wasting time

My latest obsession: comparing the numbers of comments to the numbers of “likes”

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Okay, I’ll admit it: there are better ways to spend my time. But for some reason, I have recently become obsessed with the following question:

Why do some articles get many “likes,” but few comments, and some articles get many comments, but few “likes?”

Until recently, I never paid attention to the social network shares on my articles. I paid attention to the comments so I could monitor and respond to them, but I didn’t watch how many people “liked” my article, tweeted about it, or whatever. I guess something happened when I finally joined FB myself.

First, I found myself comparing the rates of “likes” vs. comments on my Tablet articles, then I noticed the same discrepancies on other people’s articles.

I get that it’s easier to “like” than to write a whole comment. I do. Also, “likes” get shared with other people readers think will enjoy or appreciate the article. And that explains why some articles (the most recent one I wrote, for example) have a “likes” to comment ratio that far favors the “likes.”

Do more comments than “likes” signal dislike?

 

What I don’t get are the stories that move in the opposite direction (including one of my other articles). What makes someone comment, but not “like”? Because they’re mad at me? Because something I said incensed them? Is that it?

Do you have any insight on this issue (as a reader, writer, marketer, or publisher)? Please share it in the comments below.

School is on and I’m back to work!

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The kids are back in school, and I am back to work. For four days, at least.

school, classroom

When the kids go to school, Mommy gets to write!

Because of the unfortunate discrepancy between the Jewish calendar and that of the traditional American school, my children will not experience a full week of school this fall until October. That means that even though their summer vacation is over, my days of child-wrangling are not.

It’s really important to me to take advantage of time alone during the day. I cherish the time I get to spend with my kids over summers and holidays, but when they are home, I can only write at night. Unfortunately, I am decidedly a morning person. The quality and quantity of what I write is strongly affected by my kids’ days off.

So today I tried to be as productive as possible. I got to pray at length, spent a couple hours on a story, took care of some housework, and made sure to listen to some music.  As a treat, G-d sent a playdate for my preschooler to extend the quiet a little longer.

One of the areas I’ve decided to work on this new year is time-wasting, so I tried very hard not to lose too much time to unnecessary internet surfing or checking my email repeatedly. I fought off the time wasting habit better than I expected today.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring? And Friday, for sure, will be spent minding my kids and preparing for the Yom Kippur fast. Sukkot will start just a few days later. But at least this evening, I’m wrapping up a workday feeling I did my best, B”H.

Passover is over. Time to jump back on the wagon!

beccakinla how to write, joy, Judaism, letting go, passover, peace, pesach, wasting time, writing process Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

I’ve written zero, zippo, nada since my limericks on the day before Passover, and I now have three pieces outstanding to editors, the first of which is due on Friday. YOW!

As a religious Jew, I was unable to write for most of the Pesach holiday, and chose not to during the more lenient, intermediate days (chol hamoed), as well. Hence the pile up on my to-do list. This post will necessarily be brief. I’ve got to peruse the notes I scribbled two weeks ago, when I received the assignment that’s due first, and start writing.

I think the vacation from writing was good for me, though. I spent a lot of creative energy on cooking (including trying a couple new recipes, even inventing an awesome vegan chocolate chip cookie that is 1) totally kosher for Passover, 2) easy, and 3) scrumptious) and also just playing with and enjoying my husband and kids. We played hours and hours of Monopoly Deal & Old Maid, and visited fun places in L.A. like the zoo and a local U-Pick farm. I let my husband and eldest son pick most of our outings–the WWII Aviation Museum was an unexpected delight. Letting them be in charge allowed me to relax and let go.

Now it’s back to creative work, but it seems a little less like work after the vacation.

Missing a deadline

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Confession time: I didn’t finish my revision of the novel-in-progress by Nov. 1st. In fact, I’m only 2/3 done and it seems just to go slower and slower. It’s so stressful, I find myself wasting time in lots of creative ways.

I’m usually great about making deadlines, so I’m trying not to view my -ahem- delay as either a failure or evidence that I’m really just a slacker.
I’m heading back to work, now.
Really.

Soundtrack to the novel I’m working on

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(picture by Thunder Circus on Flickr)
I’ve been wasting a lot of my precious post-bedtime lately. I’m supposed to be finishing my book, but I find myself listening to groovy music instead. In theory, it’s helping identify with various characters and create atmosphere, but honestly, I’m still pretty much avoiding real work. Here are some highlights.

“Infinity” by Shtar

“Running Away” by Matisyahu (cover of a Bob Marley song)
“I Can’t Be with You” by the Cranberries (female vocalist)
the Diwon remix of “Acharon Acharon, Chaviv” by Lipa Shmeltzer
“You are Never Alone” by Socalled
“Chalomot shel Acherim” by the Idan Raichel Project
“Rachmana” by Ta-Shma
“The Only One” by Moshav
“Down in the Now” by the Crystal Method (with Matisyahu)