As it happens, nothing too awful. When I embarked upon my first live Q&A session on Twitter and Facebook last week, there was (in my mind) potential for all sorts of diabolical subversion. But it wasn’t too bad. In fact, it was almost fun. To make it actually fun, there are a few things I would have done differently and certainly some aspects I wish I had thought about more carefully. But overall – whether you are a writer, artist, musician or creative of any kind – putting yourself on a live interactive forum is a fabulous (if somewhat nerve-wracking) opportunity to reach your audience in a different way. For anyone thinking about doing it for the first time, here are some thoughts…
Plan ahead. Sounds obvious, but worth mentioning. Give yourself time to jiggle up some interest on your blog, social media, whatever. Specify a date and times – I went for a Friday evening 7pm – 9pm. I would recommend going no longer that two hours, believe me, it’s exhausting. I didn’t get around to answering absolutely all the questions, but you can always apologise and promise to arrange another session.
It’s all about the questions. Some people will send you questions in advance (see above) and this is a good thing, you at least have a chance to prepare some relatively sensible answers. If you are worried about not having enough questions to fill the time, have a few on standby as back up. Think of things people ask you often about yourself or your work and use this opportunity to share your thoughts. Get friends on standby to ping across a question or two to get the ball rolling or pick up the pace.
Although you can never be quite sure what questions might crop up, you can probably guess some likely themes. As I writer, I usually get asked what I most like and dislike about writing, how/when I started, who are my influences… that sort of thing. Have a little think on such things and make a few notes beforehand.
Technical practicalities. Or perhaps that should be practical technicalities? Either way, you need to know that your equipment works and you know how to use it. This was the biggest downfall on my part. I had planned to ‘go live’ from my laptop and spent quite some time setting it up with good lighting, making sure there would be no background or spill sound and ensuring I had room to move without tripping over cables and whatnot. Having only ever used Facebook Live on my phone – and never attempted the ‘go live’ feature on Twitter – I realised too late that there was no live button on my desktop versions and my phone was not fully charged.
Obviously, I managed, but was kicking myself for not at least having a technical run-through before the event itself. By this point, my hands where sweaty, I was finding the Twitter Live feature cumbersome and the whole thing was nowhere near as slick as I had planned. There was much uttering of ‘bugger’ as I tried to end the broadcasts and also unintended random shots of ceilings and floors as I wrestled with the technology. Not ideal.
Many hands make light work. For the next broadcast, I will certainly enlist the help of a willing assistant. Even an unwilling one will do. Whilst certainly not impossible to accomplish single-handedly, I personally would have appreciated an extra pair of hands on the night. Having someone else hold the camera would have been easier. It would have been nice to have another set of eyes on the questions that came relentlessly across both platforms. A bit of moral support. That sort of thing. Anyone prepared to give up a few hours of their time will be royally rewarded with shepherds pie and wine.
I won’t bore you with the whole spectacle, but here are a few clips from the live Q&A. Lots of room for improvement, but lots of lessons learned – not least of which is don’t tell people you don’t know who Sally Phillips is, as you will be immediately bombarded with endless links.
Lucy Brazier 
Sally Phillips? Her what played Forest Gump’s mother? You look nothing like her! Well done on the live thing though, I’m sure it will be seamless next time 🙂
I don’t know who she is but I was surprised about the comparison! Practice makes perfect 😉
I do hope it isn’t Boris; that would mean there was still only one crazy Boris lover rather than two!
Listen, I am the craziest of crazy Boris-lovers – no arguments! Even if this woman isn’t Boris, she isn’t quite as crazy as me. Her crazy is focused only on one thing (Boris) whereas my crazy is spread far and wide. Therefore, I am the craziest.
I have no idea why I felt the need to defend my position on this.
You obviously feel very strongly about your craziness; this is admirable; I was merely pointing out her niche of crazy; the systematic spread of your brand of crazy is in a league of its own…I salute you…
Quite right. What you see here is proper craziness, not some half-arsed niche craziness. I am tramp in a ditch crazy, this lady is barely even mental.
There’s medication for her condition; what you’ve got hasn’t even made it into the DSM-5, or the urban dictionary!
It’s my own unique crazy condition! Loons would pay good money to have what I’ve got. I consider myself very special.
And so you should! I’ve got a certified nutter living near me who’d masturbate in front of a psychiatrist for what you’ve got…hold on to it dearly.
What a pleasant image. It hasn’t put me off my tea at all 🤣
Why would it…?
You little scamp, you…
You got me 🙂
I’ll help next time if you like…although I am not exactly conveniently located…
I don’t know who Sally Phillips is either…
Ooh thank you. You and hat Wombles can come for a sleepover if you like.
Poor Sally Phillips. I am more famous than her 😐
oooh! we would like that very much!!
we will bring gin and bernards! (for after an epic live performance of course)
I googled her… she has been in films and stuff! But you are far more awesome and should be more famous…after all you make up new worlds out of your head and everything…actresses just step into other peoples made up new worlds (although I assume it is harder than I am making it sound)
That is officially a Good Idea! In fact, why not let the Wombles do the broadcast, while we attend to the gin and Bernards? Wombles are very reliable and no one will notice it isn’t me 🙂
Acting is quite hard, as I understand it, but I agree that I should be given a smidge more credit as I actually invent stuff from my brain. Good luck to Sally, though, I;m sure she’s lovely!
