So the board has been full of challenges lately.
Have you noticed that some of us who are not "recognisable" (and maybe we have worked at that by publishing a lot, encouraging people to read our work etc. - some of us have a distinctive style that appeals or comment a lot on other people's work drawing people in..) have poems or stories that slide away perhaps never to be read?
My challenge is to go to the new writings - maybe go into the second or third page and find a writer who has not recieved a comment on their poem, story or article.
Because booksie is all about encouragement not a "popularity contest" as a good departed friend from booksie once noted.
For a change forget our own egos, even ignore our "fans" for a day if you have to and refuse to let someone's creative efforts slip by.
I am back again...
there r few more in my list...
Trinity88, ZIA, Saratopia, JFM98, Terry Collett, KAORI, Bekky ( bunny slippers) , Craz4 life, Phoebe miller`s novel, Julistar, Tin2twinkling, clslater, Jak, invisibleXme, ....i have got lots more list...
May be i will come back again...
I love this article...
abosultely marvellous...will search beyond ...as well...like I found Kamna accidentally
Posted: Jul 11, 2008
Hi, Anna. I've been slacking off in my reading a bit, I admit, but I'm trying to keep up. As you may (or may not) know, I've gotten carried away with so many "fans" and such, that I totally re-did my page and bio. "Read my work" type comments on my page are usually deleted by me, if they haven't had the time to read mine. So, I haven't very popular lately, and I actually kinda like it. I will make a point to search for something and someone new and read their stuff and comment. Thanks, Anna, for bringing up such an important and encouraging issue.
MA
Posted: Jul 11, 2008
Lionheart
(not registered user)
(sigh) There is a point, and you and i are one of those people, where the fans reach a state that consumes time. Forcing you to put all the enrgy into holding onto those bonds between the 'regulars'.
I deleted fans that didnt read my work anymore... and yet that is kind of hypocritical of me... because i have not been reading the peoples work that i became a fan to...
I used to have a lot more exposure on the top twenty when it was still alive. But my work eventually disappeared because my interaction with everyone else disappeared. I was so sick of everything. All the people asking me to read their work... its hard. Its like a huge mess and you dont know where to begin. When you tell someone you cant read their work, for whatever reason, they take it personally... they stop having any association with you. If you have seen my page you will see i have over a 1000 comments. probably 200 of those are requests that i ignored.. because they were too many. I also noted that if you keep that habit of going to those pieces, your comments become less meaninglful. Like the personality in your words die because you didnt have a choice in saying whether you liked it or not, without hurting the writer who INVITED you.
I will be honest... i have isolated myself recently. I have lots of fans, enough to make anyone happy, but it comes with a price. My name has been constantly tossed here and there... i am not blind, i realise that some of my actions on this site have sparked a change. Like the booksie crew, and the first challenge on this site, setting off many other challenges to follow. And so many people go to my page to ask to read their work. Some even become fans, merely to become part of the big number, which is why i went for a round a deleted some of those fans. I would have mor than one hundred right now, but they werent all real fans. In fact i have to go through them again and do the horrible thing of deleting the people that dont realise what it means tot be a fan. Some people write simply "hi" in the comment box when becoming a fan, that is not a fan... that is someone trying to get noticed. That is a person that has been thrown to the side in the huge popularity contest. I would consider myself one of those 'popular' people. Not necessarily with my writing though, more as a person.
I want to do this. Because i havent done this in a long time. Because i lost that touch with many people. I want to find that again. Now its very different. It affects you, and its not easy to admit but it does.
I was part of a generation of booksians that did not have this problem. We read each others work without problems, without invitations. We didn even have the luxury of commenting on someones page. It was easier back then, back then it was enjoyable, now it isnt as much for me... what keeps me here is the people i have met, and this new drive to create what i have into something else.
I feel like an old man ramlbing about the new modern age hahahahahahahhahaha!!!!
I will do this. I want to put the smiles on peoples faces, the same ones that come onto my face when i recieve a comment. I was wasnt considered 'new' when i began. The community was so small it didnt really matter whether you were new or not, you fit in straight away.
I want to support you. I will show the small person that in this huge intimidating place, i have seen them. Everyone can become a big person here. It depends on your mentality. I want to encourage. The people on my page waiting for an opinion can wait a little longer :) If my words are really that valuable for them, then they should be able to wait for a while.
Look above at this mess of a comment... it takes something like this to light the fire that was dying within. I feel empowered now. Thanks for the boost Anna. Lets march forward, leaving no one behind.
Posted: Jul 12, 2008
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