Why Might Writers Be Interested In The 2013 Comment Challenge?

Pam Coughlin (MotherReader)  and Lee Wind (I'm Here, I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?) are running their annual comment challenge. Starting now. Right now! And running through the end of the month. If you actually sign up and keep checking in, there's a competition-type thing going on.

Why should blogging writers care about this?  Community building, people! A comment challenge gives blogging authors an opportunity to make themselves part of blog culture, part of the blogging community. I wonder, myself, how many blogging writers read other peoples' blogs. I suspect there's a lot of post and run going on. If that's the case, though, blogging writers are missing one of the main benefits of blogging--getting to know others who share your interests and are interested in what you do.

Many writers are going to find the challenge goal of 5 comments a day too much. Don't let that discourage you from working on your community. Shoot for 1 or 2 comments a day. Or simply spend any time at all during the next two weeks trying to interact with other bloggers. Community matters.

Unfortunately, I'm heading out for Retreat Week tomorrow, during which time I won't be blogging. I will be doing some professional reading, though, and I consider reading litblogs professional reading. I'm not setting any goals, because I find that very destructive of the whole retreat experience. But I'd like to drop a comment or two here or there.