A Penny For Your Thoughts (2): Meaningful Comments

What is in a meaningful comment?

Raise your hand if you have run across a giveaway where one of the requirements was to leave a meaningful comment. I definitely have. Sometimes, I find myself wondering what a meaningful comment even contains. I'm no expert on this but here are my $0.02 on comments and what I think a meaningful comment is.

My $0.02

First of all, I've always wondered why it's so hard to come by comments sometimes. I think overall, it's just because no one has the time to sit in front of the computer all day, leaving comments here and there. Lol, my second theory is that (and this is totally just my weird mind set) no one really reads the posts. But that is totally not true and even though I know that, my weird mind still thinks that way. So, I've come to the conclusion that even though there are no comments, it doesn't mean that no one didn't read your post.

Another theory of mine that kind of goes hand in hand with the "no one really reads the posts" theory is that maybe sometimes the posts become too long or sometimes the post was so well thought out that there isn't anything else that really needs to be said or added. I'm guilty of writing up extremely long posts, haha. Well thought out posts? Eh, not so much. Either way, when you run across posts like those, the most you can put in a comment is your own $0.02 or a little "I agree" statement.

When you get past that, the meaningful part of the comment comes into play.

When it comes to commenting in general, I always try to comment on every blog I visit when I log in to my blogger account. The only time I don't comment is when I run across a blog that is more adult related or the subjects/topics they post aren't in the same genre as myself. I do read every post I run across, no matter how long because (1) a lot of hard work went into it (such as the formatting - oh goodness, I hate formatting. That part takes longer than the actually typing, lol), (2) it takes time to sit in front of your computer screen and gather all these thoughts, and (3) there are some really awesome posts where various times I'm just like, "Omg, that is so true!" or "I totally agree!" or "Amen! You tell 'em!" or you know...stuff along those lines!

As a blogger, there is absolutely nothing more rewarding than getting a blog comment. To put so much work into a blog post and then to see someone comment and just say the littlest thing like, "Awesome post!" will make me more ecstatic than anything! It's almost better than Christmas morning or even your birthday! For me, personally, I love comments no matter how long or short they are but I think when it comes to leaving meaningful comments, the key to it is (1) reading the post, of course, and (2) taking something of what you know about the speaker and incorporate it into your comments. When you do that, you get a comment that is not only meaningful but it's also sort of lengthy which just scores - big time.

For example, if you stop by a post that has to do with a cover reveal, instead of just saying, "Awesome cover!" You could probably say something like, "Ooo, I like that cover! Even though the girl in a dress with her face half shown has been a little over done, I like that it kind of shows something that might have to do with the storyline." Or you know...something like that! If you happen to stop by a review or an interview post, point out something that you really liked that was mentioned.

All in all, I think what it means when someone asks you to leave a meaningful comment is that you should leave a comment that is not a general statement - a statement that could be applied to any post. A lot of time, I see comments that say "Awesome [insert post topic here]!" For the person who wrote the blog post, they would like to see something more in depth so that they know what they wrote meant a little something to someone. For example, say you wrote something up and you put so much thought into it and...wah, waah, waaah - no comment love. It's a little disheartening, for sure.

But then again, getting comments doesn't just happen. It's not like you put the post out there and boom, boom, boom - comments come flying! It's a two-way street. You shouldn't just expect comments to come. You know that saying, "Give and you shall receive." Or...something like that? Well, comments are just like that. Network, go out and leave comments and then comments will come flocking to your blog posts in a quickness.

Well, there goes my $0.02 on what a meaningful comment is and...comments in general. Not to say that what I said or mentioned is correct because there is no right or wrong when it comes to blogging (not really). This question, once again, sprouted from my curiosity. Since I've started blogging, I've become curious about a lot of things and well this week's topic tended to be comments and now, it's your turn.

A Penny For Your Thoughts

What do you think a meaningful comment is? What makes a comment meaningful?

A Penny For Your Thoughts (1): Time Frame

Sometimes on twitter, I get what I call word vomit...or something like that. I describe it as this urge to just tweet whatever comes to mind and that's really bad because I should really pause before I post but that never happens. Any who, most of my tweeting happens from my lame-o phone and some days, when I'm laying on my bed after an excruciating day from school, I just lay there and then the floodgates to my brain pour open and I get all tweet explosive and it's...word vomit, lol.

For a while now, I contemplated doing sporadic blog posts where I throw out a question that has me curious as to what and/or how others respond but because the twittah is more instantaneous, I usually throw the question out there. But now I figured, I could start doing blog posts here too. Sometimes, I'll be thinking about random stuff and then the wheels start turning and all of a sudden, I start to get really curious if it's just me that thinks like this or if other people are the same or what.

I'm not sure when, but a few days ago on the twittah, I posted this question, aka this week's

$0.01 for your thoughts is:

My $0.02

This question came to mind because I was thinking about myself. Oh em gee, how vain does that sound, lol. "...I was thinking about myself." Wow Momo, wow. I don't mean it like that. I was just thinking that for me, personally, after I finish an out-of-this-world novel, it takes quite a bit of time for me to gather my mind and everything before I start another book. At the least, it's a week and at the most...I don't even know.

It just had me thinking about the time frame for other people. For myself, I have to always give myself time off after I finish a breathtaking novel because if I don't I feel like I won't give the next book that I read, all of me - all of my attention. My sister and I used to joke about how after she finished The Iron Queen she started another book yet her mind kept fleeing back to Ash and we would have phone conversations where she would tell me that she felt like she was cheating on so-so of the current book she was reading with Ash. I mean, clearly there's something wrong with us because we feel like we're cheating on fictional characters....um yeah that's like a first class ticket to the psych ward. ;)

And I totally get what she means. After I finish a really, really, really good book, it usually takes me a while to get back on the reading track because after I finish that really good book, I'm left in a daze, walking around the house like a zombie and every time I blink, a scene from the book flashes behind my eyelids. When that happens, I can't just jump into another literary world because like my sister said, I will feel like I'm cheating not just on the characters but the world, the story line, the emotions, just...everything that that book had to offer.

I need time to absorb all the amazing-ness from the book, I need time to go back and re-read my most favorite lines and scenes, I need time to go back and just think about how everything worked out, and eventually this time builds into days and days into weeks. This here, is one of the reasons why I am such a slow reader but you know, I read like this before I started blogging, so why change now? Speaking of being a slow reader, I think all of you who graced this post with your beautiful eyes, should head on over to Rachel's blog post about being a slower reader.

So, what's your time frame? After you finish a book, do you pick up your next book an hour later? A day later? A few days later? A week? Two weeks? Have you ever felt like you were cheating on one book character with another? If so, who? :P And for myself, I don't mean a week as if it's always a week before I pick up my next book. Sometimes, if a book wasn't as stunning, I give myself a day before I pick up my next read. Sometimes if I just wasn't feeling a book, I give myself say... three days before my next read. But majority of the time, it's a week before I pick up my next book.

How does it work for you? What's your time frame?