Your problem, David, is that your audience is a bunch of writers. Lots of us probably start writing a comment, then before we click that "add comment" button we can't resist the temptation go back and rewrite it. Then we tweak a few more words here and there. Then we stop and wonder if what we're writing really says anything. Then we fiddle with a couple more words. Then we go and consult a couple dictionaries and a thesaurus to decide if that one word that still seems a little awkward is really the best choice. Then peer pressure sets in as we realize that whatever we post is going to be read by a bunch of other writers and maybe they will think we're just hacks who don't even deserve to be reading your blog let alone posting to it. So we decide to sleep on it and come back and submit a really good, witty, insightful comment tomorrow. But, when tomorrow comes, we log on to find you've already moved on to a new topic and we figure there's no point in posting anything now. Besides, we tell ourselves, it's pointless because nobody ever really pays attention to what we write, no matter how great a speech it is...at which point we realize that we've become totally sidetracked into our usual self-absorbed whining about how the people we write for don't respect our talent and always insist on tinkering with all the good parts of every speech we craft for them. And that's really just the same old snivelling that speechwriters always indulge in, so surely David wouldn't want us to waste valuable space on the server with that kind of stuff...

Reuben, this is hilarious, and if there's even a grain of truth in it I won't know whether to laugh or cry. But I do know that I should thank you for sending it.

Maybe you should provide a deadline for comments. As an editor, you should know that if you don't give writers a deadline they will never submit anything. Of course, we'll ignore the first two deadlines -- but eventually the pressure will get to us.

I love Reuben's observations, but I have another theory. Really good writing does not require a response. Kurt Vonnegut said the beauty of reading is that it allows one to think other people's great thoughts. Reading your thoughts in this blog makes your readers happy to think them without feeling obliged to write/think our own. I'm tired of rewriting this paragraph, so I might as well just post it.....Thanks for the great thoughts, David!

David: I know I've already shared these thoughts with you, so I'm writing this mostly for the readers. I think that your blog is extremely thought provoking, thereby encouraging me through the workday to write better. I may not respond to your questions because I'm not solely a speechwriter, so many of the topics do not pertain directly to my writing projects at hand, but they still make me think about writing. Let's put it this way, it's the first thing I read when I start my day.

And it's true, Reuben, I tend to edit myself and think "These are really smart people and I don't want to look like an idiot," but after reading this I'm spurred on to write anything I want, idiot or not. Maybe we should all just relax and write what we think. I'll give it a try.

*chuckles* I found this blog just a few weeks ago and have read religiously (and mutely) since. Why don't I comment more (read "at all")? Well, I haven't actually worked as a writer for years now. I'd like to get back to it but meanwhile I'm just a hack, and exposing myself is a little scary. Not to mention depressing. It took early morning blearies and pre-caffeination for me to even post this. Mostly, though, I'm simply here to get your insights into a world I left long before I actually joined it, to see if I really do want to go back. That's something I will acquire best through osmosis, not dialogue. At least, not yet.

Also, Rueben is closer to the mark than probably any of us would like to admit. *grins*

Rest assured, though, you are read, and your thoughts are appreciated from many different perspectives.

Okay, now Goddamnit. I didn't write this in order to get all this bucking up預t least I don't think I did.

But now you're about to make me weep on my keyboard, and I really don't appreciate it!

Not bad for a hack, DeAnna.

(And thanks for your kind words, all.)

As an amateur writer/blogger (www.natesimpson.com/blog) who also happens to run his own web server, let me point out a possibility. I also get hundreds of unique visitors a month, but almost no comments. A quick analysis of server logs will reveal that a great portion of those unique visitors (90%+ in my case) happen to be spammers using compromised systems as they are trying to leave comments and/or referral log spam on your blog; it may be that you have not yet reached so high a level of actual readership as you will in a few more months.:-)

Of course, being syndicated in some RSS feeds helps (as I've managed to find you through the RSS feed at BlogDigger (http://groups.blogdigger.com/rss.jsp?id=85) and otherwise I would never have seen this). And otherwise contraindicative are the 7 comments before me. Just my $0.02. YMMV.;-) Good luck!

Well, that's an interesting point, Nathan; I shall look into it.

But give a balky blogger a bleepin' break! Just as I'm trying to get my mind around RSS, you hit me with a YMMV?

What (dare I ask?) does that mean?

Ahhh...cause I thought it might mean "yammer more my vis major" but this makes so much more sense!

I even had to use my dictionary to find a reasonable "v" word.

Nathan - no more puzzles today or I won't get anything done!