Reversing the Comments slide

The active writers certainly do read the comments and many ( I count myself among that group) reply to the commenters via popup. I like to do this because it frequently gets a dialog going and I love to discuss writing in general. I may miss a few here and there but if you've said anything at all beyond "nice story" you'll probably hear from me (maybe about more than you really want to know, LOL).

It is good to hear that writers do value comments. They have shared their story with others and I like to reciprocate by commenting and saying what it was about the story that I particularly enjoyed. I certainly admire people who have the skill and confidence to put their stories on a site such as this with the quality of the stories being so high. I do take the point about inactive writers and some being less concerned about comments than others though and that is, of course, up to the individual and rightly so. Some readers comment a lot, some never do but I feel it should be voluntary rather than done in order to avoid a penalty.

I would agree with you Danny, it should be entirely voluntary. The last thing a writer wants is people commenting only because they feel obliged to. I do think this comments obsession is a little overdone. That is not to say I don't appreciate people commenting, I do, but I try not to attach too much importance to other peoples opinions. The best judge of your writing is always going to be you, yourself.

What blithering nonsense. Any reader who doesn't comment should be drawn and quartered, and booted from the site, more or less in that order. What are they thinking in their deafening, non-commenting silence? That this place is some kind of bloody library (I mean, before the drawing and quartering part anyway).

Now don't go thinking I'm one of those comment-obsessed authors. I bet I don't think about comments more than once a day (that one time being approximately from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm). And I've only ever written one story about readers who fail to comment and what might happen to them. It happens to be a very good story, but none-the-less it's singular (in every sense of the word).

njrick

You obsess? Nooooo can't see that happening, ever

And I was going to be really kind and save you a place in the queue!!! I am not now! After a session with Miss T even you won't be worrying about comments!!

blimp
I doubt she will have the time or energy for anyone else by the time she is done with you

I can understand that you writers wants as many comment as possible. I for one comments on some stories, but it takes me some time to write each comment, when I am not as good to write in English (or even speak English). I am a little better just to read English, so for me is is not just laziness. Just keep writing the stories for all of us readers. Thank you!

This is a good point. With all the stories being written in the English language it must be very hard sometimes if this is not your first language. Another point is that some readers may not pick up on some of the very quirky words and phrases that are are used in some stories. Cockney words for example, fairly familiar to most brits but another language altogether for some of our foreign friends. Certain words can add a lot of colour and humour to a story but they can be quite meaningless when taken in isolation. Translation aids are useful of course but not the perfect answer. It is admirable that readers will endeavour to post comments even though they may not have full command of the English language, the more you practice anything the better is usually the case so very well done to our fellow reader mefromdenmark for his efforts .

Yesterday was something of a bumper day as far as commenting goes with the total for the day breaking the 150 barrier. For those that missed it, I present to you ....