As an English major, who should you be following on Twitter?
Whether you’re looking for inspiration, motivation, or just some humor to get you through the day, here’s our round-up of Twitter accounts that are either relevant or beneficial to English majors:
Note: This is by no means a comprehensive list, but instead showcases a sampling of the great Twitter accounts out there that can be appreciated by English majors.
Writing Resources
Looking for writing prompts, writing advice, and other writing-related things? Give these accounts a follow! They might just help you start your next great piece of writing.
Advice to Writers @AdviceToWriters
I think a title is like a magnet. It begins to draw these scraps of experience or conversation or memory to it. Eventually, it collects a book.
LOUISE ERDRICH#amwriting #writing #writingtips pic.twitter.com/5EkDu9R5sz— Jon Winokur (@AdviceToWriters) November 17, 2018
AP Stylebook @APStylebook
Two people look at each other. More than two look at one another. Either phrase may be used when the number is indefinite: We help each other. We help one another.
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) November 26, 2018
Grammar Girl @GrammarGirl
https://twitter.com/GrammarGirl/status/1067117608699215872
Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster
If something 'ineffable' is incapable of being expressed in words, would its opposite therefore be 'effable'?
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) November 26, 2018
NaNoWriMo @NaNoWriMo
Break it down into smaller goals. 30k/8 days = 3750 words a day. 3750 words a day/4 hrs of writing a day = 938 words an hour. You got this! Or at least you can get closer than you think! 😀 #NaNoCoach https://t.co/Gw2pmT8pDR
— NaNoWriMo (@NaNoWriMo) November 23, 2018
Poets & Writers @poetswritersinc
#WritingPrompt: “I would still like to know things. Never mind facts. Never mind theories, either,” the narrator states in Alice Munro’s “The Turkey Season.” Write a short story with a narrator who looks back on a past holiday season #TTIN https://t.co/Ggg1XelABH pic.twitter.com/aPNsY697l7
— Poets & Writers (@poetswritersinc) November 24, 2018
Writer’s Digest @WritersDigest
This week's #writingprompt is especially colorful! https://t.co/iQIiHnU90G
— Writer's Digest (@WritersDigest) November 14, 2018
Writer’s Edit @WritersEdit
Hands up if you're working on a #fantasy series at the moment! https://t.co/qy1ruGYpEI #amwritingfantasy #fantasyauthors pic.twitter.com/nFz5zvgXVk
— Writer's Edit (@WritersEdit) November 25, 2018
Writer’s Relief @WritersRelief
https://twitter.com/WritersRelief/status/1067553720358047744
Literary Organizations & Libraries (& Related Resources)
Keep up with the latest book and author news by following accounts that are run by literary organizations and blogs, as well as libraries.
American Library Association @ALALibrary
Not everyone can give financially on #GivingTuesday, so today we also want to promote Library Kindnesses, or small kindnesses you can perform to support your libraries and librarians. #GiveALA pic.twitter.com/XWDXyGtsTO
— American Library Association (@ALALibrary) November 27, 2018
Book Riot @BookRiot
Essays—they can be about anything, using any kind of style and tone, for any purpose! Don't miss these 20 essay collections from 2018: https://t.co/3kVkx50qwW pic.twitter.com/rDAjhwpUOx
— Book Riot (@BookRiot) November 18, 2018
Dear English Major @DearEnglishMjr
🍎✏️ "I discovered that even though my job was to teach others, I wound up learning a lot myself – not only about teaching, but about English too!"https://t.co/kyDLyQvcWh
— Dear English Major (@DearEnglishMjr) November 15, 2018
Electric Literature @ElectricLit
From Frances Yackel, a list of writing residencies that won't break the bank. https://t.co/jCgaXRKwFd
— Electric Literature (@ElectricLit) November 12, 2018
Goodreads @goodreads
The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2018 https://t.co/gIqBclctV8 pic.twitter.com/8X399PALUj
— Goodreads (@goodreads) November 28, 2018
L.A. Public Library @LAPublicLibrary
Even though libraries are closed today we have #BlackFriday deals online.
