A posting idea - your thoughts?

[Winch]

After some brainstorming, I've come up with a "pay it forward" solution to the low rate of replies to new posts.  What if every time we posted a new story or poem, we replied to someone else's?  Better yet, what if it had to be on one that didn't have any replies yet (assuming one was available)?  This is just an idea.  Let me know what you guys think.

[_mOonSeeKer_]

i think it's great winch!! I'm totally in on this. 

[YeLLoWmisT]

Thought it was brilliant....

[H-Butterfield]

I think it's a great idea. We all want feed back when we post so we should give other people some.

[Capuchin]

There are some critique groups that work that way (most notably critters) -- you have to review a certain number of posts before you can put yours up.

While it's an excellent idea, it would be difficult to regulate in an open forum, and without some sort of exclusion software, you could never be sure if someone is only praising (or trashing) your work because you praised (or trashed) theirs.

Also, some of us are absolutely lousy at the kind of critiques usually found on this board. Ask me to comment on a particular aspect of a paragraph or two, and I'm your man. Ask me about a long preface with dozens of grammar and spelling errors, and you really, really, really don't want me to post what I think.

And I can't do poetry. It just doesn't touch me. I might be able to find something to say about a particular phrase, but that's about it. Saying "out of your sixteen stanzas, I found two words that work well together," isn't going to help anyone.

To those who can do unfocused critiques for a variety of forms, God love you, we all need you, and please stay active. Just don't expect all of us to be able to reciprocate.

[Winch]

I think the great thing about this forum is its variety and relative lack of rigidity.  I've read the beginnings of passages before, when I haven't had time to finish the whole thing, and just commented on that part.  Even a few sentences on one particular part helps more than nothing, and at least gives the original poster a sense that their work is at least worth commenting on. 

I know the idea couldn't be regulated, and I'm thankful for that.  I just think its something we should all keep in mind.  An incentive to keep us all posting our work.  If I wanted people to read my writings without giving feedback, I could just tape them on the wall of a wal-mart.

Thanks everyone for your support.  I don't know about you, but I, at least, will try my best to stick to these rules.  Well, "more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules."

[Flowering]

I like this alot as well! Even though the person might say to a particular peice of writing that "it sucked" and if they wrote why, then even that would be helpful, that is, unless the person was a complete bafoon. I think the only reason some people might not like feedback that sometimes seems negative is not because what the actual person wrote was mean, but actually not what they wanted to hear. That is completly understable. Nobody wants to seem bad at what they love to do. I get scared too, like most people. But, if we are all gonna be a strong community, then let us trust eachother enough that when someone comments something, it is only because they truthfully want to help.