Have You Seen These Blogs?

This week I was lucky enough to get two awards. Wow! Just the thing to perk me up when I'm struggling to stay motivated. So, thank you to:

Laura at Laura B. Writer - Laura posts about blogs from a marketing perspective (FAMP) , Facebook and other interesting things.

and

 

Freya at A Writer's Endeavour - Freya posts reviews and recommendations of children's fiction in the fantasy genre, as well as looking at children's fantasy in film, media and games.

 

Although regular followers of my blog probably know that I don't pass along awards, I do read a lot of other blogs and I'm going to share a few I've discovered recently:

 

Juliette Wade at TalkToYoUniverse - Juliette's blog is full of interesting and thought-provoking commentary on writing.

 

Vicky Bruere at Dilettante to Dynamo: A Beginning Writer's Adventures - Vicky writes picture books and blogs about writing with an upbeat and positive perspective.

 

Melodie at Forever Rewriting - Melodie blogs about writing and about her life in Alaska, and I love learning about places that are different from where I live.

 

Kathy Stemke at Education Tipster - Kathy has an educational slant to her blog, with book reviews and activities for teachers. I think it's important to think about and be aware of how teachers might use what we write.

 

Emily Rittel-King at Get Busy Writing - Emily poses some thought-provoking questions that make me dig deeper and she has a cool Blogger Mentor Mondays feature.

 

Hope you have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

Reading vs. Commenting on Blog Posts

I've read a couple of interesting blog posts this morning [Talei Loto, Jody Hedlund] about why a blog reader takes the time to post a comment rather than just read and move on. I'm definitely guilty of skimming blog posts and not stopping to comment until one really strikes a chord. I probably do read your blog. If I haven't commented, it's might be because:

1) It has a lot to do with my introverted personality. In face-to-face conversations, I usually tend to be more of a listener than a talker, unless I'm really passionate about a subject. The only problem is, when you're online a blogger doesn't necessarily know you are reading/listening (or even who you are) unless you post some kind of written acknowledgement.

2) Sometimes, I can't think of anything clever thought-provoking to say, and since another commenter has already taken my standard "Great post!", it seems redundant to repeat it.

3) There's a time factor. I read a lot of blogs and it takes time to post. Some blogs still have those verification boxes where you need to type in a nonsense word and may not seem worth the effort when all I'm going to say is "Great post!"

4) I do comment when a post sparks an idea. Perhaps, as I read more blogs, I'm becoming choosier (or lazier). If I don't come across a new way of talking or thinking about something, I don't always leave a comment. This reminds me of how an agent or editor has all those submissions to read, but doesn't respond unless one really catches their eye. It just shows that, like writing a novel or a query, showing some blog personality or originality is important if you want to get more attention.

EXCEPT, when I think about how much I appreciate the comments I get on my own blog, especially for posts where I've taken time to compile a lot of links or spent a long time working on what I want to say, I can see how, in a way, I'm letting my fellow bloggers down when I don't take the time to comment.

As a writer, I often don't know how others react to what I've written. But when I do, wow! It can just make my day. In a way, a comment, no matter how short or simple, is really saying, I appreciate the time you've taken to write this. I'm reading your words.