Free e-books
Free music
Free movies
Free magazines
All at https://t.co/C4NedXEawJ— L.A. Public Library (@LAPublicLibrary) November 23, 2018
Library of Congress @librarycongress
Today in History: Louisa May Alcott born, 1832, on same date as her father Amos (1799), father of the "Little Women" #hbd #otd #tih https://t.co/j2nEw2vpDL pic.twitter.com/6tGBAqjYCp
— Library of Congress (@librarycongress) November 29, 2018
Literary Hub @lithub
"I wrote a really bad first draft, and that is my aspiration from here on out, to write bad first drafts."
Interviews with all five of the 5 (Under 35). https://t.co/oYAL7izXVN
— Literary Hub (@lithub) November 13, 2018
The Millions @The_Millions
"This was how I learned to articulate something about fiction writing: that you write to describe something you learn from your life but that is not described by describing your life." Alexander Chee on the relationship between fiction and memoir: https://t.co/wVzKMW3XVA pic.twitter.com/KN5eB6Xsbm
— The Millions (@The_Millions) November 27, 2018
NY Public Library @nypl
Did you love The Hate U Give? Check out this list of reading recs with similar themes. https://t.co/aOvmfLJYKk
— NY Public Library (@nypl) November 27, 2018
Poetry Foundation @PoetryFound
The dazzled eyes with pride, which great ambition blinds,
Shall be unsealed by worthy wights whose foresight falsehood finds.—Queen Elizabeth I with our #PoemoftheDay. https://t.co/TXsBaTtCMP
— Poetry Foundation (@PoetryFound) November 17, 2018
Literary Journals & Related Resources
If you’re interested in seeing your work published in a literary journal someday, following these accounts might be a good place to start. You’ll gain greater insight into what kind of work they publish and be able to stay updated on various deadlines.
Creative Nonfiction @cnfonline
From books to magazine articles to podcasts, creative nonfiction surrounds us. Learn how to use the building blocks of the genre—scene, character, dialogue, and reflection—to write your own true stories. Visit https://t.co/4Beu7aTv4v to learn more & enroll. With @thewordcellar pic.twitter.com/6PFmx0g1wx
— Creative Nonfiction (@cnfonline) November 26, 2018
Indiana Review @IndianaReview
In “Cousin Mike: A Memoir,” Nester explores familial relationships in lists, texts, and emails. Feat. selected by @annablabs: "I’ve rarely seen an essay that takes such risks and succeeds so wildly." https://t.co/0fJ2LoFMBK #IndianaReview #OnlineFeature #nonfiction
— Indiana Review (@IndianaReview) November 26, 2018
The Iowa Review @IowaReview
NONFICTION:
…prose writing that is informative or factual rather than fictional (OED)
…writing or cinema that is about facts and real events (Merriam-Webster)
…what we want you to submit!! (The Iowa Review)
Click the link in our bio, & shoot some nonfiction our way!
— The Iowa Review (@IowaReview) November 14, 2018
Kenyon Review @kenyonreview
"The novel is perhaps the highest art form because it so closely resembles life."―Joyce Carol Oates
— Kenyon Review (@kenyonreview) November 27, 2018
The Missouri Review @Missouri_Review
Congratulations to poetry contributor John James for winning the second annual Max Ritvo Poetry Prize! If you haven't already, take a look at his poems in our Fall 2018 issue "Practical Living"
Check out his website to read some of his poetry now: https://t.co/2QB8TRQML2
— The Missouri Review (@Missouri_Review) November 8, 2018
New Pages @newpages
#Poets, AuthorsPress is seeking work you define as your magnum opus for a forthcoming anthology due out in 2019. There is no fee to submit. Deadline is December 31, 2018. Only one poem under 50 lines considered from each #writer. https://t.co/Z4ee04c5vH pic.twitter.com/TTP8p2xrl6
— NewPages.com (@newpages) November 27, 2018
The Paris Review @parisreview
“One of my Ten Commandments for biographers, in ‘This Long Pursuit,’ is ‘Thou shalt be Humble about it, for it demonstrates that we can never know, or write, the Last Word about the Human Heart.’ ” —Richard Holmes https://t.co/D98qn33Mp1
