One person gives (the blogger writes a post) and the other receives (the reader enjoys their work). Sometimes the receiver reciprocates (the reader leaves a comment) and sometimes they don’t. Now I don't know about you, but I like my sex like I like my blogging. It should be a two-way street. However, I often find myself more happy with being the giver - in blogging and in oral sex. So in a way, I really don't mind if I don't receive. Still, it's nice to at least give your favorite bloggers a reach around (AKA, post a comment) every now and then to show them their work doesn't go unappreciated. And for many, myself included, it motivates them to keep going...to keep writing that is.
Conversation is as much a part of blogging as writing is. Of course to get the conversation going, you have to build a community - build up your readership base. And to build up your readership base, you have to write content worth reading and conversing about. Unfortunately for me, I seem to have lost that talent.
I'm not trying to be a David Downer or throw myself an Internet pity party, but I can't help but notice something odd. Although my subscribers continue to go up, the comments have drastically dropped. Just a year ago I averaged 50 comments per post (with a few over 100). These days I average around 20 per post. I'm not quite sure what's going on. If people are just reading/commenting on less blogs because they've become busier and/or lazier, which I would totally understand. Or if my writing just plain old sucks, which I would also totally understand.
I've never been shy when it comes to admitting that I hate my own writing. And because of the harsh criticism I place upon myself, I always strive to live by my motto - "write like no one is reading." But let's be real. It's better when what you write is read.
After all, isn't that why people blog? Not just to better understand ourselves, but with hope that we may better understand others. That connection, although virtual it may be, fills a void. It fills those empty spaces a writer finds themselves in. The gap between our words and another's world. That's what community provides, a link. I can say I "write like no one is reading" all I want. But the truth of the matter is that an audience of one just isn't any fun. It's like masturbation. Self-gratifying? Sure! But not as fulfilling.
If reaching people didn't matter and we truly didn't care what anyone thought, then we would be content with writing privately in our Moleskines and tucking them under our bed mattresses. We wouldn't put our words out there for public display. Comment sections on blogs wouldn't exist and bloggers everywhere wouldn't bask in nerdy little highs from seeing a new comment appear on their latest post. (Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.)
January 1, 2011 marked my 6th Blogiversary. That makes me a bit of a dinosaur in the blogging world. And because I'm feeling old and crusty, it's time for a fresh start. I've written over 1,000 posts in 6 years. Hundreds of those will soon be deleted (only the best will remain). Why? Because this blog doesn't make me happy. It's not something I'm proud of. I want to get excited about writing again. That is why I'm in the process of designing a new blog! A WordPress Thesis Theme blog with a whole new look, new posts, new domain name and will come with more awesome!
I hope you will join me. In the meantime, stop being a lurker and go be a comment whore! I'm sure there are dozens of blogs you read and never contribute a word on. It's time to change that. I've never started reading anything that I didn't have a single thought on upon completion. And chances are neither have you.
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