#also that last lil drone in 12-3 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rj019 · 4 years ago

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The characters don't belong to me. All credits to Marvel or Disney or Stan Lee idk.

So this is my first ever Tumblr Post (人*´∀｀)｡*ﾟ+

Hope you guys will like it.. I'm new to this & I might make some mistakes so I hope you guys can understand and help me throughout my journey (◍•ᴗ•◍)

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Title : Genius, YouTuber, Artist, Musician and Spider-Man

Fandom : MCU

Pairing : Starker(tony stark x peter parker)

Rating : Mature (NSFW, Sexual Content)

Prompt : Social Media

Summary :

Tony started crushing on a guy who is 5 years younger than him... And You all know who that is 😉 one and only Peter Parker.

And Peter has a very famous Youtube channel since he was 6. But he always wears mask in his videos to hide his face. He often mentions his crush on Tony Stark since he was 12 in his videos.

" CHAPTER - 0 "

The notes below are for the things that happened till Peter is 20 from when I'll actually start the story. I didn't wanted to get it all mixed up. So I wrote these so you guys can understand the AU better and how everything came to be and not get confused. It explains everything about Pete's social media, everyone's ages and which part of MCU is included and which is not, and the changes in the whole storyline. So these are must read it if you want to read the actual chapters. (☆▽☆)

Notes :

Tony is 25 year old in this and Pete is 20 and they're both certified geniuses. And they are both Bisexual.

Tony's perants are alive. Pete's uncle Ben is also alive.

Howard is a good parent and husband in this fic and he himself is a Bi so congrats!! No homophobia 🤗

Howard made Tony CEO of the company when he was 22 and only took semi retirement and only went to company once in a while to keep an eye on things. Tony graduated from MIT when he was 17 and then he started helping with company 😀

So Avengers and S. H. I. E. L. D. does exist in this AU but sheild isn't publicly known nor does anyone knows Avengers' real identity that includes Tony's😉 but that was just until New York battle.

Howard and Maria obviously knew about Tony being Iron Man. Tony told them after he came from Afghanistan and created the armor. There was no way to keep it hidden from them. Like all the parents they were reluctant to accept it as it will endanger his life but the accepted it at last.

Tony was kidnapped when he was 19 and when he went to Afganistan for his first ever deal without his father. And bla bla happened and he became Ironman and then he told his father about the Arc reactor tech and told him that there are many other things that can get their company to it's peak and asked him to stop the weapon business and Howard aslo thought about it cause after all he almost lost his one and only son (told ya he is good parent it this one) and then you know what happened 🙃

Howard is alive so no Obadiah Stane.. So no IM 1 events after he came from Afghanistan happened. They hid the fact that tony has arc reactor in his chest though. And world only knew that Iron Man is getting help from SI because of the arc reactor technology in the armor but they could never expect that it's Tony Stark himself. ( yeah yeah I know not very convincing but bear with it cause its a fiction right😅)

Papper, Rhodey and Tony are best friends from childhood cause their parents are friends. So he tell them about IM too. Papper works with him at SI as secretary for few years but when Tony turns 24, He suggest his father to make her CEO and he will be working and providing for Techs and important business deals. And Howard knows his son very well and that doing office stuff ain't getting to Tony plus his IM activities. And Papper was already doing more than half of his paper and meeting work so he makes Papper CEO. And yep Papper and Tony did try relationship but it just didn't clicked so they are still friends and no awkward feelings.

From IM 2, he did get palladium poisoning but he hid it from his family and friends. He did parties and drinking (but without the armor ofcourse) and Rhodey got really angry at his behaviour and recklessness and told him that he will beat him up with his own armour. And then Nat and Fury came and all that injection stuff.. after that he told his father about it and they worked together and made the new element and saved him. After that he apologized to everyone and told the truth and even made Rhodey War Machine suit and Rhodey helped him with it at Expo. Race incident doesn't happen. But Vanko still tried to get revenge by helping Hammer. So Stark expo incident still happened with drones only, not the War Machine armour.

I'll say IM 3 doesn't happen cause we don't have that much time you know fitting all IM parts and then 2 avangers part just within 6 years is impossible 😅

So after that NY invasion happened and Avangers got formed. People didn't know who they atually were just their alter egos and that also not everyone. People were really shocked and afraid after the battle so the government decided to make shield publicly known. Not all the information but just lil bit parts here and there to ensure everyone that there were people and organisation who were ready for something big like this. But it was still not enough to make people safe.

So then Avengers decided that they'll reveal their identities so people will know that there is a group of people who are there and capable enough to save them from something like this and it worked. They did got positive response. But it was uproar it the world. And they had to deal with media and fans. When the world got to know about Tony Stark being Iron Man, SI's PR department was in chaos.

All Avengers are around 24 to 30 except for Wanda and Pietro. They are 21. But they got into team after Ultron and yep Pietro survived.

Events of Captain America and CA : Winter Soldier did happen except for Bucky killing Tony's perants part. And they are both 30. Clint doesn't have secret wife and children (sorry Laura and kids) cause he is 25. Nat is 24. Papper and Rhodes are 27. Thor looks like 28 but is 1500 as we all know. Loki looks like he is 26 and yepp he was mind controlled by Chitauri but he was at Asgard during Age Of Ultron. Sam is 23. Scott is 25 and he is divorced and has a daughter. He is in relationship. Hope is 24. Bruce is 29. (These are their ages at the starting of the 1st chapter, from when I'll actually start writing the story.)

In NY invasion only original 6 were included in Avengers Initiative and after that they lived together too, at the Stark tower which was turned into Avengers Tower. Later Shield recruited others and they trained and did mission together but didn't live with the original 6.

Then Age Of Ultron happened and Vision Wanda and Pietro also joined. At that time they decided to move to the compound Tony built for them in upstate so everyone can live there.

And time period between these all events is smaller than in movies cause you now 6 years time period ain't that long to fit 'em all.

No CW or IW or Endgame happened.

Mary & Richard unfortunately had to die in plane crash 😅 when Pete was 5 so his uncle and aunt looked after him from then.

When Peter was struggling to recover from his parents death, May got an idea to help him *tada* a youtube channel to distract him because she knew Pete liked to watch things on YT. Pete was a genius and he was great at art too and he is an obvious cinnamon roll so she knew it will be a success and Pete will be distracted too. But she didn't want her nephew's face all over the internet if he gets popular and then can't have normal life so she helped him make his videos with him wearing a mask. So here's where Pete's YouTube journey started 🤭

Peter being an adorable and telented and a genius he is, he got famous on YT over the years and got millions of subscribers and views. He even made accounts on other social medias like Insta and Twitter stuff releted to his YT when he was 12 and it was success too he posted his art and photography their. ( His art and videos do contain his fanboying stuff and crushing on Tony Stark🤭)

And yes Pete is Spider-Man. He became SM when he was 13. Same radioactive spider at oscorp stuff but without Ben dying.

Ben has his own business which is good enough to have stable and cozy life with his wife and nephew. May is house wife and she likes to do volenteer work oftenly. They have two story house with a garden and a backyard. Nither too big nor too small.

Ben has always taught Pete about responsibility and righteousness. (With great powers comes great responsibilities.) So when Peter got his powers he decided to help people by being Spider-Man and looking out for little guy. After sometime he told Ben and May about it and they were at first hesitant but then they got over it and were proud of him and supported him.

After a year, it was getting too much at the same time... being at school, managing social media and YT channel, being Spider-Man and all.

Ben and May wanted him to have normal life so even if he was a genius and could graduate early, they still wanted him to complete high school and make friends. But let's be genuine nothing in life is gonna be normal so he told them about his plan to graduate early from both school and college. And he loved his YT and social media cause it helped him so he didn't wanted to stop that and to stop being SM is out of the picture. Ben and May understood him so they allowed him.

He took this opportunity to tell his only 2 and closest friends Ned and MJ about him being SM. He trusts them alot and they didn't disappoint him and even helped him with keeping his secret identity.

So he graduated from high school early, got full scholarship to MIT.

He was fifteen when he saw Iron Man first. He and Ned became fans but Tony was still his idol and his crush. He also started making fanarts about Iron Man on his account. He liked Dr.Banner's work too. He was only 20 when he wrote his thesis about gamma radiation and his books are awesome and he has 7 PhDs by the age of 25.

Peter earned a good amount from his YT channel and he still had money his perants left so he made one of the vacant room in the house his lab after he became SM and he makes videos in his lab after that about his inventions and experiments but ofcourse nothing regarding SM. He and Ned even made a cool SM suit with AI which they named Karen. (The one from the Homecoming) He got his AI inspiration from his Idol's AI called JARVIS. (Tony made JARVIS when he was at MIT and then used him for the company and his lab and he gave an interview about it. That's how Pete knows about it. Tony used Friday for his suits and IM releted activities after he became IM but then after AOU he used Friday for everything.)

Pete's YouTube videos are about everything and anything he loves to do since he was young. When he was young it was about his lil childish science experiments with help of Ben (ofcourse till he could it on his own) or his art or baking and cooking stuff with May and all but they all always wore the different different matching masks while making videos. When he became friends with Ned and MJ, he asked them to be there too. As he got older he started showing his genius brain cells in his experiments and invention. Same goes for his art, it started getting more and more detailed and he also got interested in composing music and songs and he eurned more followers. He even made his accounts unhackable so no one try to find out who he is after he became SM. He had so many happy moments with his family and friends while making his videos, that is why he kept his YT and accounts.

Shield doesn't know who the Spider-Man is. Pete found out about them cause he sensed someone (agents) following him during one of his patrols when he was 14. So he and Ned looked into it and his mind was blown when he found the organisation and all government behind it.

He wanted to know why they were after him cause he only helped people. So they hacked into Shield. He found out that they wanted to recruit him for something called Avangers Initiative and there he saw some other people's and superheroes' information too. (He didn't look into it because he knew that if he didn't anyone want to know his identity, they must not too and he had no right. ) But he knew it was not a good idea to join it cause then he will have to work for them do their missions and he didn't wanted to do that. He wanted to look out for little guy and help whoever, he can wherever he can. Plus he would have to reveal his identity and when they'll know he is so young, they'll try to stop him from being SM plus people close to him will get in danger. And they might even want to experiment on him so it was a big fat NO.

