#LTUacwrimo - so you think you can tweetchat?

2015's #LTUacwrimo will feature two tweetchats to kick off and conclude La Trobe's Academic Writing Month!

The first is on TUESDAY 3 Nov, 10-11am.

Join this first tweetchat to share tips and strategies for finding time to write, writing schedules, what to do about writer's block, and much more! It's a great chance to meet other La Trobe participants involved in the #LTUacwrimo challenge.

The second is on MONDAY 30 Nov, 10-11am.

The second tweetchat gives you the chance to share how you went during the challenge, things you've learned, and successes and obstacles you've had. It will also feature the announcement of the #LTUacwrimo photo competition winner!

If you've done tweetchats before: Drop the 2 tweetchat dates/times in your diary and we'll see you then!

If you haven't participated in a tweetchat before: Read on! Don't worry - it's easy!

What is a tweetchat?

A tweetchat happens at a set time and date, and is usually moderated and focused on a specific topic. People come together on Twitter and converse using a specific hashtag.

In this case, we're using #LTUacwrimo. This means you can follow everything anyone is saying about #LTUacwrimo by checking this tag. See what has been said using the tag so far: #LTUacwrimo

How do I join the tweetchat?

1. Log in to Twitter at the set time/date.
2. Flag to your normal followers that you're about to join #LTUacwrimo that there'll be a higher volume of tweets over the next hour.
3. Click on or follow the #LTUacwrimo tag - the tweetchat host may have already asked you to introduce yourself to the others in the livechat. Check the questions and conversations that may have already gone out on the livechat. 
4. Start answering or asking questions, and sharing your experiences. 
5. ALWAYS remember to use the #LTUacwrimo tag in your tweets. Otherwise, others in the livechat may not see your comments or responses. 

You can simply use your Twitter account to follow the tweetchat, or you can make use of the various apps that help you follow tweetchats. 

Our hashtag - #LTUacwrimo - has been set up at this one: tchat.io

You can also follow a hashtag in your Twitter client like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite. Just set up a search for the hashtag and all of the tweets with that hashtag will show up in the search window. Familiarise yourself with these platforms before the tweetchat.

Key thing to remember?

Have fun!

Tweetchats are sharing, informal conversations with your colleagues and peers. You get to know who's in the challenge, and how they're tackling it.

After the tweetchat, you can follow your fellow participants throughout Academic Writing Month using the #LTUacwrimo tag, and continue your conversations!

When you meet up online for the second tweetchat on the 30 November, you can share your month's experiences and see how everyone went.

We're looking forward to chatting with you!

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Portions of this blogpost are derived from Janet Fouts' post on "How to participate in a tweet chat".