The purpose of comments and reviews I must ask, why do we as writers seek the thoughts of other writers on our work? It is obvious that we, as writers, are readers first, and what we read dictates whether or not a piece will leave an impression on our thinking and writing process. The same is true of a reader who is not a writer or is just a lover of words & poetry. It is all about inspiration and what emotions are wrought out from a piece. Some works get our minds working and trying to unravel the knots of mystery or metaphor as it relates to our own lives. Metaphor has been around for a long time and one who used it greatly was Jesus in his teachings as recorded by the apostles. Metaphor of course is symbolism simply because it has a greater impact than just simple words. When used properly it enhances a statement and leaves behind images that speak louder than mere words. Great writers are those who can master this technique and yet not lose the reader or confuse them as it does no good when a poem loses its meaning muddled in too much metaphor. The best way of learning of course, is by reading. No poet can write good poetry or be a great writer if they do not bother to read the work of others. Writing is an ongoing process and we, as writers, never stop learning. Receiving comments and reviews from other writers gives us great insight into how our work is translated to the human condition or emotion and how it relates to the reader. The criticism and the kudos are sometimes hidden in the comment and review and we must learn to decipher those by constantly reading what the reader leaving that comment is really saying. We must filter out the excessively good as well as the non-constructive criticism given. But we must receive reviews and comments to give us a good indicator as to how we ourselves are growing, as writers. There are some writers who have written very good poetry but now have posted very infrequently and when they do, do not bother to read or leave comments themselves on another’s works. We all have a pretty good idea who they are and it should come as no surprise that their writing has suffered because of that stagnancy and lack of exchange with others, although they may believe their pooh does not smell and everything they write is a masterpiece. Hopefully, we will not fall into that fallacy and put a crease on our style.
Readers, there is no valid reason why you cannot write a comment or review on someone’s work. If a piece moves you then you should make a comment on how that relates. If you have no credentials to criticize then it is best not to make a critical comment. We as writers do the same thing. If a piece moves us we make a comment reflecting that but if a piece is bland or out of place or out of line, we ignore it and skip on to the next work. Encouragement is the best policy for those who show promise and are willing to read and learn.
Yes, it is true that we play the comment exchange game to a great extent. Most of us do, not all. Some comment on everyone here and that is excellent if one has that amount of time to dedicate to that. Unfortunately, not all of us do and we are relegated to merely returning the favor of commenting and reviewing another writers work when they have left comments and reviews on our work. I have found that some writers play favorites regardless of the quality of their work and that is unfair but it does occur. I have personally found that I can spend up to umpteen hours reading and reviewing and receiving only 1 review for every 5 or 6 that I give, That takes up way too much of my time and there is little in return to justify that much work. Why should anyone expend that much energy when the receiver does not even bother to say thank you for the support? It does make it seem like a clique when we do that and it is not always a good thing. It can sometimes turn into a social network and some friendships develop in the process, but not all that is bad either.
More Blogs by Amor Sabor • Where have all the writers gone? - Saturday, October 12, 2013 • Change of genre - Monday, April 11, 2011 • Writers and Readers Reviews - Monday, February 7, 2011