After that he took every cautious step to protect his identity and his aunt, uncle and his friends. He made a security system for their house and made a smart bracelet to communicate or send signal to each other if they were in danger. They all had one including himself. It looked simple and no one could tell it was actually for that.

When Newyork invasion happened, he was not there. He was at MIT for his PhD. He was so damn worried about Ben, May, Ned and MJ. The moment he heard the news he left for NY but by the time he got there the fight had been finished. So he directly went to check on May and Ben. He found them safe and was revealed. Then he called Ned and MJ to check on them and their families and found everyone was ok. After that he told May and Ben that he will go out and help people from the aftermath of the battle.

He stayed in NY for 2 weeks. In which he found out about the Avengers. He and Ned were shocked at the name and that it was the same Avengers Initiative stuff they read when they hacked into the sheild and Peter felt a pinch of guilt but it disappeared when he learnt that Avengers revealed their identities. He was in no condition to reveal his identity.

He was shocked when he learnt Avengers' identities especially Iron Man. He was like "how could I not understand that it had to be Tony.. there were all those connection like SI and no one is such a genius to make that kind of Tech except for his idol. He fell in love with Tony even more but he just thought it was some kind of superhero worship and teenage crush.

After that Ned and him being the 'nerds' as MJ calls them they are, they become fanboys and started to find out more thing about Avengers. Pete started to post more fanarts of them and he even made the reaction video of how he feels about Tony Stark being Iron Man and Bruce Banner being Hulk. Both his favourite scientists. He even made a song for Avengers. Which was total hit so he made more songs in the future.

Pete graduated from MIT even earlier than his Idol Tony Stark at the age of 16. He got his PHD in Biochemical Engineering at 17 and he wanted to get more Phds in Robotics, Nenotech Engeneering study and Astrophysics. (Which he did within next 2 years.) (Pete was 16 when NY invasion happened and 19 when Ultron happened)

And then Ultron happened, it was all over the news and all but Avangers once again saved the world. Pete was happy and revealed that there were Avengers to save them from world ending dangers but there gotta be someone down on the street too. Someone to help people from criminal and other dangers which may seem little in their or government's eye like Rhino, Doc Oct, Green Goblin, lizard, electro and many more with whom he fought. And he felt that his decision to not join Avengers Initiative was right. Though Shield was still eager to find out who he is like he will let them.

And then Homecoming happened except the part with Tony. ( But Peter doesn't go to homecoming because he graduated from high school )

As for the Ferry incident he saved everyone. He held the both part of ferry with his web and his strength ( Pete is very very strong in this fic ) till his latest Nenotech bot he invented arrived and held the ferry together and mend it. (Like Iron Man did. Just that it were bots who fixed the last part too. Where Tony flys around it and mend it.)

Peter had figured out the arc reactor technology a year and half ago but he didn't wanted any one to know cause it will attract the attention of many people and he didn't wanted that. That is also the reason he doesn't use his Nenotech suit he made. ( IW one ) But now that he has used his nenobots and his tech which was even better and cheaper, he knew for sure that it's going to fireback but he thought he'll take care of it later when he is not busy trying to capture a curtain alian tech loaded weapon selling Vulture.

Next day he had asked Karen to keep and eye over everything and at night Karen informed him about some movements at some abandoned warehouse. Then the whole warehouse dropping and plane crashing thing happened. He saved the Mr.stark's tech and averages stuff and weapons.

But now he will even have more attention but he then ask Karen to clear CCTV footage around the beach so no one knows about him leaving from the scene. He can only hope now. He'll have to lay low for now and even more careful.

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Hope you guys will like it. I have thought so much for this fic. It's going to be exciting writing this.

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manggojooz · 5 years ago

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Pick A Side (Part 12)

pairing: Taehyung x reader

word count: 2,320

genre: university!au; angst; romance; a lil of thriller; a lil bit of fluff

warnings: slight references to voyeuristic behaviour

taglist: @destiel1597 @mila271 @hopetookmysoul @ximaginx@honeyursosweet @coffeecupyoongs@bangtanbaesstuff@annoyingpessimist @betysotelo18 @okaysoplshelpme@igot7bangs @tahaing @mochi-and-co @somewhereinthestarss

comment: sorry if im getting rusty at this, i need to warm up T.T badly...

Film cameras are better than digital ones. Why? Because in that moment the light flashes, the truth is etched into the film forever. Because truth is perceived as valuable.

---

“I just hated Jihyun for making this whole mess so I just did it, alright?! Happy now?!”, Taehyung’s voice sustained despite the recording having ended.

“Thank you for giving me the idea of using a recorded confession”, Haejoong smiled at you with that same expression that used to make you feel comforted but now all you wanted was to punch his face in.

It wasn’t only you, Taehyung also had his fist clenched tight to the extent his knuckles were turning white.

“The moment either of you try to report any of this, just know that I wouldn’t go down alone...”, the sly being tucked his phone back into his pocket, hardly moves a facial muscle before giving you one last nod and eventually sauntering off the hospital porch.

---

“Don’t you want to know what happened?”, Taehyung asked you apprehensively as both of you sat in a corner of a sparsely patronised café near the hospital.

Your expression looked angry but your eyes told him that it was more complex than that.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Can’t believe he thought of threatening you to say those things... and all because of me... I’m such a burden...”, you ranted and Taehyung was astonished, that you never momentarily doubted that him and was even able to figure that much by yourself.

“Don’t say that! You are not... Nobody would have known that he would go to such lengths. He's crazy, we have to report this to the police”, Taehyung felt indignant that Haejoong made you feel this way about yourself.

“We will have to report it to the police but he has that damn recording...”, you were biting your fingernails, deep in thought.

“Should we tell Ms. Helen about this and let her report it?”, Taehyung suggested.

“That’s equivalent to reporting it, Haejoong will just use that recording...”, you answered with a deepening frown.

“Let’s face it, Y/N. There’s nothing that can stop him from releasing it...”, Taehyung was getting impatient. He knows he had everything to lose, but he hated this hostage-like situation.

“No, I won’t let him do that you!”, you raised your voice, annoyed that there seems to be no option.

Both Taehyung and you could see it. Haejoong will keep gaining the upper hand if you continue to hold each other down like this. It was so unfair, you thought. The ones that have nothing to lose, can always afford to play the dirty game. They only stand to gain.

That was when your mind suddenly clicked. No, Haejoong has something he can’t lose too... someone.

---

Taehyung and you sat next to each other nervously gazing at the café door. Finally it rattles and flies open, the person you were keenly waiting for walked warily towards the both of you.

Taehyung stood up from his seat, “Jihyun...”, he calls her name gently as she approached the table. “Have a seat, do you want a drink?”

“It’s ok... what do you want?”, Jihyun’s attitude was uncertain as she rejected the drink but still took a seat opposite you.

You carefully broached the subject, starting from the point when you found out that Haejoong liked her.

“So, now he has a recording of Taehyung ‘confessing’. Jihyun, he is not what he seems, you have to believe us”, it took a good eight minutes before you managed to finish the recap. You were kind of surprised that Jihyun stayed quiet throughout although she did look apprehensive.

“Y/N, I know I said that I believe that you didn’t do it. But don’t be mistaken. It doesn’t mean I trust that you are on my side. Haejoong was the only one who had comforted me and stood up for me during this time... How can you expect me to take your words about him, when you were not even there with me when I needed it”, she was mostly staring at Taehyung as she expressed her doubts.

“I tried calling you, I thought you...”, Taehyung attempted to explain.

“You thought I wouldn’t want to see you? You are not wrong though”, Jihyun sounded exhausted. “Didn’t you say that he likes me? If that’s the case, why would he do that to me?”

You had no answer.

“I don’t want this thing to get any bigger than it already is... I just hope it dies down quickly and quietly. That is all I want now. It’s not about the truth anymore. Somehow the world makes me feel that as the victim, finding the culprit, seeking justice, is not my priority”, she sounded utterly drained.

She stood up to leave and you bolted up from your seat too, “Jihyun...” There was a stillness in the air, you had almost never called her by her name like that.

---

“Taehyung and Y/N came to look for me this afternoon...”, Jihyun said nervously. Haejoong had just brought her to their comfort food place - a kimchi soup restaurant, which is the only thing she can eat whenever she felt awful, and they are now strolling towards her hostel. His scarf was wrapped around her neck after he adamantly insisted that she wasn’t wearing enough layers.

Haejoong stopped in the middle of the pavement upon her words and turned to face her.

"They told me that you were the one who took those photos of me and wanted me to report you...”, Jihyun elaborated, stopping and spinning to look at Haejoong too.

Haejoong was completely still, his eyes moving unnoticeably, observing all the tiny signs in Jihyun’s features.

“They say you forced Taehyung to record a confession...”, Jihyun continued.

“Do you believe them? What is it that you want to hear from me?”, Haejoong replied cautiously.

“... you are the only friend I have now, so I want to hear you say that it’s not you”, Jihyun mumbled.

“Will you believe me if I say that it is not me?”, Haejoong asked.

“I will”, she answered, never once averting his eyes.

“It’s not me.”

A comforted smile slowly spreads across her lips.

“It can’t be you...”, she whispers, and he was relieved to see that she will take his side. “It cannot be you...”, she uttered, and his expression changes. Yes, it cannot be him, if it were, Jihyun might lose it altogether.

“I was looking for the right time to let you hear the recording... I didn’t want to traumatise you just when things were getting better. Isn’t this like the thief calling someone else the thief? Unbelievable...”, Haejoong was careful that he didn’t appear too keen to explain the situation.

“They pretend they can understand how I feel after all that has happened. How can they ever understand the feeling... it’s not as if it has happened to any of them”, Jihyun started to tear up.

“Do you want to hear it? If not, what do you want me to do with the recording?”, Haejoong prodded.

Jihyun thought for a while and said, “Nothing... delete it.”

“You want me to delete it? Jihyun, I can’t-”, Haejoong started to resist.

“I have known Taehyung for years! I've liked him for half that time! What do you want me to say?!”, Jihyun was agitated suddenly. Haejoong just stared at her in shock. But in a matter of seconds, she managed to catch herself again, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I just want it to be over, Haejoong...”.