I am sure the Wombles would do a fine job and we would have plenty to occupy ourselves with Gin and Bernards!! This is defintiely a Good Idea!! 😀
Actually…if our portrayal of emotions for the Tony Blair trailer was anything to go by, acting is pretty hard…
I do still think you deserve more credit though 😀 using your brain to make stuff up is hard and you do it very well! 😀
I am sure she is, she looks nice enough based on her IMDb profile…
Tell the Wombles to prepare themselves, then, and probably a good idea if they read my books as well as people tend to ask a lot of questions about them, for some reason 🙂
Sally seems lovely, and I can’t believe I didn’t know who she is as she as been in lots of brilliant things. But I bet even she would have struggled to do the ‘concerned’ look, repeatedly, especially after already having done ‘thoughtful’ and ‘celebratory’. I still love that that scene had more hats than people 🙂
They will get on it…they like reading so I am sure that will work perfectly 😁
Just in case people ask about them… although I imagine they will be distracted by wombles and ask about recycling…
I think even the greatest actor and actress in he world would have trouble doing that much “concerned” on demand!!
I love the hat:person ratio too it was perfect!!
Wombles really are the greatest asset to society, I don’t know why they are not more highly recognised for their contribution. They should be knighted. Arise, Sir Uncle Bulgaria!
This is where our current government are going wrong. Not enough hats. 😀
They should definitely get more recognition… I think we should start an online petition for the official recognition of the wombles vital role within modern society! I feel sure people would sign it!
Come to think of it, I don’t remember ever seeing a member of our current government wearing a hat…how can they be trustworthy at all if they don’t wear hats… they don’t even leave them lying around in the background of shots…
If Corbyn is really serious about running the country, he had better get hats (plus spares) for all his shadow cabinet at once. I’m surprised that the likes of Boris don’t have at least a couple of hats. I suppose they went the way of the trousers…
I wouldn’t be surprised if that is why his last shadow cabinet all revolted… no hats!
I don’t think I’d trust Boris with a hat, there’d be hat dropping before you know it! and attempting to fit tiny hats onto giant Boris heads which wouldn’t do at all…
and all that without trousers!
Boris’ head is massive. I think his hair is sort of a substitute hat – at least it can’t be removed. Now we just need some non-removable trousers. Mind you, then he wouldn’t be able to perform his role as decoy politician quite so ably. And goodness knows, they need his decoy services!
That is the first time I have ever felt affinity with Boris…I have a massive head and massive hair too… I suspect that is the only similarity mind you…
hang on… yes… I am still wearing trousers!! 😀
I think his role as decoy politicin is now vital to keeping the government in power… he may need more than obsessive trouser dropping mind you… unless he does it in parliament or in front of the Queen
(sorry The Queen for suggesting that)
Don’t worry, I don’t think The Queen reads this blog, so hopefully she won’t be traumatised by this image. Speaking of Boris, have a look at this post from a Boris-loving website. I thought at first it was a parody but it is apparently completely sincere. The Boris-loving author has confused Brexit with Transformers the Movie and the results are baffling and quite funny (also check out the quotes on the right-hand sidebar!)
https://cyberboris.wordpress.com/2017/06/28/the-decepticons-are-trying-to-bring-down-our-pm-boris-and-brexit/
First…the queen should read this blog, I think she’d like it and would put us in charge straight away!
Second, that blog is madness… I am not an expert in politics, but if there is one thing I am sure of it is that Boris Johnson is not Optimus Prime!
He isn’t bumblebee either…
I hope she would like it, after all she wears a crown and a crown is the greatest hat of all!
Isn’t it a very special blog? It’s usually drivel but very occasionally you get something as gloriously mental as this. It’s not even political because she hates EVERYONE except Boris. I suspect that Boris isn’t a Transformer at all, but, as you say, we aren’t experts. (I sort of wish he was Bumblebee!)
Hats are indeed the greatest crowns of all…
I think I meant that the other way around…but I am leaving it like that anyway because I believe it is true both ways around 😀
As far as I could tell everyone is a decepticon apart from Boris…
but I am with you, I don’t think he is a Transformer at all…he doesn’t appear to be a Robot in Disguise… that is the point of disguise I suppose but I think they have to be disguised as something less fleshy…
(I don’t think he is yellow enough to be Bumblebee…although I have never seen Bumblebee wear trousers so who knows…)
I like the hat theory, yes, it works both ways! 😀
I also like that there is a website devoted entirely to the slavish adoration of Boris, however inappropriate that attention might be. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think that it might actually be written by Boris himself… trouserless, in his office (possibly being a robot in disguise), forever thinking up new posts and quotes about himself. That must be it!
It can’t possibly be written by anyone else!
The fact that he is masquerading as a knitting pattern designer is even more disturbing…
Boris the (possible transformer) trouserless knitting pattern designing blogger… sounds perfectly normal!
I think that all of the above it absolutely true, because it sounds like it came from Who Shot Tony Blair? and nearly all of that has turned out to be true in one way or another. Yet further evidence of my fictional writing influencing real life. Still no sign of the gin rivers and Bernard trees, however.
It does doesn’t it! You are indeed a prophet!
I am sure the Gin rivers and Bernard trees will be along in due course…they are probably in the experimental stage in the botanical gardens just now!
I am almost convinced that this is true!!
Me too!
It pretty much has to be 🙂
Thank you Lucy for reminding me of the crazy-boris-loving-blog-loon! You should really reblog the best ones; this woman needs exposure!
I think I might, some of them are brilliant. A lot of them are the rantings of a lunatic, but the odd one pops up that is properly hilarious. I’m still in half a mind that it’s actually Boris himself behind these posts…