I admit it. I am a Pinterest addict, but I have very good reasons for it. So much of writing is about creating mental pictures for the reader to envision. As a writer, real pictures help me see what I'm trying to create mental pictures about. Have you ever written something only to come back months later, reread it, and realize you've forgotten what you wrote? The same is true of experiences and sights. Seeing a picture of your last vacation can remind you of the little details you forgot - how much you loved that Hawaiian coffee or shaved ice, how delicious the flowers in the lei smelled, how your kid's temporary tattoo looked. These are the kinds of vivid details you need as a writer. A picture truly is worth a thousand words.
The beauty of Pinterest is there are millions of pictures there, way more experiences than any one of us could amass in a lifetime, all there for your perusal. A lot of writers make Pinterest boards of their dream movie cast for their books, but I prefer to make my boards more inspirational. I include anything that evokes the feeling or setting of the book, probably because I make a big deal about settings. Here are my boards for VESSEL and HUSH PUPPY. I also make boards as I'm working on new projects to inspire me. Here's the board for CRAWDAD, a new YA contemporary story I'm querying now.
A couple of other boards I have just for fun. I made one full of writing advice and one just of libraries, cause I love them. :) I dare you not to get sucked in!
Other writing resources I put in my Places board, which includes potential story settings from around the world. I also have a board just for pictures of People. I keep a Fantasy board because I sometimes write fantasy too. Even if I haven't been everywhere or met everyone, Pinterest makes me feel like I could at least write about it. Yes, it could be a distraction and probably is some days, but overall I love how it allows me to capture the feel of my work in pictures.
You are not alone. I admit that I am also a Pinterest addict. I heard someone say that Pinterest is the junk closet of the internet. It's not too far off. I pin almost everything. Right now, I've been on a Marketing/Teaser kick. So I've been pinning every header or marketing ad that I find interesting.
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