Reading comments

I'm curious here. How many of you authors find yourself going back through the things you've written and gotten posted here and reading the comments readers have posted?

I have to admit, I do. The good and the bad, the ones who take issue with what I've written have helped me be a better writer, at least I hope so. I'm also touched whenever I get a comment that says the story touched someone, or reminded them of someone they love. There's been times when I came in from a rough day at work and found a comment from someone telling me what they liked about a story or that it meant something to them.

So keep commenting, and if you don't like something or take exception to it, say so, just do it nicely.

I try to comment on stories I've read, especially if something strikes a chord with me.

I find comments extremely helpful and encouraging, and if not for them (and other chance encounters with readers), I probably wouldn't have continued writing. I sometimes go back and look at old comments, especially on the rare occasions when I get new comments on stories published years ago. Even if a story has dozens of comments already, a new one always brings it back to life, and it can even be quite nostalgic to be reminded of who commented on a story written ten years ago.

I love reading old comments and getting comments on my earlier work is always an enjoyable "blast from the past". I like them whether they are positive or negative and they can influence my future writing. For example, The Librarian was inspired by a Canadian reader who lusted after a young librarian, called Tammy, working at his local library (she probably inspired him to become much better read) and so much of the action takes place in and around a library on Prince Edward Island. Had it not been for a comment from him, The Librarian would never have emerged from that library.

I suspect that non-writing readers underestimate the importance of comments to writers.

Geoffrey Stirling.

I'm another one who likes to read old comments. They can help to improve you as a writer.

I try to read every comment posted and respond to the person since they took the time to post it. It is interesting to receive a comment on a story that's a few years old since my memory is admittedly dodgy about the specifics of the tale by that point. So, not only do I skim through the story to reacquaint myself before responding I reread what other folks have commented. There are often nuances I'd forgotten about, and like Seegee said, they can help improve you as a writer.

Yes, I agree with every word that has been written. I'm really grateful to those who take the trouble to write comments. Its an enormous motivation; a nice comment can lift my day to a truly unreasonable extent. I value the criticisms too; writing can be a rather self-centred business, and it's really valuable to be reminded of another's view-point, how they saw the story, what they thought, what I ought to have done better, what they misunderstood, or what simply didn't float their boat. I love it when someone shares their own experiences, or tells me things in their own life of which my story reminded them. Those who write comments are contributors to the library, as much as those who write the stories. Keep commenting! And yes, I do go back and read old comments: I read the good, to remind myself that it's all worthwhile when I'm down, and I re-read those who've offered hints on how things could be done better, because sometimes those hints can influence more recent writing, and they're always worth keeping in mind.
Incidentally, and slightly off-topic, the same is probably even more true in the context of LSF publications, but few are brave enough to write reviews on Amazon!