The new Magpie prompt is up, and I'm thinking about it. On one hand, I like having that small but essential push to get me to write some fiction. I like reading the other posts from the same prompt, because there are some real gems in there.
On the other, Magpie Tales draws about 120 posts every week. Unlike other memes I participate in, where you usually really do make the rounds of all the posts every week, this is too many to do that. The traffic to my blog does not increase when I post to the Magpie list - only my regular readers plus one or two other magpie writers stop by. So there's not the return you enjoy with smaller memes. In trying to make it through the list of posts this week, I only got through two dozen or so, and I can understand why people don't do that: the majority are of no interest. It's discouraging to click and click and click (and my computer does take its time) only to not be interested. So at participant number 112, I can see why not many people make it to mine! Maybe being early in the list makes a difference, but when I saw the new prompt this morning, there were already two dozen posts up, and I hadn't even started to think of what I might write. I saw that some people add their names to the list without even making a Magpie post, like they're just holding their place.
It's also too many participants (at least for me) to be familiar with most of the other members of the group. It's too many to be personal. I guess if I make the effort to go through the whole list, and note whose work I liked, next time I can skip right to them. Some day when it rains all weekend I might do that.
So I don't know. It's not as if I need to be in a club to write stories. But you do kind of need to be in a club to get feedback. We'll see.
5 comments:
I know one thing ... I enjoy your talent! Loved the Poetry Bus color piece.
If I get more encouraging messages, I'll keep on, Helen, thanks!
i do know what you mean, I find it a bit hard to get around too, and tend to leave the magpies alone for some reason, I guess I'm too lazy to appreciate the prompt or something. Anyway, do whatever feels worthwhile to you, that's the main thing I think
Don't give up the Magpies! There are a lot to visit, I know. The way I manage it is, if it grabs me with the first few lines, I read the whole thing. If I have something to say, I leave a comment. So, no pressure.
Well, I'll give it a go. It's just so damned annoying to spend time following links, only to find there's no Magpie post there at all. WTF is with that?
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