Should Your Lead Character Have A Twitter Account?

[Paul Whybrow]

A few months ago, I suggested the idea of giving your main character their own email account:

https://colony.litopia.com/threads/protagonist-email-account.6256/

Recently, I’ve been exploring Twitter, seeking out Colony members and Crime genre authors and literary agents who like crime novels. I intended to use this personal account to make contacts and to promote myself and my Cornish Detective series in a non-pushy way.

My Twitter presence morphed from a Facebook Author page called Paul Pens, which is based on threads I started on The Colony. Last autumn, I started a Facebook business page devoted to my Cornish Detective series. Why not give my fictional hero a Twitter account too?

I searched for advice online, finding this dated article:

Should Your Lead Character Have A Twitter Account? - Author Media

Apparently, Twitter verifies the accounts of fictional characters, though this article is from 2012:

Twitter Has Been Verifying Accounts of Fictional Characters

There are a lot of Marvel and DC superheroes and fictional heroes tweeting away, as are Homer J. Simpson, Charlie Brown and Lord Voldermort, so I may join in with Detective Chief Inspector Neil Kettle.

Have any of you given your MC a Twitter account?

Do you follow any fictional characters

 

[Lex Black]

...I will blame certain of my future actions on you.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

...I will blame certain of my future actions on you.

That's OK, Lex. I've long been a martyr and I look like Jesus's delinquent uncle!

 

[Eva Ulian]

My doggy has an account, but that's as far as I'll go.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

My doggy has an account, but that's as far as I'll go.

I'm sure that your doggy is a superhero for you. What's its name?

 

[Eva Ulian]

I'm sure that your doggy is a superhero for you. What's its name?

Officially it's Berrilla, but as it's such a mouthful, I call her Lilla or Puppotta (big puppy in Italian), however, she practically never answers to anything, so I needn't worry about calling her. She also has a blog. She was pretty good at it at first, but since she's got a bit long in the tooth, she's sort of let it slip away a bit. © Eva Ulian DOGS and CATS... A PICTURE A DAY KEEP THE CATS AT BAY

Have you got a dog?

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Officially it's Berrilla, but as it's such a mouthful, I call her Lilla or Puppotta (big puppy in Italian), however, she practically never answers to anything, so I needn't worry about calling her. She also has a blog. She was pretty good at it at first, but since she's got a bit long in the tooth, she's sort of let it slip away a bit. © Eva Ulian DOGS and CATS... A PICTURE A DAY KEEP THE CATS AT BAY

Have you got a dog?

Berrilla? You've made me hungry for pasta! No, that's spelt Barilla. Sadly, I have no pets, as I live above a petrol station shop next to a busy main road. I shared my life for a decade with a silver tabby called Pushkin (after the Russian poet) who came to America with me for three years. I still miss him.

 

[Eva Ulian]

Berrilla? You've made me hungry for pasta! No, that's spelt Barilla. Sadly, I have no pets, as I live above a petrol station shop next to a busy main road. I shared my life for a decade with a silver tabby called Pushkin (after the Russian poet) who came to America with me for three years. I still miss him.

What an amazing place to live- the atmosphere lends itself to "you must write about me" novel.

 

[HayleyG]

I once had an imaginary Facebook friend. He asked my now husband on a date on my behalf.

 

[Lex Black]

This is probably a bad idea...but when has that ever stopped me?

Follow my lead character/characters (it's complicated) George @OneGeorgeofMany.

And remember, @Paul Whybrow , this is your fault.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Looks like I might be onto something: Let Your Characters Engage with Fans Online - The Book Designer

 

[Eva Ulian]

Looks like I might be onto something: Let Your Characters Engage with Fans Online - The Book Designer

I quite like the idea. But not able to come-up with how to put it into practice... yet.