“Do you still like him... Kim Taehyung? Even after all he did to you?”, Haejoong questioned her, his heart never felt heavier than it is now.

“Have you ever had such a person? Even if they hurt you a lot, and they do all sorts of bad things, you feel like you can’t leave them? Maybe one day he will see that I was the one sticking by his side through it all... maybe then, I stand a chance. If only...”, Jihyun suddenly stopped, and shook her head.

“If only what?”, Haejoong pressed on.

“Nothing... I shouldn’t be thinking such things”, Jihyun became tight-lipped.

“If only Y/N never came into the picture?", Haejoong completed her statement.

The shock in her eyes were evident.

---

Water was dripping from your hair all over the floor. You undid the bath towel wrapped around your body and flung it over your head, squeezing the moisture from your troublesome hair.

You walked along the window towards where you had left your clothes hanging off the chair in your dorm. The windows were shut tight and you had drawn the worn-out curtains. Despite all that, your ears perked up when you heard a queer buzzing sound outside your window. You quickly threw on your sweater and slowly peeled open the curtains.

A dark figure was hovering outside the window, you squinted at it and thanks to the light emitting from the other units you realised that it was a drone pointed right at your window. Right as you identified the foreign object, it started to fly away from you.

You turned and scanned your room quickly, dashing towards your handphone.

---

The drone zips through the night sky and to a secluded field not far from the school hostels. Donning a black hoodie, Haejoong looks up at the drone while controlling it with the remote in his hands. As the drone lowers itself, Haejoong spots the silhouette of another object behind it.

“What’s that?”, he mumbles to himself, furrowing his brows.

The object came closer towards him and his heart almost stops when he realises it is another drone which had been following his! He quickly lowers his head, trying to hide from it, running to pick up his own drone from where it had landed on the brown lawn.

The sound was soft, a bit mushy, but he could definitely make out the footsteps approaching from behind him.

Haejoong stops in his crouched down position. In a split second, he picked up his drone and started sprinting towards the buildings. Just as he was approaching the edge of the grass field, Taehyung dashes out of nowhere and tackles him to the ground.

The two men were struggling in each other’s holds, Haejoong desperately trying to break free and Taehyung refusing to let go. Haejoong’s drone was crushed between their tangled bodies and in the midst of the tussle, one of the blades on the drone slices across Taehyung’s collar bone.

Eventually, Haejoong managed to pin Taehyung to the ground and was fiercely shaking off Taehyung’s grasp on his ankles when a second person jumps on him, causing him to fall over. This time the man was much larger than his size and he twisted Haejoong’s arms behind his back, shouting into Haejoong’s ears, “Stop it! You are under suspicions of stalking and sexual harassment. You are required to- cooperate- with our investigations!”, the policeman huffs while working to hold Haejoong down.

---

You burst through the doors of the police station. Ms. Helen was sitting next to Haejoong and you had the urge to just grab him by the collars and demand all the explanation you deserve but that was not top priority at the moment.

“Where’s Taehyung?”, was all that you spouted, “Is he at the hospital? Which hospital?”

“Y/N, I’m here, behind you”, Taehyung shuddered in embarrassment of you making a fuss in the police station.

“Oh my gosh!”, you exclaimed when you saw his white knitted sweater covered in blood stains. You ran towards him, with fear and worry written all over your face. Seeing your reaction, Taehyung quickly revealed the bandage on his collar bone, “I’m ok I’m ok, it’s just a minor cut, they already fixed me up here.”

That assured you not to worry about him but the fury did not die down and you immediately turned to lunge yourself at Haejoong. Helen threw herself between you and your nemesis, throwing her arms up to prevent you from exacerbating the situation.

“Y/N, that’s enough!”, she chided and luckily Taehyung ran over to drag you away.

No matter how much the police questioned him, Haejoong remained silent and denied everything.

“Mr. Im, the implications here are pretty obvious, wouldn’t you agree? We set up a net to catch the fish. If you aren’t the fish, why did you fall into the net?”, the inspector was pretty patient.

“If you go around setting random nets, you are bound to catch things that are not fishes”, Haejoong replied defiantly, his words still sparse.

“Well it was a pretty specific net, after all we used the victim as the bait to set it up...”, the inspector casually commented.

Haejoong scoffed, “the victim?”, he turned to glance at you, and Taehyung’s feathers were vehemently ruffled again. “Are you sure this alleged victim knows enough to help you set up a net? You have got the wrong person, officer... she’s just trying to-”

“Oh no no, she’s not the victim I’m talking about”, the policeman cut Haejoong off.

Silence ensued as Haejoong processes the assertion. Then who is this ‘victim’ they speak of?

The door opens again, wind howling as it did.

“Ah Ms. Kim, sorry to make you come all the way, this late at night”, the inspector greeted.

You always felt that there was a kind of eeriness to the silence that came abruptly after a loud sound. That moment an explosion subsides, that sound which is quieter than silence itself.

This was that moment.

“A sound of something breaking A sound full of unfamiliarity”

He always had the same disposition. It always felt familiar. But that was just a mask he wore. Now you see it, the truth of him, the unfamiliar reflection of his soul. As he looked at Jihyun entering the dusty room, it was alive in his eyes. The vengeance that he hold, the indignation that he suffer and most importantly, the hurt that he never once imagined she would bring to him.

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butcanijustnot · 6 years ago

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Another Get to Know Me Tag

I’m procrastinating like a motherfucker right now because I’ve got ToTL and other fanfics to work on and three essays I’ve gotta write for school and my brain is just going ‘No! None of that! Something else!’ so I’m doing a tag challenge to get my head back in the game.

I wasn’t tagged by anyone, I just felt like doing it. I’ll tag @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 because I thought you might like this but no pressure because it's a long one and IDK if you’d want to answer it all.

1. What is your full name?

I don’t give my name out online, but my online name is Crystal. If I had to pick a last name for my online persona, I’d probably pick Kyle or Celestial. Both of them are equally stupid and ridiculous, but they're last names of some of my favorite OC’s throughout the years and I’d love to have either one.

2. What is your nickname?

Cry. My partner says its morbid but I think its cute. I also like Criss but for the love of god, please don't call me Crissy (or Crissie or however the hell you want to spell it) because it makes me feel like a five-year-old or a pet dog.

3. What is your zodiac sign?

Sagittarius.

4. What is your favorite book series?

A Series Of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. I could name every reason why I liked it in painful detail but I’m just going to go with ‘Lemony Snicket wrote them really well’

5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts?

I believe in aliens and I don’t NOT believe in ghosts. I’m not one of those people who think that aliens walk amongst us or even that aliens have ever visited earth but there are too many planets and possible combination of planetary environments for us to believe we are alone in the universe.

6. Who is your favorite author?

Either Tiu T or Lemony Snicket.

7. What is your favorite radio station?

Don't have one. I don’t listen to a lot of radio because it requires A) a radio or B) a car. I have neither.

8. What is your favorite flavor of anything?

Strawberry. I freakin LOVE strawberry.

9. What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful?

Valid. Beautiful. Awe-inspiring. Pure. Rad. I have a lot of positive words.

10. What is your current favorite song?

The soundtrack to Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse. I thought I was over it by now. I was wrong.

11. What is your favorite word?

Omnipotence.

12. What was the last song you listened to?

Castle On the Hill by Ed Sheran.

13. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Digestible funny humor, excellent representation of characters throughout the cast. Kickass bisexual lady is the best character, don’t @ me.

14. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down?

The Lego Batman Movie or Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. They’re good films that never fails to make me happy.

“Don’t tell me how to parent my kid I just met!”

‘Play dumb.’ “Who’s Moralis?” ‘Not that dumb!’

15. Do you play video games?

Assassins Creed Origins. It’s beautiful, The main characters great and the story is wonderful. I always come back to it whenever I leave. I must have completed it three times over by now.

16. What is your biggest fear?

Confrontation. Deep water. Spiders. Heights. Meeting new people. Making phone calls. I have many fears.

17. What is your best quality, in your opinion?

I’m a very good listener and loyal to a fault. I’m quiet and I love doing housework (dishes and vacuuming and all that good shit) so I’m a great roommate.

18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion?

I’m terrified of conflict and never want to argue with people. I’m a chronic pushover. I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve told my partner “I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”

19. Do you like cats or dogs better?

Dogs. I love both animals, but dogs like me better so I like them better.

20. What is your favorite season?

Autumn. Autumn in Australia is absolutely beautiful and the mildest of all the Australian seasons.

21. Are you in a relationship?

Yep. I gots myself a lil lady! I’m in a potentially polygamous, currently monogamous, asexual-bisexual lesbian relationship. Come June, we will have been together for three years!!! Yay us!!!

22. What is something you miss from your childhood?

Nothing. My childhood was entirely forgettable.

23. Who is your best friend?

My Partner, if that counts. She’s amazing and I love and trust her with my life.

24. What is your eye color?

Hazel, leaning on the brown side.

25. What is your hair color?

The top part is brunette, my natural hair colour, and the bottom half is a reddy-orange-almost-blond colour. I’ll probs redye it to be a better shade of red. I want a more Natasha Romanoff sort of colour.

26. Who is someone you love?

Other than my family and partner, not really anyone. Telling someone that I love them is incredibly personal for me so I don’t do it very often. @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 comes pretty fucking close though.

27. Who is someone you trust?

Either @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69 or my one friend who reads my fanfics for me. they are both pretty cool people who I feel comfortable enough to share my writing with, which is a big deal for me.

28. Who is someone you think about often?

My glorious partner.

29. Are you currently excited about/for something?

Avengers: Endgame. I mean, I’m terrified but I’m excited.

30. What is your biggest obsession?

Marvel. Marvel comic. Marvel movies. Don’t care, just make it Marvel.

31. What was your favorite TV show as a child?

Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. It was good honest fun and got me into Marvel at a really young age. My favourite characters were Black Panther and vision, and to this day I’m not sure why.

32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone?

My fanfic reading friend I mentioned earlier.

33. Are you superstitious?

Yeah, kinda. I don’t go out of my way but I also don’t walk under ladders on principle.

