I’ve mentioned many times how, when I started out on the writer’s journey, Colin Broderick –
– first counseled me with respect to establishing my writer’s brand through creating my then non-existing social media, including blogging. In essence, Colin suggested that I not talk about just the books themselves. Talk about the daily life of Claire and her surroundings. Let the reader know who you are through your interactions with Claire and the other residents of my NoCo property. First win over the readers, then they’ll support your writing.
That made a lot of sense, given that Colin is such a success, that the primary character from the first novel onward in The Claire Saga is my mystical mule, Claire,
and that the primary setting for the series is based upon my own homestead here in NoCo. For marketing purposes, it made perfect sense to combine the two – creature and land – into a shorthand description that is easy to remember and catchy.
And you all know how much I adore alliteration.
So, for the past few years, my blogs, and other social media, have religiously referred to this magical place as Casa Claire:
Caretaker of Casa Claire – The Wise Novelist
Creature Comfort At Casa Claire – The Wise Novelist
Always A Caretaker At Casa Claire – The Wise Novelist
A Life Of Service On Casa Claire – The Wise Novelist
The social media emphasizes my role as a steward for the property,
and for the creatures that inhabit it, domestic and feral, animal and insect, magical and mystical.
Because the truth of it is, it doesn’t matter whose name is on the title to the property, as the creatures of Casa Claire like to regularly remind me, I’m only passing through.
So, we might as well make it as enjoyable for us all as we can.
And it is my way of sharing my journey.
Now, one of the things I like most about the solitude and my daily chores around Casa Claire is that I often fill the empty space and time with videos of my ramblings, which I like to post on FB and TikTok. These are my messages in the bottle that I toss into the sea of social media and hope that someone finds them and watches them, in the same fashion that one reads my blogs.
Message In A Bottle – The Wise Novelist
Anyone who watches these social media videos can attest to the fact that I don’t care how I may appear or sound. This is who I am. Scars and all. No filters. No sense of fashion. . . . or shame!
https://www.facebook.com/Wisecelt/
Tom McCaffrey (@wisecelt) | TikTok
I post these videos and these blogs on social media because they are rough cut, spontaneous and candid and are my way of welcoming any potential reader to the world of Casa Claire. This way, they can see the reality behind the fictional characters and setting, who I am as a person, and what triggers my imagination. Hopefully they come away feeling like they have become part of the Claire universe.
I hope that these videos will make a person care about the creative process that goes into my writing, and the creatures and settings behind it. It’s my clumsy way of establishing my brand.
And if it also causes someone to go out and pick up a copy of any of my books, then that’s the cherry on top.
Now, over the years, I’ve gotten all kinds of responses to those videos and these blogs, but yesterday I finally received an acknowledgment that my video postings have impacted at least one of my Face Book friends in just the way it was intended.
So, thank you Debbie Linda Leonardo:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CQJn2FFW7
All I can say is that anyone who enjoys those videos or these blogs, or both, who wants to engage in a more sustainable version of this form of enjoyable escape from daily living, and meet the fictionalized versions of the creatures they’ve come to love here on social media, they can pick up The Claire Saga and immerse themselves in the Casa Claire Universe for probably a solid week, or draw the enjoyment out through the entire Fall – a book a week. The reader can supplement their literary enjoyment by perusing over four years-worth of blogs, as they provide deep insights into the real events and real characters that have all landed in my books.
This deep dive down the Casa Claire rabbit hole will also provide just the right primer for those readers waiting on the publication of Free R.A.D.I.C.A.L. and Spark of Faith in early 2027. Indeed, the combination of watching the FB/TT videos, reading all of the blogs and TCS will give the readers an unvarnished, behind the curtain, view of this arrested development Bronx Boy who landed in NoCo in the middle of the night and who some might believe fancies himself as the Wizard of Berthoud at Casa Claire.
As an added bonus, the videos will also provide the sound of my voice, and my eternal Bronx accent, which should be the sound of the omniscient narrator for all of my books. It’s not pretty, but it’s authentic.
In the aggregate, Casa Claire and all that is found here, has become my writer’s brand.
Well, enough of my musings. I have chores to see to.
You fine, five readers who are gainfully employed take solace in the fact that we have again reached another Thursday, the handmaiden to the magical Friday, which entrance portal to your next wonderful weekend.
And no matter what else we get up to, let us make today a great one!
One Response
Love your posts and pictures.