I've recently been bitten by the twitter bug and have found a wealth of writing-related resources there. From agents posting helpful advice, to detailed articles on writing craft, twitter has it all. What it also has is a rather steep learning curve, especially for people who weren't born with a computer mouse in hand. I spent most of my college years immersed in the precursors to today's social media sites (ISCA BBS, anyone?), but twitter threw me for a loop. Now that I've got my sea legs, I've put together a quick guide to the growing phenomenon of twitter chats: Why they matter, how to participate, and which ones are best for authors.

First, a quick overview of how to use twitter.

If you don't already have a twitter account, you will need to create one at twitter.com. Once you have an account, you can either read and post tweets from that site, or use one of the many third-party tools to access your information. I prefer tweetdeck, but hootsuite is also popular, as are many applications for mobile devices. Many tweets are labeled with the name of the software the author used, so use that as a guide and find the one that works best for you.

The most important (and frustrating) thing about twitter is that you are limited to 140 characters at a time. That includes spaces, hashtags, and anything else you might want to type. Hashtags are words or phrases preceded by the hash symbol - #. Hashtags act like a filter on twitter. You can click on a hashtag, or enter it into the search box, and only posts containing that hashtag will be displayed. This is how twitter chats work. Each chat has its own hashtag, and you need to know that tag--and to add that tag to your posts--to participate.

RT, or "retweet", is the other most common thing you'll see in a chat. Retweeting is used to echo another person's statement, or to repost it so you can append your comments to it. Retweets are marked by "RT" and then the original poster's username. So, if I wrote:

editorialdept: Happy to be chatting today

and you retweeted it, it would show up as

yourname RT @editorialdept: Happy to be chatting today.

The @ indicates that I was the original poster, and the RT shows that you retweeted my post. It's common courtesy to retweet a post you're quoting so that the original poster receives credit for their words. RTs can look like a lot of gibberish the first time you see them, but once you get your @s and RTs sorted out, it becomes a lot more clear.

A good way to get a feel for the lingo is to browse through chat archives. This way you can follow the threads at your own pace, and get a feel for the rhythm of a chat. I've included the addresses for chat archives in the list below, as available.

What are twitter chats?

Twitter chats are themed discussions that take place at scheduled times. To participate, you need a twitter account and the ability to keep up with fast-moving discussions. Each chat is marked by a hashtag--a name preceded by a pound sign or hash mark (#). The hashtag allows participants to filter the chat-related posts out of the hundreds of twitter posts at any given moment. You can follow chats on twitter.com by searching for the hashtag, but most participants prefer to use a client other than the twitter site.

I use the popular TweetChat. All you have to do is go to http://tweetchat.com, enter the hashtag you'd like to follow, and sign in to your twitter account. Tweetchat automatically appends the hashtag to anything you type, so you don't need to worry about leaving room for it at the end of your posts. It has a handy counter that lets you know when you're getting close to your 140 character limit. Also, it includes icons to the right of everyone's posts for one-click replying, retweeting, and other functions. It also allows you to pause the chat, change your font settings, and control the speed at which new posts appear.

As with most things online, the best way to learn the lingo is to just dive in. I have partipated in several twitter chats, and have found the participants to be welcoming, knowledgeable, and eager to connect with like-minded chatters. The chats tend to include a mix of familiar returning faces and nervous first-timers, and everyone is encouraged to share their opinions.

Why should you care?

Twitter chats bring together a diverse set of people with a wide range of skills. In my few weeks of chatting, I have come across professional editors, literary agents, published authors, and publicists. The wealth of information available is impressive, and you have a direct line to people who are on the front line of the publishing world. In one session, you can learn everything from how to promote a blog, to what software authors use, to how to negotiate a book deal. You can learn writing skills and receive inspiration and writing prompts. Twitter chats are also a great place to see and be seen.

And now, the chats.

Robert Swanwick (@SpkrInteractive) created a list of chats in a public googledocs spreadsheet. As far as I know, this is the most comprehensive and complete list of twitter chats, and I assembled my information from that spreadsheet.

#scribechat. Focusing on the most controversial aspects of writing and publishing in a changing industry. Brought to you by Scribblerati.com, the social network for writers and illustrators, founded by @LiaKeyes. Thursday 9-10pm EST. http://scribechat.com

#bookmarket. Connecting authors and publicists for the greater good. Thursday 4-5pm EST. http://bookmarketchat.spruz.com

#litchat. Mission is to connect readers with books and authors. #litchat operates open topic chat on Monday and Wednesday, followed with author or publishing professional guest host on Fridays. M-W-F 4-5pm EST. http://litchat.net/

#storycraft. A weekly twitter chat about the craft of writing fiction - no biz chat! Sunday 3pm PST, 11pm GMT. http://www.narrativedisorder.com/storycraft

#writechat. Discussion about writing and the writing life. Sunday 2-5pm CST. http://wthashtag.com/writechat

#followreader. For readers, publishers, authors, librarians, book bloggers, and everyone else interested and invested in the bookish community. Saturday 4-5pm EST. http://followthereader.wordpress.com/

#kidlitchat. A weekly chat about all things children's literature, from board books to YA. Tuesday 9pm EST. http://wthashtag.com/kidlitchat

#scifichat. Talk about science fiction literature and the genre of science fiction in general. Occasionally we will have a guest author. Friday 2-4pm EST. http://wthashtag.com/scifichat

#scriptchat. Chat created for the purpose of bringing aspiring and seasoned screenwriters together to learn and grow. We're a community, not competitors. Everyone has something to learn, so leave your ego behind... but bring your tequila. The EURO GMT chat and the AMER EST chat do same topic each Sunday. 8pm GMT and 8pm EST. http://scriptchat.blogspot.com

#yalitchat. A weekly discussion of Young Adult literature for readers and writers. Wednesday 9-10pm EST .http://georgiamcbridebooks.wordpress.com/yalitchat/

Want to start your own, or join one of the above? Pick a hashtag and get talking!