34. Do you have any unusual phobias?

I have a lot of fears and phobias but the most unusual one is dipsophobia. I have a fear of being drunk and not in control of my own actions. I don’t really have a fear of drinking itself but the being drunk is absolutely heartstopping terrifying for me.

35. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?

I like being behind the camera, writing the scripts for videos and movies that the media and drama students at my school make. Its fun watching your stories come to life around you.

36. What is your favorite hobby?

Writing stories.

37. What was the last book you read?

Othello but William Shakespeare. It was earlier today for school.

38. What was the last movie you watched?

Doctor Strange.

39. What musical instruments do you play, if any?

None. I used to play the violin, guitar, and piano but I stopped.

40. What is your favorite animal?

The snow leopard.

41. What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow?

Only got one that I can think of off the top of my head and its @idontgiveaflyinggrayson69

42. What superpower do you wish you had?

The ability to change into any animal at will.

43. When and where do you feel most at peace?

Not sure. I’m kinda always an anxious fuck.

44. What makes you smile?

Seeing a message from a friend for no reason. It warms my heart.

45. What sports do you play, if any?

I’m a kickboxer.

46. What is your favorite drink?

ICED TEA IS THE GOOOOOOD SHIT

47. When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody?

For my partners last birthday I wrote her a book with each page having a thing I loved about her on it. That was about a month ago.

48. Are you afraid of heights?

Yes but not of flying in planes. It’s strange!

49. What is your biggest pet peeve?

People explaining things to me like I’m an idiot or treating me like a five-year-old. This especially happens when I tell people about my cognitive issues and they start assuming I need assistance with every stupid thing. No, If I need support, I will ASK for it. Your not my knight in shining armor, you’re just an annoying prick.

50. Have you ever been to a concert?

I wish but no. I’ve been to a couple of musicals though.

51. Are you vegan/vegetarian?

Nope.

52. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to make drone and tech but I fucking suck at making stuff so I went the way of English instead.

53. What fictional world would you like to live in?

The MCU. I died in the snap according to that one website but I still wanna be there.

54. What is something you worry about?

The people that I love being annoyed by me constantly being around them and needing so much emotional support and wanting me to leave them alone.

55. Are you scared of the dark?

Not particularly.

56. Do you like to sing?

I love singing. Shame I fucking suck at it.

57. Have you ever skipped school?

Yes and No. I’ve skipped classes in school, but never a whole day’s worth of school other than for doctor’s or dentists appointments.

58. What is your favorite place on the planet?

Don’t have one. Haven’t been in enough places to truly have a favorite.

59. Where would you like to live?

I’d love to go live in Europe for a while but permanently I’m fine living in Australia. We don’t have much gun violence and the cost of living is pretty low so I’m happy.

60. Do you have any pets?

Yes. I have a dog named Jack, a Border Collie- Australian Cattle Dog cross.

61. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?

Night owl 100%. I work so much better at night.

62. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better?

Sunsets.

63. Do you know how to drive?

Nope. Never learned. Never had the money. Never had the time.

64. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones?

Headphones. They won’t fall off if you’re running.

65. Have you ever had braces?

No. I need them though. My teeth are awful.

66. What is your favorite genre of music?

Probably movie scores and soundtracks.

67. Who is your hero?

Anyone who fights for someone else's rights is a hero to me.

68. Do you read comic books?

YES.

69. What makes you the most angry?

All sorts of little things. Being demeaned is probably my biggest one. I don’t like being looked down upon.

70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book?

Electronic device. It helps with my attention issues.

71. What is your favorite subject in school?

English Lit. I would say Accounting but technically I’m not in the class. I just chill out in there during my free. It's awesome.

72. Do you have any siblings?

Yes. I have a half-brother that I’ve never met and a step-sister I can’t get rid of.

73. What was the last thing you bought?

A bunch of candy and drinks.

74. How tall are you?

Somewhere between 5′3 and 5′4. Not sure exactly because I haven’t measured myself in a while but it's about that.

75. Can you cook?

Not to save my life.

76. What are three things that you love?

My writing

My family, friends, partner and pets.

Generally chilling out and listening to music.

77. What are three things that you hate?

Being demeaned and told I’m not good enough.

Sexist/racist/homophobic people

78. Do you have more female friends or more male friends?

I mostly have male friends as I’ve had bad experiences with female friends in the past. That being said, I have had two female friends in the past couple of years. One worked out and one really, REALLY didn’t. However, my partners’ a woman and I love her to bits.

79. What is your sexual orientation?

I’m about as Bisexual as they come.

80. Where do you currently live?

Australia!

81. Who was the last person you texted?

I have a Snpachat group with my friend and his boyfriend and me and my girlfriend, which is called the “HA, GAAAAAAY” group chat. My last message was on that.

82. When was the last time you cried?

This morning. In the car. While thinking about my future.

83. Who is your favorite YouTuber?

Danny Gonzalas.

84. Do you like to take selfies?

Not really, by myself I hate it, but with my friends, yeah.

85. What is your favorite app?

Social media app is either Snapchat or Tumblr.

86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like?

Varies greatly depending on the day. Some days It’s amazing and other days it's awful.

87. What is your favorite foreign accent?

French and Spanish.

88. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit?

Rome, Italy or Paris, France.

89. What is your favorite number?

8 or 13.

90. Can you juggle?

No. I’m not coordinated enough. My friends can though.

91. Are you religious?

I mean I’m baptized Anglican and I go to a Catholic school but personally, I practice no religion and lean towards Agnosticism.

92. Do you find outer space of the deep ocean to be more interesting?

Space. The ocean is terrifying and I hate it.

93. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil?

HAHAHAHA LOL NO

94. Are you allergic to anything?

Strawberries (but I eat them anyway), dust, cut grass, and other assorted minor things.

95. Can you curl your tongue?

Si.

96. Can you wiggle your ears?

No.

97. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something?

I'm stubborn as hell but when I’m wrong, I’m wrong (*cough* Puffins *cough*) and I’ll admit it. I’ll argue but I’ll admit it.

98. Do you prefer the forest or the beach?

My aesthetic is the forest but not an Australian forest because there are way too many spiders.

99. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you?

If you’re not going to remember it in 5 years, It’s not worth stressing about.

100. Are you a good liar?

Sometimes.

101. What is your Hogwarts House?

Ravenclaw.

102. Do you talk to yourself?

Oh, of course, all the time. I’m the only one who understands my crazy ideas and characters.

103. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

I’m very introverted.

104. Do you keep a journal/diary?

Nope.

105. Do you believe in second chances?

For lesser offenses, sure, but for stuff like Rape, Abuse, Murder, and genocide, No. They made there bed and now they sleep in it.

106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do?

I’ve done that before, twice. The first time I opened it and saw that there was a student ID for a local school, so I handed it into my school (It was closer) and they called that school and returned it to the kid. The second time I opened it and saw a teacher ID for MY school and recognized the guy as my old DnT teacher, so I called the school and got him to call me. He arranged to have it picked up and I gave it back. Both times I didn’t think about taking anything from it because it just seemed wrong.

107. Do you believe that people are capable of change?

I believe people can make mistakes and change for the better, but I also think they have to prove it. Actions really do speak louder than words. I also think its reasonable that if you’ve wronged someone, they have the right to reject your company/ friendship even if you’ve changed. You broke their trust once and its reasonable for them to question whether to trust you again.

108. Are you ticklish?

Extremely.

109. Have you ever been on a plane?

Yes, quite a lot actually. My father lives in England so I’ve done Australia to England trip about 9 times. That’s a twenty-four-hour trip so its daunting but seeing him is worth it.

110. Do you have any piercings?

No. I had my ears pierced but I forgot to put earrings in after kickboxing one day and they closed over. I haven’t bothered to get them re-pierced since.

111. What fictional character do you wish was real?

Steve Rogers. I want him to fight Donald Trump.

112. Do you have any tattoos?

Nope. Always been scared that it will hurt too much. My step-sisters got a bunch and my mother’s got one and they all tell me conflicting stories about how painful it is. Plus, If I got a tattoo, I’d want it to be something memorable and special to me and as of right now I haven’t found anything that is that special for me.

113. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far?

Leaving an abusive relationship.

114. Do you believe in karma?

I do but its more of a loose definition of Karma. I believe that if you do good things, good things will happen to you and vise versa. I know it’s not always true, sometimes awful things happen to good people and sometimes the worst of humanity get high honors and great experiences.

115. Do you wear glasses or contacts?

Yeah. I’m severely short-sighted so I need to wear glasses every day. I’ve thought about wearing contact lenses, but don’t like the idea of voluntarily sticking stuff in my own eyes.

116. Do you want children?

Yes and no. I’m open to the idea of having children but I don’t like the idea of actually giving birth. I’d like to adopt or foster children later in life when I settle down and have stability.

117. Who is the smartest person you know?

There’s this kid who when to high school with me who got a 98.6 ATAR, which was the highest of my grade that year. He was super smart, hacked things for fun and was the kinda kid that wrote assignments the day before and still got A’s. It was ridiculous.

118. What is your most embarrassing memory?

Nothing comes to mind presently. I’ll have to get back to you guys on that one.

119. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter?

Yes, quite a lot actually. I have two modes. Sleep is for the weak and I could sleep for a week.

120. What color are most of your clothes?

Dark blue or black with some sort of superhero logo on the front. Blue jeans.

121. Do you like adventures?

Not particularly. The comfort zone is aptly named and I see no real reason to do anything stupid or dangerous just for the sake of it. I’ll explore new places but I’m not going bungee jumping or deep-sea diving.

122. Have you ever been on TV?

Yes. I was on a news in a segment covering the steampunk festival, middle of last year. I looked like a wreck because I’d been standing in the Australian sun for hours but it was so much fun doing the interview.

123. How old are you?

18.

124. What is your favorite quote?

If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, then it’s yours. If it doesn’t, then it never was.

125. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods?

Sweet foods. Desserts and sweets are a lifeline of mine.

1 note · View note

williamlwolf89 · 4 years ago

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How to Write Comments That Stand Out (for the Right Reasons)

Blog comments are a relic from a bygone era.

That’s the word on the street, isn’t it?

