When I first started getting into the social media sphere, it seemed weird to me—people sharing even the most mundane bits of their lives with complete strangers for the fun of it. I eventually got into blogging, and then came Facebook. But of all the social networking sites, Twitter seemed the oddest. Tell people what your doing? In 140 characters? Over and over again? Who’ll want to read that?

Now if you know me much at all, you know Twitter isn’t odd to me anymore. I enjoy tweeting with the rest of the crowd, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. In fact, I’ve found Twitter to be a wealth of resources, support and information. Not to mention that I’m getting to know some really cool people.

Some of those really cool people participate in or host Tweetchats, where groups of tweeters tweet about the same topic at a specific time on a specific day. It’s a chat, in 140 character chunks. And it’s one of the most useful bits of social media I’ve discovered. If you’re a writer (or probably any other profession), Tweetchats just might become a not-to-be-missed appointment in your schedule.

There are a lot of reasons Tweetchats can be useful, but here are a few of the reasons I’ve started participating in them.

1. They prompt conversations.

When you join a Tweetchat, you’re there for a reason. It might be a chat about networking, publishing, marketing or writing, but everyone there is going to be talking about the many facets of that single topic. There’s never a lull in the conversation. No awkward silences to overcome (unless Twitter is having technical difficulties). Everyone’s talking and there’s actual conversation happening–not just one-way tweeting.

2. There’s an opportunity to share AND to learn.

When dozens of people start talking about the same things, you can’t help but exchange information and learn from one another. Last week I participated in my first #memoirchat, a biweekly chat for writers of memoir and personal essay. Within minutes, I’d shared what I was struggling with and received encouraging and useful advice to help me push through and get back to work on my project. Not only that, but by the end of the hour I’d helped another writer recognize some new possibilities for her first chapter. Tweetchats are the perfect place for collaboration. They open doors for newbies and experienced tweeters to learn from one another.

3. Relationships are formed and communities are built.

The first time I joined in on #writechat, a weekly Tweetchat for writers of all genres, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I came away having connected with several memoir and fiction writers that I continue to check in with on a regular basis outside of #writechat. We read each others blogs, email encouragement and ask for advice. We’re building a community of writers and it all started with 140 characters.

If you’re looking for people in your field to follow, find a Tweetchat on a topic that relates and join in. Before you know it, you’ll have at least a handful of new people to follow. And you’ll likely find that you’re being followed by more, too. Not only will your follow lists grow, but you’ll have people that you can ask questions, offer advice and chat with every day, not just during Tweetchats. If that isn’t social networking at its best, I don’t know what is.