I find myself intensely curious about what other writers are going through because I don’t come from a writing or atistic family at all, and don’t really have a writing community at this time (I’m a former newspaper reporter and current PR professional — very different crowds, believe me). It’s hard for me to know if I’m ‘normal’ as I strive to do this, or should give up and be happy with my press releases.

You all are wonderful at helping me feel sort of normal, and I thank you. But I would sincerely hope this is not a drain/strain on Jenny in any way. That would make me terribly sad. Just my 2 cents worth.

0

Personally, I think Argh Ink is a “Good Blog”, and am glad to see you’ve decided to keep going.

0

0

0

My only quibble here is that people seem to think that the problems Jenny is talking about are limited to blogs, and even started with them.

I’ve been online since 1986 or so, and computer BBSs have been around longer than that. When people behaved badly on a local dialup BBS, it would only be seen by a relative few. Then came Usenet. Then came the Web. (I’m telescoping the history of course.) Now if someone behaves badly it can be seen all over the world in a second. As Jenny says, that’s a good reason to take a little time before one clicks on “Submit comment.”

On a telnet BBS I used to frequent, I was struck by how often adults — not just kids, I mean adults of both sexes in their 30s and above — would complain that you shouldn’t judge them by what they posted yesterday, people change over time, and besides, they didn’t see why they should be held responsible for their own words. Even better, they’d claim that what they posted on a public BBS was “private.” Another thing I noticed, comparable to “I’m never going to buy another book of yours again!”, was people who’d write in a forum, “You guys are awful and hateful! I’m never going to read this forum again!” — and then they’d post again within an hour. Newspaper editors say that the same holds for “Cancel my subscription!” letters — most people quietly restart their subscription very soon. After all, if they didn’t, how could they have the pleasure of writing another “Cancel my subscription” letter?

Even before the invention of computers, writers and newspapers and magazines got stupid, abusive letters. One big difference was that most people would never see them; the self-publication that computers have facilitated, and interactive comments invite, changed that so that everyone can make a fool of him or herself in public. There was also the telephone as a medium for anonymous abuse, and before that, graffiti. So this kind of behavior is not new, it’s just that technology has facilitated it and made it more visible. I often find it dispiriting, I admit, to have my nose rubbed in the fact of massive and unashamed human stupidity, but I guess I’d rather know than not know about it.

If you look at comments on other sites, you’ll see that for many people the comments feature seems to signify an excuse to type something like “your gay” and run off giggling. One reason I don’t enable comments on my own blog is that I’ve been through too many idiotic pseudo-debates over the past couple of decades and don’t have the energy to constrain myself to argue reasonably with people who aren’t interested in reasonable debate. I still have minor qualms about that decision, if only because I post comments on other people’s blogs. But everyone has to decide where to draw the line for themselves.

0

0

I have never read you before and always will!

Heh. See, the world needs you just to keep the crazies (moi?) focused.

0

i was working for a politician a couple of years ago and he had me create a blog for him. Instead of using it properly as a way to let people know him better though, he saw it as some kind of infrequent pr marketing tool, sort of like press releases as blog entries, and it was awful.

write what you want. people will always have something to complain about, so you may as well be happy with your own stuff.

0

Second, you are good at sharing yourself in a way a lot of writers are not. You show us your inspirations (collages), bits of drafts and revisions, tell us about the triumphs and tribulations of a book tour (pizza chin, anyone?) and do it all with a lovely sense of humor.

I’m as happy to hear about wallpaper and puppies as I am to discuss the glittery hoo-ha, because it’s all in your great voice. I became a reader because of your blogs, so maybe it balances out.

0

0

0

Does it have to do ‘good’ ? Can it just be a place/community where 99% of the time readers come to see what Crusie is up to and chat amoung themselves, be entertained, learn something.

“There are things I want to blog about, so maybe I’ll just stick to those and stop[ worrying if there isn’t a post every week.”

Sounds like a plan . Argh , Inc is a beautiful part of the Orchard. If you can keep it going without being blog-stressed-out I know there are several hundred people who would cheer wildly <- I put that icon in there because I know how much you love them.

0

Please don’t stop blogging. Sometimes people are stupid and make stupid comments, but you shouldn’t read them. Just keep writing.