In its heyday, a blog comment was powerful. Write good comments and they could land you on the radar of a popular blogger — the kind of super-connected influencer who could accelerate your success.

But that was then, right?

Today, readers have turned to Facebook and Instagram for their commenting fix. Spammers and trolls have taken over. And, as a result, some blog owners have done what would’ve once been unthinkable: turned off their comments.

So, game over. Blog comments are dead. Stick a fork in them.

Right?

Not so fast.

In 2020, it’s Easier Than Ever to Write Good Comments People Will Notice

Smart bloggers see opportunities where others do not.

Here’s the truth:

Because so many have dismissed blog commenting as an outreach strategy, there’s virtually no competition.

On social media, you’re competing against thousands of followers all vying for the influencer’s attention. Inside inboxes, you’re competing against the dozens or even hundreds of emails they receive every single day.

But in the comments section, you’re competing against crickets and tumbleweeds. And the handful of comments that do exist tend to…

Well, they tend to suck.

And that’s a shame because blog comments are still powerful. They can still land you on the radars of popular bloggers and influencers.

If — and this is the catch — you write high-quality, genuinely-good comments worth noticing.

Unfortunately, this is the part that trips up many bloggers. Nobody taught them how to comment on blogs the right way. Heck, they aren’t even sure what good comments look like.

As a result, many well-intentioned bloggers who still believe in the power of commenting are spending their precious time writing comments they think are great.

In reality?

Their comments probably suck.

Here’s why that’s a problem:

Clumsy Commenters Make Terrible First Dates

Blog commenting is a lot like dating.

You’re trying to woo another person, right?

With dating, you’re trying to woo someone into becoming Mr. or Mrs. Whatever Your Name Is.

With blog commenting, you’re trying to woo the owner of a blog.

You want them to notice you. You want them to reply to your comment. Secretly, you want them to visit and comment on your blog, follow you on social media, and ultimately become your best friend forever.

But is that possible if your comments suck?

Sure, it’s possible…

It’s also possible to stumble into marriage, kids, and a house with a white picket fence even if you turn up to your first date with a mustard stain on your shirt and spinach in your teeth.

But just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s likely.

Free Training: The 31 Most PROFITABLE Niches for Bloggers in 2020

That’s why it’s time to improve your commenting game.

To help you do that, I’m going to share with you the anatomy of a good comment. It’s my tried-and-true template you can follow to craft memorable comments that will get noticed.

Even better: you can apply many of these tips to Facebook comments, Instagram comments, outreach emails, and more.

Let’s dive in.

First, we’ll look at a few rookie mistakes that are sabotaging your blog comments. Avoid these and you’ll be ahead of 90% of the bloggers out there:

The Common Mistakes That Make Blog Comments Suck

Mistake #1: Using a Novelty (or Non-Existent) Gravatar Image

You wouldn’t show up to a first date wearing a disguise, would you? Or wearing a plain paper bag over your head?

So why would you choose an image of Grumpy Cat or Ron Burgundy to represent you in blog comments? Or settle for the faceless silhouette that screams generic nobody?

Instead, let people see the real you.

They will be far more likely to feel a connection with you if they can see your face.

Besides, you know you’re sexy. Show us that smile!

Tip: If your carefully-crafted message is somehow flagged as spammy and held in purgatory (aka comment moderation), a gravatar increases the chances the blog owner will approve your new comment.

Mistake #2: Using a Fake Name (or “Fun” Nickname)

Among your friends and family, you can go by Lil’ Bit, DJ Roomba, Superfly, House of Shane, or any other nickname you choose.

But unless you’re a spy, or in witness protection, you should use your real name on a first date. (Unless, of course, it’s a blind date and Gary Busey sits down at your table.)

The same is true in blog commenting.

Bloggers, just like dates, want to know who’s trying to woo them. And someone who hides behind a pseudonym likely isn’t a long-term prospect.

Mistake #3: Dumping Links in Your Comments

Want WordPress, Disqus, and other commenting systems to know you’re not writing spam comments? Refrain from embedding links in your comments.

Imagine you’re on a date and, halfway through, your date suddenly asks if you have life insurance.

You try to wave it off, but they begin discussing rates and policies with you.

“Oh no,” you think to yourself. “This isn’t a date … this is a sale’s pitch!”

If you embed links in your comments, bloggers are likely to react similarly. It comes across as a cheap attempt to peddle your lemonade on their lawn.

And usually it won’t matter how insightful your fancy words are or how relevant your link may be; the blogger will feel an irresistible urge to kick you off their property.

Mistake #4: Failing to Read the Post Before Commenting

Ever been on a date with someone from Match or eHarmony who didn’t bother to read your profile?

“Do you have any hobbies?” they’ll ask despite your profile’s thousand-word tribute to paper mache. “Fancy a juicy steak?” they’ll suggest despite your publicly stated veganism.

It’s the same with blog commenting. Yes, you’re busy. Yes, reading a post thoroughly before commenting takes time.

Know what else takes time? Getting your foot out of your mouth.

When you comment on a post after skimming it or — worse — not reading it at all, you greatly increase the chances you’ll say something silly.

Mistake #5: Droning On and On (and On)

Some people like the sound of their own voice. Ask them what music they like, and they’ll take you on a 12-minute journey into the minutiae of John Mayer’s latest album.

One-sided conversations on a date aren’t much fun and neither are blog comments that last forever and a day.

A long-winded blog comment, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.Click To Tweet

Many of the best comments are on the longer side, but be careful not to confuse quantity with quality.

A 500-word comment isn’t better than a 100-word comment. It’s usually just five times longer.

(And probably five times more boring.)

Mistake #6: Repeating What the Post Just Said

Ever had a date where the other person repeated everything you said?

You love Kevin Costner movies? So do they.

You adore Mexican food? Yep, them too.

You hate Mondays? They hate Mondays.

I call this kind of parroting a (re)Pete Comment.

It doesn’t add to the conversation. It doesn’t ask questions. And it doesn’t challenge an idea.

It simply repeats what was said in the post.

Summarizing to a point is fine, but your comment needs to be more than the CliffsNotes version of the post you just read.

Otherwise, what’s the point?

The 4 Elements of a Good Blog Comment (Plus: Lots of Examples)

The Friendly Greeting

The Sincere Compliment

The Added Value

The Parting Promise

Now that I’ve inoculated you against writing comments that truly suck, let’s look at the structure of a comment that stands out for all the right reasons.

How do the best comments begin? How do they end? What’s the stuff that goes in the middle?

Here are the essential parts, from top to bottom.

Part #1: The Friendly Greeting

The first thing I look for is personalization. This is so easy, all it takes is to just include the name of the author.Adam Connell

Let’s go back to our dating analogy…

You meet your handsome guy or beautiful gal at a restaurant for your first date. Could they be the one? They don’t look crazy or anything.

Hopeful, you take a deep breath, smile, and say hi.

But instead of greeting you or even acknowledging you, your date just starts talking.

No preamble — they launch right into talking about their day.

Did you know they have a co-worker named Mr. Buttons? Did you know they have a peanut allergy?

You do now.

Memorable date? I suppose.

A date you would like to get to know better? Definitely not.

And yet, every day, thousands of comments are written that do not bother to acknowledge the post’s author in any way, shape, or form.

Do they think robots wrote the post instead of a human being? Do they believe greetings are an outdated ritual? Or are they simply too lazy to scroll back to the top to find the author’s name?

If you’re hoping to catch the attention of bloggers and strike up a relationship, a healthy dose of proper etiquette can go a long way.

So say hello to them.

Greet them.

Refer to them by name.

How To Do It

This one’s so simple, it shouldn’t need an explanation. But here’s how to do it anyway.

Scroll back to the top of the post and find the author’s name. If you are prone to misspellings, copy the name so you can paste it into your comment.

Then say hello. Or hi. Or howdy, if you’re feeling folksy.

You’ll only spend a few seconds to get your comment started on the right foot.

It’s time well spent.

Part #2: The Sincere Compliment

It’s a nice confirmation when an author’s work is validated, and they can see the fruit of their labor.Carol Amato

You meet your date for the first time.

“Wow! I love your outfit,” you might say.

Or, “I really like your car.”

Or even, “Your SpongeBob tattoo is awesome!”

The details are different each time, but the act is the same. When you’re on a date, you pay the other person a compliment. It’s what you do in civilized societies.

Once again, blog commenting isn’t any different.

Remember, you’ve chosen to be on this person’s blog, not someone else’s. You’ve chosen to read their post instead of another. You must have a reason to want to connect with them over any of the other million bloggers you could be trying to connect with at that moment.

Chances are, you like them. You value them. You respect them.

So pay them a compliment…

Tell them how much you enjoyed their great article…

Make their day…

In short, pay them a compliment. Any compliment. Just make sure it’s a sincere compliment.

How To Do It

You can focus on the blogger, the post itself, or a combination of the two.

Are you a fan of the blogger’s body of work? Tell them so. Say how much you enjoy their writing.

Even better? Tell them about a specific example where their writing has helped you.

If you choose to focus on the post itself, talk about a particular point within the post that truly hit home for you.

Did it change your outlook on a topic? Or maybe it motivated you to go out and take action? Did it rock your world?

Tell them so.

Note: In order to sound sincere, refrain from heaping too much praise onto the bloggers themselves. A little praise can go a long way. For this reason, it’s often best to focus on the post rather than the blogger.

(Plus, you don’t want to come across as a creepy stalker.)

Part #3: The Added Value

My favorite comments add extra value to a post. Perhaps they add a personal experience, a different perspective or a new question.Henneke Duistermaat

Now we’re into the meat of what makes a good comment good.

Greeting the author and paying a compliment are nice, but no one cares how good the appetizers are if the main course is a BLT sandwich with no bacon.

Your goal in every comment should be to add value. If your comment doesn’t add value, it’s wasting everyone’s time.

Of course, adding value has become one of those overused and meaningless phrases in the blogging world. Like Sriracha sauce, people tend to throw it around and use it for everything.

What does it actually mean?

In this context, it means doing something that makes you appear valuable — useful, insightful, entertaining, or interesting — to the blogger you’re aiming to woo.

