While I enjoy drafting blogs that focus on the craft of writing and telling readers about my favorite books and authors, the blogging exercise is perhaps most rewarding when I send out a thought that’s been scampering around in my brain and ask if anyone else shares my view.
While writing is a solitary occupation, creating blogs is a social event. Blogs give authors the opportunity to connect with other writers and, even more importantly, readers to discover if they agree with a given world view, pet peeve or publishing crusade.
For example, I was gratified to find the comments prompted by my September Romancing the Genres blog indicated other authors/readers share my frustration with straight-jacket genre definitions and agree that authors are gaining new freedom to create and market cross-genre books that blend varied elements to produce truly memorable (and unique) reading experiences.
I’ve also blogged about the willingness/desire of readers to embrace over-fifty heroines/heroes. And while I was gratified that most comments supported my contention that “older” protagonists can rock, I also appreciated the thoughts of dissenters who made me consider why a baby boomer heroine might not click with a certain reader base. In this case, the dissenting comments have me toying with strategies that might make a boomer hero or heroine more attractive to a reluctant audience and ways to focus on the audience that DOES want to read about older protagonists.
Finally, let’s discuss quantity. Yes, it’s great when a blog generates a ton of comments. But a lone comment may be just as rewarding and productive if it makes the creator of the blog rethink a position or channel her creativity in a different direction.
So thank you in advance to all of you who think I’m full of baloney and say so as well as those of you who write in to agree with me.
If you’re a blogger, have you received a comment that’s made you change an opinion or adopt a different writing strategy?
While writing is a solitary occupation, creating blogs is a social event. Blogs give authors the opportunity to connect with other writers and, even more importantly, readers to discover if they agree with a given world view, pet peeve or publishing crusade.
For example, I was gratified to find the comments prompted by my September Romancing the Genres blog indicated other authors/readers share my frustration with straight-jacket genre definitions and agree that authors are gaining new freedom to create and market cross-genre books that blend varied elements to produce truly memorable (and unique) reading experiences.
I’ve also blogged about the willingness/desire of readers to embrace over-fifty heroines/heroes. And while I was gratified that most comments supported my contention that “older” protagonists can rock, I also appreciated the thoughts of dissenters who made me consider why a baby boomer heroine might not click with a certain reader base. In this case, the dissenting comments have me toying with strategies that might make a boomer hero or heroine more attractive to a reluctant audience and ways to focus on the audience that DOES want to read about older protagonists.
Finally, let’s discuss quantity. Yes, it’s great when a blog generates a ton of comments. But a lone comment may be just as rewarding and productive if it makes the creator of the blog rethink a position or channel her creativity in a different direction.
So thank you in advance to all of you who think I’m full of baloney and say so as well as those of you who write in to agree with me.
If you’re a blogger, have you received a comment that’s made you change an opinion or adopt a different writing strategy?
3 comments:
Hi Linda. Great post. I am a newbie blogger, but I have had comments that allow me to see things from a different perspective or that perk me up to consider something that I might not have thought about. I find it endlessly valuable to share ideas about writing. Such sharing definitely feeds creativity.
Thanks for a thought-provoking post.
Christy
Hi Linda,
Yes, I've had comments that changed my mind or caused me to adapt my writing process.
One of the many benefits of blogging!
Hi Linda,
Sorry I'm late to the party! I was a busy conference goer Friday through Sunday - Emerald City Writers Conference is a really great one to attend if you haven't already been.
But back to blogs - I asked for comments on my titles in my July or August blog post and that really helped me (not my less than 24 hours after conference brain) but my creativity about titles.
Anything that is thought-provoking is useful - even if I end up staying with my concept/idea. I've recommitted to it because I've gone through an assessment process - always a valuable practice.
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