— The Paris Review (@parisreview) November 27, 2018
Ploughshares @pshares
Weekly Featured Poetry: Read "Side Effects" by Dean Young from our Winter 2001-02 issue https://t.co/IUdokhOtyP pic.twitter.com/7Iljr0wbHR
— Ploughshares (@pshares) November 26, 2018
The Review Review @TheReviewReview
"So you decide to write a flash piece. Then another. And another. And while you’re writing these flash pieces, you begin to notice connections…" Maybe you should write a chapbook?: https://t.co/xUQvWKzVVa
— The Review Review (@TheReviewReview) November 19, 2018
Submittable @submittable
Do you find it difficult to work in silence? You're not alone! Guest blogger Cynthia Kaserkie shares her top 5 favorite ambient noise generators to help fuel your creativity. https://t.co/hb3818FRzS
— Submittable (@submittable) November 26, 2018
Tin House @Tin_House
“This is what grief could be like
its clever enamel Instead it is a blue bowl
it is jealous nothing but a beating a deep shoulder bruise
from breaking open my own door” — @TheGalester https://t.co/Vp6jBbQI27— Tin House (@Tin_House) November 14, 2018
Publishing Houses
Keep up with the publishing houses behind some of your favorite books – all while learning more about the publication process and discovering some new books and authors.
HarperCollins @HarperCollins
Need some conversation starters for #Thanksgiving dinner? Why not bring Fictitious Dishes—an album of literature's most memorable meals—to the table: https://t.co/zDqgwUMgzr pic.twitter.com/iB2kduuQ2P
— HarperCollins (@HarperCollins) November 21, 2018
Little, Brown and Co @littlebrown
Here are some award-winning books that you NEED to read (including LESS and BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD). https://t.co/UXnnuGxW7U pic.twitter.com/ft6UA7Qkay
— Little, Brown and Co (@littlebrown) November 25, 2018
Penguin Books @PenguinBooks
We’re thankful for books (today and every day)!! 📚 #HappyThanksgiving pic.twitter.com/gSwk8eHHQh
— Penguin Books (@PenguinBooks) November 22, 2018
Random House @randomhouse
Do you love books, based on your zodiac sign:
aries: yes
taurus: beyond a doubt
gemini: by all means
cancer: certainly
leo: definitely
virgo: indubitably
libra: most assuredly
scorpio: naturally
sagittarius: duh
capricorn: positively
aquarius: unquestionably
pisces: without fail— Random House Group (@randomhouse) November 27, 2018
Simon & Schuster @SimonBooks
“A riveting mix of true crime, history, biography, & immersion journalism. . . . celebrates libraries as sanctuaries, community centers, & open universities run by people of commitment, compassion, creativity, & resilience.”
—@ALA_Booklist (starred review)https://t.co/PDpQG6SSnQ pic.twitter.com/NpID4rxP3w— Simon & Schuster (@SimonBooks) November 28, 2018
UW-Green Bay English
Last but not least, the UW-Green Bay English Department is active on Twitter in several different forms. We might be a bit biased, but we think these accounts deserve a follow!
Sheepshead Review @sheepsheadrev
It’s official, Fall 2018 edition of Sheepshead Review has been submitted to print! #Getpublished #sheepsheadreview
— Sheepshead Review (@sheepsheadrev) November 12, 2018
UW-Green Bay English @UWGBEnglish
It's officially Sunday. That means it's the last day for @uwgbnovelists to get to that 50k! Seeing a lot of late night word counts! You guys got this! #teamthisisfine #thisisfine #amwriting pic.twitter.com/iZemxyeN7U
— UWGB English (@UWGBEnglish) November 25, 2018
UW-Green Bay Novelists @uwgbnovelists
Who among the @uwgbnovelists will be the
NEXT
to reach
50,000
WORDS? #wewillwriteallthewords #teamthisisfine #amwriting
Tweet at me, I’m lonely, yo— NovelWritingWorkshop (@uwgbnovelists) November 24, 2018
Other Twitter Suggestions
- Your favorite authors
- Your local library
- Librarians and other literary advocates
- Reading and literacy organizations