In other words, anything that establishes you as a person worth knowing and helps develop a personal relationship.

You do that by making a positive impression and then building upon it.

Here’s how:

Value Tactic #1: Share Personal Insights or Anecdotes

Did a particular point in the post hit home for you? Did you find something particularly relatable? Or did the post bring up an area in which you’re struggling?

When you share a personal insight, bloggers can more easily relate to you. You’re no longer just an unfamiliar name making a comment that could have been left by anyone…

You’re a blogger with a story!

How To Do It

Don’t worry about channeling Herman Melville; remember, good comments don’t have to be long to be effective.

Amanda Formaro demonstrates this perfectly in her succinct comment about email subscribers.

In the same discussion, Jenn establishes a connection by sharing her struggles.

Don Purdum, meanwhile, enhances the post by sharing the details of a conversation he’d had just days earlier.

The number of ways you can share insights and examples are myriad. But the more personal your insight, the more unique it will be.

And the more unique your insight, the more memorable your comment will be and the more you’ll stand out.

Value Tactic #2: Ask Thoughtful Questions

Was an idea presented in the post that you didn’t fully understand? Maybe you want the author to expand on a certain point?

Asking thoughtful questions is an excellent way to build relationships because it starts a one-on-one conversation with the blogger.

You ask them a question; they answer. It’s pure, simple, poetry in motion. And it’s a great way to introduce yourself to bloggers you enjoy.

How To Do It

Andrew Warner went the inquiry route after reading Andrianes Pinantoan’s blog traffic case study:

Pooja, an excellent writer in her own right, did the same after reading Glen Long’s post on crystal clear writing:

And Gertrude Nonterah, after reading my post on blogging milestones, took the opportunity to ask a question that had been weighing on her:

Sometimes for brevity’s sake, an author won’t fully flesh out a detail in his or her blog post.

So if the article contained a detail you want expanded upon, don’t be afraid to comment and ask.

Value Tactic #3: Contribute To The Discussion

If you want the attention of influencers and blog owners, your comment should add to the conversation.Sue Anne Dunlevie

Were 581 sensory words presented in the post, but you know a good one for #582? Want to flesh out a point discussed in a post about landing freelance writing jobs? How about a detail that wasn’t covered at all?

If your comments enhance the overall value of the post, few bloggers will fail to see the benefit of your contribution. Sometimes they’ll even update their post in light of your comment — which is a major validation of your ideas.

When you write a good comment that adds to the discussion, it often has a domino effect. Others will respond to your comment, which will fuel even more comments.

The result is more people reading and discussing the blogger’s work, which means a higher comment count.

Bloggers love that — and they love the commenters who help make that happen.

How To Do It

A great example of this is the following comment Anne R. Allen left Brian Dean in his blogger outreach post here at Smart Blogger:

Another is the comment Harleena Singh left Will Blunt:

And one of the best examples you’ll ever see is the comment Matthew Harding left on Smart Blogger’s post on blogging milestones. Here is a snippet:

When you add value with a good comment, you’re investing in the blog post.

Bloggers love that. They appreciate it…

They learn from it…

And they remember it.

Part #4: The Parting Promise

I love it when commenters tell me they’ve shared or will share my work. The ideal comment would come from someone who both tells me they’re going to share, and then remembers to tag me when they do.Brittany Bullen

After a successful first date, each person is usually looking for a clue the other enjoyed themselves and a second date is in the cards.

That clue could be a lingering smile. It could be a casual remark about not having any plans the following Saturday. Or it could be the other person actually saying the words, “I enjoyed myself and would like to see you again.”

Whatever form it takes, it sends a message: this date was not just a one-off.

And when wooing a popular blogger, you’d be smart to let them know you’re interested in a longer-term relationship.

That’s why the best comments make a promise at the end. They tell bloggers, “Hey… I enjoyed this so much I want to keep the party going!”

How To Do It

One great way to make a promise is to tell the author you’re going to share the post on your favorite social media platform…

Tell them they’ve written such a good post you have no choice BUT to share it…

Or channel your inner Arnold Schwarzenegger and tell them, “I’ll be back” (to read more of your content)…

But whatever promise you make, be sure to keep it.

Tweet the post like you said you would. Read the blogger’s other posts, and leave more comments. In other words, do exactly what you said you would do.

And when you share the post on your favorite social media platform, be sure to tag the blogger — let them know you followed through…

And if the bloggers are anything like Will Hoekenga, they’ll notice and express their gratitude…

Examples of Blog Comments that Kicked Butt (and The Extra Ingredient They All Share)

So what does a good comment that has each of these elements look like?

It looks a lot like this comment from Adrienne Smith:

And it looks a lot like this comment from Ayodeji Awosika:

Source: How to Make Money Writing: 5 Ways to Get Paid to Write

Adrienne’s and Ayodeji’s comments start with greetings, go straight to compliments, add value, and end on promises.

But beyond that, they add an additional element present in most good comments…

Personality.

Any robot can start a comment with a greeting and end it with a promise.

But for a comment to take the next step, for a comment to get noticed by the blog’s owner or editor, you have to let “you” shine through.

As my friend Jaime Buckley once told me:

“Unless you’re engaging, my eyes will glaze over. We all have a personality, but do you use it? Does it come out in your comments?”

Jaime should know. He’s an expert at letting his personality shine through in his comments:

Source: The 5 Best Free Blogging Platforms

Jaime writes his comments the way he might write an email to a friend.

It’s refreshing and it’s an excellent way to get noticed.

The Rich Rewards That Flow from Carefully Crafted Comments

You may be wondering at this point…

Is it worth it?

Is it worth putting all this time and thought into blog comments?

It was worth it for me.

Years ago, I left the following comment on a post published on this very website, Smart Blogger:

I greeted the author by name, complimented his work, added value, and promised to share his post on the now-defunct Google Plus.

A week later, after Smart Blogger published a new post, I left another comment:

Another greeting, another compliment, another piece of added value, and another promise.

The next week, I did it again:

And again the next week. And the next. Over and over, again and again.

Each week, week after week, I visited Smart Blogger, read their latest masterpiece, and left them a good comment.

Smart Blogger’s editor at the time, Glen Long, took notice:

A few months later, Glen invited me to become a guest writer:

This invitation led to my first post for Smart Blogger…

…which led to several more.

Fast forward a few years and Jon Morrow, the company’s CEO, invited me to join Smart Blogger as its Editor-in-Chief.

Today, I run the blog I admired and followed for so many years. I get to work for and alongside my mentors, Jon and Glen. I get to fulfill my dream of quitting the rat race and blogging full-time.

And I have comments to thank for setting the wheels in motion:

Your mileage can and will vary.

But if you need proof blog commenting can lead to wonderful things, look no further.

Let’s Find Out Where Good Comments Can Take You

It won’t happen overnight. And, clearly, good comments alone won’t catapult you to world domination.

But they’re an effective, often-overlooked component — especially now that so many bloggers think they’ve gone the way of the dodo.

In a sea of sameness, good comments with personality stand out like Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels at a charity gala for the preservation of the endangered Icelandic snow owl.

They’re capable of getting influential bloggers to sit up, take notice, and ask themselves: “Who is that?”

So, are you ready for a new era of smarter commenting?

Are you ready to discover where good comments can take you?

Then let’s do this thing.

Note: For a handy visual reminder of the four-part formula you can download or share on your own website, check out the image below:

Embed This Infographic On Your Site:

<!—– Copy and Paste This Code Into Your Post —-><a href=”https://smartblogger.com/blog-comments/”><img src=”https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/blog-comments-infographic.png” alt=”How to Write Comments That Stand Out (for the Right Reasons) from SmartBlogger.com” width=”700 px” class=”noa3lazy”/></a><br /><a href=”https://smartblogger.com/blog-comments/”>How to Write Comments That Stand Out (for the Right Reasons) from SmartBlogger.com</a>

The post How to Write Comments That Stand Out (for the Right Reasons) appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from SEO and SM Tips https://smartblogger.com/blog-comments/

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jessicakehoe · 5 years ago

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Everything Coming to Crave and Amazon Prime in November

Here’s a breakdown of all the new movies and TV series we can’t wait to stream this month.

Everything Coming to Crave

Dollface Executive produced by Margot Robbie, this new comedy follows Jules (2 Broke Girls’ Kat Dennings) as she sets about reclaiming her own life and interests after her boyfriend of five years breaks up with her. In her quest to rekindle the female friendships she had long neglected, she reunites with old pals played by Shay Mitchell, Esther Povitsky and Brenda Song. Available November 15.

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His Dark Materials Based on an award-winning trilogy of fantasy novels, this series follows a young woman as she wanders through a series of parallel universes, uncovering sinister plots and stumbling upon mysterious phenomena. Series regulars include Dafne Keen, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy and none other than the Hot Priest himself, Andrew Scott.Available November 4.

