inspire future stories/characters/etc. Personally, I have a board for character inspiration, a board for setting inspiration, a board for quotes, and a board for writing prompts. I may create more down the road.

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How-To Boards. You may call yourself an expert, but here’s a little secret: there’s no such thing as an expert writer! Writing is not a craft you become an ‘expert’ at. You’re always learning. Therefore, I have my All About Writing board and my Character Development board. I also have a History board and an Old-Fashioned Fashions board. You might need a ‘weapons’ board or a ‘nursing’ board depending on what you’re writing about.

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Random Boards. Even the more specifically-writing pinners have random boards! I have one for words and . Then there’s this one. No one really knows what it’s for … Okay, who am I kidding? I do. But you don’t … *mysteriousness*

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I also have a lot of boards that aren’t writing-related and my blogging boards (so I can pin graphics and such), so remember it doesn’t have to be all work and no play.