I am letting you all in on a historic development. I am launching the #LightonHistory hashtag. You might have seen it yesterday. Right now I’m in the middle of my website launch party but once that is finished #LightonHistory is going to take on a new meaning.
LightonHistory is group so that all history lovers, historical fiction writers, and historical fiction readers have a place to congregate on Twitter. Romance writers have many forums but historical fiction writers often go it alone. Perhaps they spend too much time at the library or museum? LightonHistory will bind us together whether you write novels set in 16th century, France during World War II or the U.S in the 1800s like me. We all share the same struggles. LightonHistory is a place to support each other or ask questions. Want to know what women’s fashion was in the 1840s? Just ask the #LightonHistory group.
Social media is, above all else, social. It is a community. But we must utilize the community. As much as I enjoy carrying on conversations with all of you individually. Think of the possibilities if like-minded people put their heads together. We could rule the world. Okay, maybe not the world. Napoleon didn’t end well.
Let’s figure out how to bring history to the masses. Spread the word, shedding light on history.
The #LightonHistory hashtag might help making friends a bit easier. Just click on #LightonHistory and you can see the whole #LightonHistory stream and hopefully say, “Hi.”
This is going to be a friendly group. If you are not knowledgeable about history but want to learn we will help you. There is no such thing as a stupid question. No snobbish wine drinkers here. Just writers and readers who share a passion for history.
My pledge is to follow anyone who joins and contributes to the #LightonHistory community. If it takes off I would love to create a Facebook group to give everyone another place to congregate.
As Kristen Lamb wrote, “There is strength in numbers, and platforms are easier to construct if we have help.”
We will also provide encouragement, support and promote fellow members. Everyone can use a little extra love.
Please join me in the #LightonHistory Revolution.
I’m cheering you on!
Thank you, Jennifer.
Great Idea….I have spent so many hours pulling accurate dates from the myriad of places where they hide that it will be great to be able help one another to get the data right and share what we have learned.
Hi Kathleen,
Nice to meet you. I hope you can help me spread the word. I know once the community grows it will be a wonderful resource. If you need reviewers for your novels I’m available.
~Haley
Since I can’t spit without doing historical research (I mean, how many people would have spent 2 days looking up fire starting methods in 16th century Japan as a detail in a fanfic story but me?) I shall indeed be popping in from time to time…
Yay! That’s wonderful. Feel free to also share your mythical knowledge
Nice website, Haley! Well done. Best wishes at the new camp!
~Loree H
The LightonHistory hashtag is such a great idea. Yep, yep, yep, I’ll help spread the word!
Thank you, Lynn.
I really appreciate your support
That’s a great thing to do, starting a hashtag and uniting people. That’s the strength of Twitter as well. ^_^ I just wanted to give you thumbs up and try to butt out gracefully… because… well because my first ever fail was at History. *sigh* So good luck with those numbers. I’ll RT to help.
Thank you, Lyn. Your thumbs up will keep me invested in this project. I’m afraid it will take a while to get it off the ground.
I think this is a brilliant idea, Haley, and I whilst I am no historian, I think anything we can do to get people to read, learn, and think about history is an very good thing. Much success and I will help when and where I can. Besides, I’m a sucker for a revolution.
Hard to turn down a revolution, isn’t it. I’ve found many of your poems have a historic flair. I hope you can make more time for Twitter. I enjoy our chats.
Excellent idea!