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Shameless: Season 10 This long-running series about a truly dysfunctional family in Chicago returns in its tenth year without its lead star, Emmy Rossum, who departed the show last season. Picking up six months after that finale, we join the rest of the Gallagher clan as they navigate new relationships, new responsibilities and a new head of the family. Available November 10.

youtube

And here’s the complete list of everything dropping on Crave in November:

November 1 OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE: A ROAD TRIP WITH ALEXANDRA PELOSI (Crave + HBO + Movies) THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER (Crave + HBO + Movies) ON THE BASIS OF SEX (Crave + HBO + Movies) CELESTE BARBER: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED (Crave) THE HILLS: NEW BEGINNINGS, Season 1 (Crave) NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST (STARZ Programming) ADULT BEGINNERS (STARZ Programming) PURPLE RAIN (STARZ Programming) MATRIX RELOADED (STARZ Programming) BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES (STARZ Programming) MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (STARZ Programming) SEX AND THE CITY 2 (STARZ Programming) LAKEVIEW TERRACE (STARZ Programming)

November 2 DANIEL SLOSS X (HBO)

November 4 HIS DARK MATERIALS, Season 1, Episode 1 *Series Premiere* (Crave + HBO + Movies) RAT PARK *Crave Original Documentary Premiere* (Crave)

November 6 THE APOLLO (Crave + HBO + Movies) RAIN DOWN (STARZ Programming) STRESS POSITION (STARZ Programming)

November 8 WE ARE NOT DONE YET (Crave + HBO + Movies) DREW MICHAEL (Crave + HBO + Movies) HEAD FULL OF HONEY (Crave + HBO + Movies) NEW ORDER: DECADES (Crave) DURAN DURAN: THERE’S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW Crave MARIANA’S TRENCH LIVE AT ROCK THE PARK (Crave) MATILDA (1996) (STARZ Programming) CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (2005) (STARZ Programming) ALIEN (STARZ Programming) ALIEN 3 (STARZ Programming) ALIEN RESURRECTION (STARZ Programming) ALIEN VS. PREDATOR (STARZ Programming) PROOF OF LIFE (STARZ Programming) CATCH AND RELEASE (STARZ Programming) THE BODYGUARD (STARZ Programming)

November 9 FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY (Crave + HBO + Movies)

November 10 BACK TO LIFE, Season 1 (Crave) *SHAMELESS, Season 10, Episode 1 *Season Premiere* (Crave + HBO + Movies) DUBLIN MURDERS, Season 1, Episode 1 *Series Premiere* (STARZ Programming)

November 11 THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD (Crave + HBO + Movies)

November 12 VERY RALPH (Crave + HBO + Movies)

November 13 SISTERS & BROTHERS (STARZ Programming) ETHEL & ERNEST (STARZ Programming)

November 14 SONGS SHE WROTE ABOUT PEOPLE SHE KNOWS (STARZ Programming)

November 15 THE INTRUDER (Crave + HBO + Movies) DOLLFACE, Season 1 (Crave) A WALK IN THE WOODS (STARZ Programming) FURY (STARZ Programming) CECIL B. DEMENTED (STARZ Programming) CAST AWAY (STARZ Programming) THE MONUMENTS MEN (STARZ Programming) THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (STARZ Programming) THE MISSION (STARZ Programming)

November 16 LITTLE (Crave + HBO + Movies)

November 17 RAY DONOVAN, Season 7, Episode 1 *Season Premiere* (Crave)

November 19 THE PEOPLE GARDEN (STARZ Programming)

November 20 ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS (Crave + HBO + Movies) DRONE (STARZ Programming) CITY ISLAND (STARZ Programming) CONFIDENCE (STARZ Programming)

November 21 CHARLIE ZONE (STARZ Programming)

November 22 KILLERS ANONYMOUS (Crave + HBO + Movies) READY FOR WAR (Crave) ANGIE TRIBECA, Season 4 (Crave) Dr. SEUSS’ HORTON HEARS A WHO (STARZ Programming) R.I.P.D. (STARZ Programming) WAG THE DOG (STARZ Programming) THE CAMPAIGN (STARZ Programming) HEREAFTER (STARZ Programming) THE GOOD GERMAN (STARZ Programming) THE NATURAL (STARZ Programming)

November 21 LIL REL HOWERY LIVE IN CRENSHAW (Crave + HBO + Movies) US (Crave + HBO + Movies)

November 26 LINDSEY VONN: THE FINAL SEASON (Crave + HBO + Movies)

November 28 DAVID FOSTER: OFF THE RECORD *Bell Media Original Documentary Premiere* (Crave)

November 29 FAMILY (Crave + HBO + Movies) THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING (Crave + HBO + Movies) DARK SIDE OF THE RING, Season 1 *Crave Original Premiere* (Crave) THE EQUALIZER (STARZ Programming) THE LAST BOY SCOUT (STARZ Programming) LEGENDS OF THE FALL (STARZ Programming)

Everything Coming to Amazon Prime Video

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season 2 John Krasinski is back as the CIA analyst out of his depth, and this time he’s in South America tracking a suspicious shipment. “As Jack threatens to uncover a far-reaching conspiracy, the President of Venezuela launches a counter-attack that hits home, leading Jack on a mission spanning the US, UK, Russia, and Venezuela to unravel the President’s plot and bring stability to a country on the brink of chaos,” read the show notes. Buckle up. Available November 1

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Brittany Runs a Marathon After a wake-up call following a visit to the doctor’s office, an overweight young woman decides to make positive changes in her life by training for the New York City Marathon. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and stars Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins and Micah Stock. Available November 22.

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The Report Inspired by true events, this tense drama stars Adam Driver as a United States Senate staffer investigating the CIA’s use of torture following 9/11. As he uncovers more about the agency’s brutal interrogation techniques, political forces converge to try and block his explosive findings from becoming public. Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall and Maura Tierney also star. Available November 29.

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And here’s the complete list of everything coming to Amazon Prime in November:

November 1 Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season 2 American Gigolo Burn After Reading Gangs of New York Escape from Planet Earth Ghost John Grisham’s The Rainmaker (1997) Monster in Law Once Upon a Time in the West Rosemary’s Baby Sin City The First Wives Club The King’s Speech The Upside Degrassi: The Next Generation VI Degrassi: The Next Generation VII Degrassi: The Next Generation VIII

November 8 One Child Nation

November 14 Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral

November 15 The Man in the High Castle: Season 4 She’s All That Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl Earth: Final Conflict I

November 18 Poms

November 22 Brittany Runs a Marathon The Feed

November 26 Bad Santa Ugly Dolls

November 29 The Report

The post Everything Coming to Crave and Amazon Prime in November appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Everything Coming to Crave and Amazon Prime in November published first on https://borboletabags.tumblr.com/

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simplemlmsponsoring · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on http://simplemlmsponsoring.com/attraction-marketing-formula/website-traffic/how-to-write-blog-comments-that-stand-out-to-influencers-plus-examples/

How to Write Blog Comments That Stand Out to Influencers (Plus Examples!)

You’ve heard the advice a million times.

Write great comments on popular blogs, and your blog will grow. Why, it’s so easy even a caveman can do it!

And it’s true — comments can be powerful. A great comment can land you on the radar of a popular blogger — the kind of super-connected influencer who can accelerate your success.

It sounds so simple.

The only problem?

Nobody tells you how to comment on blogs. You aren’t sure what a great comment looks like.

Is it a comment that shovels heaps of praise onto the author? Or one that argues a persuasive alternative view? Or one that simply thanks the blogger for their insights?

Because while many experts preach the virtues of strategic commenting, almost nobody tells you how to do it.

As a result, many well-intentioned bloggers are spending their precious time writing comments they think are great.

In reality?

Their comments usually suck.

Why Clumsy Commenters Make Terrible First Dates

If you think about it, blog commenting is a lot like dating.

You’re trying to woo another person, right?

With dating, you’re trying to woo someone into becoming Mr. or Mrs. Whatever Your Name Is.

With blog commenting, you’re trying to woo the owner of a blog.

But is that possible if your comments are lame?

Sure, it’s possible…

It’s also possible to stumble into marriage, kids, and a house with a white picket fence even if you turn up to your first date with a mustard stain on your shirt and used the pickup line, “Did you hear about Pluto?”

But just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s likely.

That’s why it’s time to improve your commenting game.

To help you do that, let’s look in detail at the anatomy of a great blog comment.

But first, let’s look at the rookie mistakes that make most blog comments totally suck.

The Common Mistakes That Make Comments Suck Mistake #1: Using a Novelty (or Non-Existent) Gravatar Image

You wouldn’t show up to a first date wearing a disguise, would you? Or wearing a plain paper bag over your head?

So why would you choose an image of Grumpy Cat or Ron Burgundy to represent you in blog comments? Or settle for the faceless silhouette that screams generic nobody?

Instead, let people see the real you.

They will be far more likely to feel a connection with you if they can see your face.

Besides, you know you’re sexy. Show us that smile!

Mistake #2: Using a False Name (or “Fun” Nickname)

Among your friends and family, you can go by Lil’ Bit, DJ Roomba, Superfly, House of Shane, or any other nickname you choose.

But unless you’re a spy, or in witness protection, using your real name on a first date is just the right thing to do. (Unless, of course, it’s a blind date and Gary Busey sits down at your table.)

The same is true in blog commenting. Bloggers, just like dates, want to know who’s trying to woo them. And someone who hides behind a pseudonym likely isn’t a long-term prospect.

Mistake #3: Dumping Links in Your Comments

Imagine you’re on a date and, halfway through, your date suddenly asks if you have life insurance.

You try to wave it off, but they begin discussing rates and policies with you.

“Oh no,” you think to yourself. “This isn’t a date … this is a sale’s pitch!”

If you embed links in your comments, bloggers are likely to react similarly. It comes across as a cheap attempt to peddle your lemonade on their lawn.

And usually it won’t matter how insightful your words are or how relevant your link may be; the blogger will feel an irresistible urge to kick you off their property.

Mistake #4: Failing to Read the Post Before Commenting

Ever been on a date with someone from Match or eHarmony who didn’t bother to read your profile?

“Do you have any hobbies?” they’ll ask despite your profile’s thousand-word tribute to paper mache. “Fancy a juicy steak?” they’ll suggest despite your publicly stated veganism.

It’s the same with blog commenting. Yes, you’re busy. Yes, reading a post thoroughly before commenting takes time.

Know what else takes time? Getting your foot out of your mouth.

When you comment on a post after skimming it or — worse — not reading it at all, you greatly increase the chances you’ll say something silly.

Mistake #5: Droning On and On (and On)

A long-winded blog comment, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.Kevin Duncan

Some people like the sound of their own voices. Ask them what music they like, and they’ll take you on a 12-minute journey into the minutia of John Mayer’s latest album.

One-sided conversations on a date are not much fun and neither are blog comments that last forever and a day.

Many great comments are on the longer side, but be careful not to confuse quantity with quality.

A 500-word comment isn’t better than a 100-word comment. It’s usually just five times longer.

(And probably five times more boring.)

Mistake #6: Repeating What the Post Just Said

Ever had a date where the other person repeated everything you said?

You love Kevin Costner movies? So do they.

You adore Mexican food? Yep, them too.

You hate Mondays? They hate Mondays.

In the blogging world, this kind of parroting is a (re)Pete Comment.

It doesn’t add to the conversation. It doesn’t ask questions. It doesn’t challenge an idea.

It simply repeats what was said in the post.

