Sunday, March 30, 2014

I Have a Confession: I've Been a Bad Audience

I don't take the time that I should to visit other people's blogs.

And often, when I do, I don't make enough of an effort to comment on what I read.

As much as I enjoy receiving comments—from the simplest "I like it" to the more constructive "You could try...."—I've been very bad at providing those same comments to others.

Image via StockVault
Part of this is due to the fact that there are only so many hours in a day. I've touched on how I split my time Living On Social Media.

Like it or not, Social Media eats into the time you could be using to do....something more productive, like writing.

The rest of it is due to, well, let's just chalk it up to a mix of self-doubt and procrastination. Thoughts of they really don't need to know what I think or I'll return later, read more carefully and leave a comment.

Later, of course, turns into never. And even if they don't need to know what I think, I know many of them would like to know.

I would. That's half the reason I blog.

Community is important to a writer. At least it is to this writer. As much as I'm an introvert in the physical world, I like talking to people, especially about the craft. I like to share my writing. I like to receive feedback and I like to provide the same. Hearing from someone who's gotten some indefinable something out of what I've shared makes me feel good, it behooves me to share more. And I'm certain I'm not so different from anyone else writing out there.

So I'm making a resolution, to spend time on Sundaytypically one of the slowest days of my week (especially here in the South where everything is closed)to visit a few of my fellow writers/bloggers and actually leave those comments instead of finding excuses not to.

Will you join me? Will you take the time to provide some support to your fellow writers?


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