P.S. The only reason I’d advocate for you to stop blogging is if it would give you more time to write with Bob, because those two books you’ve done so far are the most hilarious books I’ve ever read in my life, and the world would be a better place with more Lucies and Agneses.

P.S. 2 Bob doesn’t think you should stop either. His opinion should probably count more than mine since I am merely a reader and he is actually a partner in crime.

0

There are people who love to make negative remarks for whatever reason. The internet gives people a chance to comment before they think. That has to be the case because I refuse to believe that some people are really as stupid as their comments on some blogs make them sound.
I don’t think you will lose fans because they change their impression of you based on what they read. Its like saying, “I’m never going to such and such store again.” Sooner or later you are back at that store.

0

Second, anyone with brains recognizes that nobody is perfect, not even one’s favorite writer. And if that writer is, indeed, a favorite, then maybe that abusive person should cut her or him some slack. Yeesh! No two people are going to agree on everything, about everything; the expectation that they would is unrealistic. And if that’s how they would treat a favorite, then…

Third: And they might want to question why what you said has them so emotional, and why they would misinterpret what you say and insist on believing what they want to believe, despite anything to the contrary. Two excellent questions. There are some other issues they might want to take up with themselves, before they embarrass themselves by exposing their own outrageous behavior and the reasons for it, to scrutiny.

Fourth: I don’t think this minority of readers is really worth focusing on.

0

In G&T’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” vein, I read on your blog about a Bob-and-Jenny workshop and decided to go. What a kick-start for my brain! Then you blogged that you’d teach at only a couple more seminars, including this LRWA thing I’d never heard of — and thanks to serendipitous connections, there I was at the Beach House, trying to control fan-girl shallow breathing and having one of the best weeks of my life. Just this week I’m reading chapters from one of the writers I met there.

As the throngs above have noted, your Argh posts add to the world, even when they don’t set off the cyberspace shriekers. The communities you’ve created are equally valuable. Even your less-frequent posting schedule has given me a gift: when I realized how disappointed I was at not finding new entries, I knew it was time to concentrate more on life offline.

And if that’s what you need to do, Jenny, go for it.

0

0

0

I too am popping out of Lurkdom to comment on this issue. I love the variety of topics upon which you write about. I no longer read the various romance websites, because I just want to be able to enjoy a fine book without the baggage.

However, your blog is so much more than that. The 12 days of…, the dogs, the house renovating…one of my all time favorites – how to determine an action chart, of which I printed several copies and which I cannot find now, so must go look up again. (Is it fun? No? DON’T DO IT!) I’ve called friends up to say – “Go look at how she did her collages for writing a story!” or “Check out her office! Doesn’t it look like ours?”

I love checking in to your blog, not because I’m trying to learn anything about writing (I’m not a writer, I’m an artist), but because I get the same sense of boundless curiosity, creativity, thoughtfulness, and constant exploration, that I see in your characters, as they log different experiences in their stories. I love your books. They are fun and interesting and lively to read.

I really love your blog though. I think it’s my favorite, simply because there isn’t any rhyme or reason to it. It’s the best part of discovery. “Look what I found! Isn’t it cool?” And you know… it is!

It isn’t a bunch of pontificating.
It isn’t a “Look at Me, it’s the Jenny Show, Live!”
It’s not purposeful.

It is like the random kinds of conversations I have with my best friend when we mention something that caught our interest, or made us laugh, over a cup of coffee.

I understand that it can be draining, and a time/energy/emotion sucking vacuum. I am sorry that it should be so for you, especially when the boundaries become so ethereal and response is real time from a bunch of strangers. So I’d like to add the positive side for you when you weigh the balance in your decision to blog or not to blog. I’ve never met you. I probably won’t ever meet you, as I live in California, and can’t see myself running into you for a convention or something.

However, I love seeing into the window of your life of the things that you are inclined to share. The great dress, the super shoes, the funny things that happen to you while you travel to promote a book, the kinds of folks you do meet. I get intrigued and sometimes inspired. I’m often amused, and often appreciative. You write about universal things, and I thank you for putting into words things that I might not have taken a second look at.

Sincerely,

Sheila
Concord Cherry

0

0