Well, Oklahoma is in the middle of a severe drought, we've had less rain for the year than we normally get just in March. Grass fires are a daily occurrence across the state. If we don't get a lot of rain soon, there will be no wheat or hay to harvest. People had better get ready to pay much more for food as well as gasoline. On the bright side, we here in Oklahoma do have the lowest gas prices in the country. :)
Funny, after all those days of cloudy days with no rain, we finally have beautiful, sunshiny days. The temperature is 81 degrees F. (27.2 C.) and all the outdoors facilities are packed with people. Be nice to have a long soaking rain instead, but I'm not holding my breath.
Now, on to other things.
First: I'm set for open heart surgery Friday, April 8th. Quadruple bypass.
Second: The comment tempest-in-a-teapot. I admit, a look at my stories shows that over the years since they've been posted I haven't done too badly, comment-wise. Nothing like some people here, but my very first comment, by Scott Ramsey, was positive, so I was a happy camper. And I appreciate all the comments I've received since.
But I did a lot, helping a friend of mine get his stories shaped up and posted. Some chapters went back and forth between him and me a dozen or more times. He poured heart and soul into those stories, and did (or had me help do) an immense amount of research in support of things that only rated a mention in the final story.
And what did he get for comments? Some chapters - ZERO. I'd make a rough guess that he averaged 2 comments per chapter. Yet he made no posts demanding more or better comments. Yes, he has been discouraged, but that hasn't stopped him from working on the next book, in spite of being out of work for several years and major health issues for both him and his wife.
As has been previously stated, I am having severe health issues myself. As a result my mood is not upbeat and chipper right now, so I have tried to stay out of this whole comments flap. I agree it would be nice if people would comment more often. But I think throwing down the gauntlet, or whatever term people would care to use, is nonproductive. Yeah, it bumps comments up for a few authors for awhile, but it doesn't last.
Do we need to see a change? Yes. Do I know the answer? No.
But I do know this - my friend would be over the moon if he got a tenth the comments some people get on here. Are his stories that much worse than those involved in the current who-rah? IMHO - No. Perhaps we should be grateful for what we do get, I know I am.
Karen J.
Comments
I think I know who, Karen. As to comments I'm clueless too
If it's the fanfic I think is is that was very good story, as good as the original author's, possibly better IMHO.
As to comments?
Even I Mr Talks-too-danged-much can't keep up with all of it. I am amazed Stan finds time to comment on nearly everything posted here. Admittedly it is often not much more than hello and thanks but the effort that must take is impressive.
I can't possibly comment on all stories or blogs so I limit my comments as much as I might wish to comment more. I prefer to take a little time -- and with me that is a lot as I am THE WORLDS WORST TYPIST -- to tell an author why, at least in general I liked something or what confused be or made a read difficult. I try to be positive but not too much of a cheerleader. IE I want to encourage everyone but not falsely flatter.
You can't get better without knowing what is lacking and what is good.
As to you, Karen. If you so much as hiccup after surgery I will be very disappointed young lady.
You get yourself healthy and well ASAP or else! No complications, no near death crap and dying is right out.
Got it?
John in Wauwatosa
P.S You have me so worried dear Karen. Please fight to good fight and come back to us warts and all.
BC would not be near the place it is without people like you. I find it hard to get close to people. You are someone that could be a close friend if circumstances and distance were different. You could be that wonderfully quirky and feisty neighborhood character if you lived in my block. There are others who value you too so please get well.
John in Wauwatosa
On Comments
My last response to an author about these was via PM, but this time I'll do it out in the open.
I can understand getting upset over not having a ton of comments. Heck, I've asked for more comments at least as often as anyone else. On the other hand, getting tons of comments is no judge of the quality of a story any more than the number of hits, or even Kudos a story gets.
I've been posting on Top Shelf for just over four years now, and I'm only really just starting to see the numbers of comments that some authors on the site find barely acceptable as minimums. Heck, some of my favorites of my own pieces have received very few comments, if any. Comments are fickle in that they depend even more than hits do on what is popular at the time a story is posted. A great CD story will receive few if any comments if posted at a time when magical change stories are all the rage, and the opposite is true as well -- both of which we've seen on the site. Posting frequency, story length, accessibility , all of these affect comments as well, much more than they will ever affect hit counts.
As many people have pointed out, there are generally a few buttons you can push to make sure people comment on your stories. Even an excellent author will receive less comments than they might deserve on a story if it doesn't happen to hit those buttons. It's just a fact. But not having those comments is no reason to abandon a story.
Melanie E.
(PS: I know the last part sounds suspicious coming from someone with two majorly incomplete stories that haven't seen anything new in a while. They are going to be finished, promise!)
Thing is commenting for a lot of people means work
Unfortunately a lot of readers are here to get diversion and to actually comment would seem too much like work. Commenting is the coin of the realm at a free site so it is really important to comment but like I have said, it takes proper time and concentration to do good comments too, it is like trying to do a brief book report on every story one likes. An extreme case is Danielle J's current story. It is a terrific story but she gets butkiss comments. There is no way it would be considered a bad story yet pretty off the wall and simply awful stories in terms of style, content and execution get more comments. Problem is, her stuff is so complex, to write a good comment it takes all sorts of think time and decide to give up. OTOH, BC could be a victim of its own success also with so many great authors. I mean, it takes me over an hour a day just for commenting alone and more if PMs come into play. For some folks, an hour is just a bit much, sorry to say due to multiple jobs and the like.
Anyway, too bad there is no way to put a poll at the end of a story that focuses on the key points the author considers essential to get feedback on, that way people who have little time can give a little better feedback. Sorry this is the internet age and people on it have the attention span of a flea in a room full of dogs.
Thus,
First.
All the best on the upcoming surgery. My SO underwent six bypass surgery some years ago and is doing fine now. Just a little hint there that all is not lost, or hopeless. I hope yours comes out as well.
I've stayed out of the comment controversy (if it even is a controversy) for a number of reasons. Would I like to get more on my stories? Sure. Do I like the ones filled with glowing praise? Well yeah, what artist doesn't like praise. Do I appreciate the ones that point out flaws in the story? You bet.
But the reason I've not said anything up to now is that people comment when they want to. In years of posting things on the net, I've found that out. Sometimes a story will get tons of comments when you thought it was just a piece of fluff. Other times, something you worked really hard on will get almost none.
Lilith is right, though. Comments fuel the writers at places like this and lack of them can kill a decent story at times. I know I've finished off some early because of lack of comments, which I interpreted as lack of interest. And yes, those of us who write and put what we do out there for other to read do that as much for ourselves as for the readers. But we also like to know our efforts are appreciated.
Okay, my soapbox just broke so I'll stop. Good luck with the upcoming surgery and I do hope you'll be back with us soon.
Maggie
Blogs often seem...
...to get more comments than stories.
I hope and pray(if agnostics can do that) for your speedy recovery, and wish some rain for the parched farmlands of Oklahoma. It's been quite dry here but as soon as I get a bicycle out it starts to bloody rain.
Take care Li'l Sis, and get well soon.
Angharad
Angharad