She who can WRITES, She who can't BLOGS

One reason I love things is just the history, the story behind the thing, or place. The emotional resonance of the people who have gone before. Heh...emotional resonance...that sounds pretty good. The reason I like stories is the words, the challenge putting together words that you wouldn't normally find together.
But that takes a lot of time. First one must craft a sentence, then string a bunch of those buggers together, then offer it to the world for approval. My last, lovely chapter that I offered to a crit group came back tattered, shredded, broken and quite bewildered. One person said I used too many adjectives. (Say it isn't so!) Another said my smilies were confusing. (as confused as an elephant lost in a museum!) And a third, most devastating of all, said my characters were card board and uninteresting.
I haven't worked on that chapter since. But I think I have posted regularly on my blog. Because you all love me. You leave encouraging comments. You offer witty insight. Sometimes I comment back-there is give and take. It's wonderful.
Sometimes I don't comment back, I forget, or worse, I have nothing amusing to say. I know lots of bloggers who comment on comments, and it's kinda fun. But most of the time I forget to check my previous comment so I don't know if there has been a reply. Either way, I am an inconsistent reply-commenter.
Does it matter? Blog readers, should I be better at reply-commenting?

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25 comments

  1. I very rarely reply-comment. Not because there's anything wrong with it but because it's usually quite a while before I check the comments.

    I also don't normally check for reply-comments on other people's blogs. Even if I know the person is a reply-commenter, I still forget to do it.

    Hmm...maybe there's something wrong with me that I didn't know and I'm just reply-comment challenged.

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  2. That is hard to say. I read some bloggers who reply to comments, and if its particularly interesting I will check it, but generally I don't check back. I think about reply commenting myself but only really do it occasionally. Usually if I have something that important to tell them or if they ask me a question I just email whoever it was. Most of the people that comment on my blog are my friends or I have access to their email from their blog profile. I do notice that many of the bloggers that reply to comments have a lot of comments. Is that because more people love them? Or because their comments are self inflated? Plus people will comment more than once because it becomes its own conversation. So maybe I shouldn't feel so bad that I have never broken the ten comment mark.
    I for one will keep reading you no matter what you decide, and I would LOVE to read one of your chapters. I miss the old days of high school when we would pass letters, poetry and stories to each other in the halls between classes. I think I still have some of those poems and stories you wrote back then in a box...20 years later. (Can you believe we have known each other almost 20 years?!?!?!) You can just email, or comment on this comment, or ignore it all together...its fine.

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  3. Anonymous5:49 AM

    I am also reply-comment challenged...although I have read some interesting dialogues and discussions between groups of people that do this..I can't...it all comes back to my commitment issues ;)...for me, it is a good day when I can reply to comments via emails (only if the comment has a return email) other than that...well, I will always visit those that comment and comment on their blogs...commitment issues or not...there is always blog etiquette ;)the way I look at it...we all have our own style....not only as bloggers but as commenters...and for me...if I like what I read I will continue to return... comments or no comments...btw...I like what I read here...so glad you commented at my place ;)For me, it's all in understanding that everyone of us has a life outside of 'blogging'...some days I can comment...some days I have to do laundry...dishes...maybe even cook dinner ;)

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  4. I read blogs, sometimes I comment, other times I don't. Like another entry said, we all have lives outside of blogging and I get busy. Sometimes I only check in every few days. I don't think it really matters about reply-commenting either. I do like to read comments on other blogs though when I have the time.

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  5. I don't check back, myself. If I feel like I want to reply to a comment, I do it by email. Not everyone has their email address available though, so some people miss out on my wonderfulness. =P

    I blog because I'm too scared to write for real.

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  6. as long as u keep commenting on my site I'm fine!..haha
    interesting piece hun!

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  7. Nah. I think people get to know your posting and commenting habits after a while. If "inconsistency" is your style, most of your readers will know and be accepting of that.

    Your crit group sounds very mean.

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  8. I love you just the way you are. :o)

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  9. Well, sounds like I'm the odd "man" out, seeing that I am the only man anyhow. I am a comment-replying blogger. I just am. I like to do it. But, if it ain't you then don't you worry about it. You have cherub faced children to raise and a home to manage. I'd like it if you did reply to comments, but I won't hold a gun to your head ^_~

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  10. Anonymous9:52 PM

    Here is my unsolicited advice: Find a different group to read your writing because every piece of work has some positive attribute that they should mention. If all they are doing is dissecting it and finding it lacking, they are not a healthy group. Why would anyone write if they never received postive feedback? Gee whiz.

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  11. I got criticized in a blog review for saying "LOL" too much. Which is really funny because I laugh too much in real life, too!

    And, I've noticed lately that almost every sentence I write ends in an exclamation point. (See, I had to fight not to put one there)

    Now I try really hard to limit my LOL's so I guess I'll have to start trying to limit all of the "!'s" too! (oops, lol) :)

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  12. And no, don't worry about reply commenting. I, for one, would not be bothered if you didn't reply.

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  13. Anonymous4:43 AM

    hmmmmmm....coming from a reply commenter, I would say sometimes it gets to be a drag. So I would say either don't worry about it or if you do it make it fun and off the wall stuff

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  14. oh I just had an "episode" with someone who volunteered to critique my work, last week. Bah! I would love to read a chapter for you... I am critically natured, BUT I am not a nitpicker...
    Although, even if they are mean, :) I really would love a writing group!

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  15. I always check back for replies to my comments, but that is just because I'm an approval junkie, and it's probably best not to feed my addiction, so don't worry about replying to this comment. I will be checking back, though. ;-)

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  16. Hmmm, still nothing. That's okay. That's good....breaking the addiction. Tough love is it? lol

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  17. I love getting comments and always try to write back. Sometimes I am too busy for a few days, but when I have time I look through my e-mail and find comments I need to reply to. Most of the time no one writes back to my replies to their posts, but sometimes people do. It makes me happy. :)

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  18. Thanks for the funny comment today. In fact, I do have several personalities. I even wrote a post about it once upon a time.

    And if I'd even known the Bloggy Hoss thingy existed, I would've nominated you for brainiest. Just so you know. =)

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  19. ~Jennifer...If I reply comment to you that means I have to reply to everybody or I will be overloaded with guilt at my ill-manners. But you are just so sweet I find myself wishing to give you encouragement.

    Kim--Me? The braniest? Your teasing, right?

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  20. LOL! I knew I could get a reply. ;-)

    I do understand your dilemma. I'm not very good at reply-commenting to everyone, but I try to either reply-comment or visit and comment on the commenter's own blog. You're very good at doing that, so don't worry.

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  21. Reply commenting is your preference. Some people do it solely by email.

    I've found though, sometimes you can get a reply-comment string funnier than the post. That happens a lot at Doozie's blog and I have reply-commenting envy because of it.

    As for your writing, some of the fodder I've seen in print just shocks me that they EVER got printed. Too many adjectives and cardboard/uninteresting? That's because the class smoke d00bies before you showed up. I've read your stories...a few and they are good, and I'm not saying that because I've known you for garblefarble warble years.

    I'd find another group. Hands down.

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  22. Anonymous11:41 AM

    watch out....you are under observation by the us of a

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  23. One think I like about blogging is the "looseness" of the unwritten rules. You can comment and reply comment or not.....you know... and this really works for me. I like the freedom (cause I forget lots of times) to be able to or not to. *grin*

    As a matter of fact, I need to link to you now before I forget again........

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  24. LOL! I looked to see if you replied...hehe. And I am JUST like you when I only reply to one or two people. I feel SO guilty! I will never forgive you for not replying to me! LOL

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