It’s okay to summarize, but your comment needs to be more than the CliffsNotes version of the post you just read.

Otherwise, what’s the point?

How to Write a Good Blog Comment (Plus: Lots of Examples)

Now that we’ve inoculated you against writing comments that truly suck, let’s look at the structure of a comment that stands out for all the right reasons.

How does a great comment begin? How does it end? What’s the stuff that goes in the middle?

Here are the essential parts, from top to bottom.

Part #1: The Friendly Greeting

The first thing I look for is personalization. This is so easy, all it takes is to just include the name of the author.Blogging Wizard

Let’s go back to our dating analogy…

You meet your handsome guy or beautiful gal at a restaurant for your first date. Could they be the one? They don’t look crazy or anything.

Hopeful, you take a deep breath, smile, and say hi.

But instead of greeting you or even acknowledging you, your date just starts talking.

No preamble — they launch right into talking about their day.

Did you know they have a co-worker named Mr. Buttons? Did you know they have a peanut allergy?

You do now.

Memorable date? I suppose.

A date you would like to get to know better? Definitely not.

And yet, every day, thousands of comments are written that do not bother to acknowledge the post’s author in any way, shape, or form.

Do they think robots wrote the post instead of a human being? Do they believe greetings are an outdated ritual from a bygone era? Or are they simply too lazy to scroll back to the top to find the author’s name?

If you’re hoping to catch the attention of bloggers and strike up a relationship, a healthy dose of proper etiquette can go a long way.

So say hello to them.

Greet them.

Refer to them by name.

How To Do It

This one’s so simple, it shouldn’t need explanation. But here’s how to do it anyway.

Scroll back to the top of the post and find the author’s name. If you are prone to misspellings, here’s a comment editing tip — copy the name so you can paste it into your comment.

Then say hello. Or hi. Or howdy, if you’re feeling folksy.

You’ll only spend a few seconds to get your comment started on the right foot.

It’s time well spent.

Part #2: The Sincere Compliment

It’s a nice confirmation when an author’s work is validated, and they can see the fruit of their labor.Carol Amato

You meet your date for the first time.

“Wow! I love your outfit,” you might say.

Or, “I really like your car.”

Or even, “Your SpongeBob tattoo is awesome!”

The details are different each time, but the act is the same. When you’re on a date, you pay the other person a compliment. It’s what you do in civilized societies.

Once again, blog commenting isn’t any different.

Chances are, you like them. You value them. You respect them.

So pay them a compliment…

Tell them how much you enjoyed their post…

Make their day…

Tell them you dig their groovy tunes…

In short, pay them a compliment. Any compliment. Just make sure it’s a sincere compliment.

How To Do It

You can focus on the blogger, the post itself, or a combination of the two.

Are you a fan of the blogger’s body of work? Tell them so. Say how much you enjoy their writing. Even better? Tell them about a specific example where their writing has helped you.

If you choose to focus on the post itself, talk about a particular point within the post that truly hit home for you. Did it change your outlook on a topic? Did it motivate you to go out and take action? Did it rock your world? Tell them so.

(Plus, you don’t want to come across as a creepy stalker.)

Part #3: The Added Value

My favorite comments add extra value to a post. Perhaps they add a personal experience, a different perspective or a new question.Henneke Duistermaat

Now we’re into the meat of what makes a great comment great.

Greeting the author and paying a compliment are nice, but no one cares how good the appetizers are if the main course is a garbage sandwich with no mayo.

Your goal in every comment should be to add value. If your comment doesn’t add value, it’s wasting everyone’s time.

Of course adding value has become one of those overused and meaningless phrases in the blogging world. Like Sriracha sauce, people tend to throw it around and use it for everything.

What does it actually mean?

In this context, it means doing something that makes you appear valuable — useful, insightful, entertaining, or interesting — to the blogger you’re aiming to woo. In other words, anything that establishes you as a person worth knowing and helps develop a personal relationship.

You do that by making a positive impression and then building upon it.

But how?

Let’s review some tactics that work every time.

Value Tactic #1: Share Personal Insights or Anecdotes

Did a particular point in the post hit home for you? Did you find something particularly relatable? Did the post bring up an area in which you’re struggling?

When you share a personal insight, bloggers can more easily relate to you. You’re no longer just an unfamiliar name making a comment that could have been left by anyone…

You’re a blogger with a story!

How To Do It

Don’t worry about channeling Herman Melville; remember, comments don’t have to be long to be effective.

Amanda Formaro demonstrates this perfectly in her succinct comment about email subscribers.

In the same discussion, Jenn establishes a connection by sharing her struggles.

Don Purdum, meanwhile, enhances the post by sharing details of a conversation he’d had just days earlier.

The number of ways you can share insights and examples are myriad. But the more personal your insight, the more unique it will be. And the more unique your insight, the more memorable your comment will be and the more you’ll stand out.

Value Tactic #2: Ask Thoughtful Questions

Was an idea presented in the post that you didn’t fully understand? Did you want the author to expand on a certain point? Did the post spark an inquiry?

Asking thoughtful questions is an excellent way to build relationships because it starts a one-on-one conversation with the blogger.

You ask them a question; they answer. It’s pure, simple, poetry in motion. And it’s a great way to introduce yourself to bloggers you enjoy.

How To Do It

Andrew Warner went the inquiry route after reading Andrianes Pinantoan’s blog traffic case study:

Pooja, an excellent writer in her own right, did the same after reading Glen Long’s post on crystal clear writing:

And Gertrude Nonterah, after reading the blogger’s bucket list, took the opportunity to ask a question that had been weighing on her:

Sometimes for brevity’s sake, an author won’t fully flesh out a detail in his or her blog post. So if the article contained a detail you want expanded upon, don’t be afraid to comment and ask.

Value Tactic #3: Contribute To The Discussion

If you want the attention of influencers and blog owners, your comment should add to the conversation.Sue Anne Dunlevie

Were 10 ideas presented in the post, but you know an 11th? Want to flesh out a point discussed in the post? How about a detail that wasn’t covered at all?

And bloggers love when the comment count for their posts get higher and higher. It’s validation that their work is reaching people.

When you write a great comment that adds to the discussion, it often has a domino effect. Others will respond to your comment, which will fuel even more comments.

The result is more people reading and discussing the blogger’s work, which means a higher comment count.

Bloggers love that — and they love the commenters who help make that happen.

How To Do It

A great example of this is the following comment Anne R. Allen left Brian Dean in his blogger outreach post here at Smart Blogger.

Another is the comment Harleena Singh left Will Blunt in his guide on Google+.

And one of the best examples you’ll ever see is the comment Matthew Harding left on Smart Blogger’s post on blogging milestones. Here is a snippet:

When you add value via a great comment, you’re investing in the blog post.

Blog owners love that. They appreciate it.…

They learn from it.…

They remember it.

Read more: smartblogger.com

#blog #comment #comments #date #post #their #them #they #your #WEBSITE TRAFFIC

0 notes

laurendcameron · 6 years ago

Text

How to Write Blog Comments That Stand Out (Plus Examples!)

You’ve heard the advice a million times.

Write great comments on popular blogs, and your blog will grow. Why, it’s so easy even a caveman can do it!

And it’s true — comments can be powerful. A great comment can land you on the radar of a popular blogger — the kind of super-connected influencer who can accelerate your success.

It sounds so simple.

The only problem?

Nobody tells you how to comment on blogs. You aren’t sure what a great comment looks like.

Is it a comment that shovels heaps of praise onto the author? Or one that argues a persuasive alternative view? Or one that simply thanks the blogger for their insights?

Because while many experts preach the virtues of strategic commenting, almost nobody tells you how to do it.

As a result, many well-intentioned bloggers are spending their precious time writing comments they think are great.

In reality?

Their comments usually suck.

Why Clumsy Commenters Make Terrible First Dates

If you think about it, blog commenting is a lot like dating.

You’re trying to woo another person, right?

With dating, you’re trying to woo someone into becoming Mr. or Mrs. Whatever Your Name Is.

With blog commenting, you’re trying to woo the owner of a blog.

But is that possible if your comments are lame?

Sure, it’s possible…

But just because it’s possible doesn’t mean it’s likely.

That’s why it’s time to improve your commenting game.

To help you do that, let’s look in detail at the anatomy of a great blog comment.

But first, let’s look at the rookie mistakes that make most blog comments totally suck.

The Common Mistakes That Make Comments Suck

Mistake #1: Using a Novelty (or Non-Existent) Gravatar Image

You wouldn’t show up to a first date wearing a disguise, would you? Or wearing a plain paper bag over your head?

So why would you choose an image of Grumpy Cat or Ron Burgundy to represent you in blog comments? Or settle for the faceless silhouette that screams generic nobody?

Instead, let people see the real you.

They will be far more likely to feel a connection with you if they can see your face.

Besides, you know you’re sexy. Show us that smile!

Mistake #2: Using a False Name (or “Fun” Nickname)

Among your friends and family, you can go by Lil’ Bit, DJ Roomba, Superfly, House of Shane, or any other nickname you choose.

The same is true in blog commenting. Bloggers, just like dates, want to know who’s trying to woo them. And someone who hides behind a pseudonym likely isn’t a long-term prospect.

Mistake #3: Dumping Links in Your Comments

Imagine you’re on a date and, halfway through, your date suddenly asks if you have life insurance.

You try to wave it off, but they begin discussing rates and policies with you.

“Oh no,” you think to yourself. “This isn’t a date … this is a sale’s pitch!”

If you embed links in your comments, bloggers are likely to react similarly. It comes across as a cheap attempt to peddle your lemonade on their lawn.

And usually it won’t matter how insightful your words are or how relevant your link may be; the blogger will feel an irresistible urge to kick you off their property.

Mistake #4: Failing to Read the Post Before Commenting

Ever been on a date with someone from Match or eHarmony who didn’t bother to read your profile?

“Do you have any hobbies?” they’ll ask despite your profile’s thousand-word tribute to paper mache. “Fancy a juicy steak?” they’ll suggest despite your publicly stated veganism.

It’s the same with blog commenting. Yes, you’re busy. Yes, reading a post thoroughly before commenting takes time.

Know what else takes time? Getting your foot out of your mouth.

When you comment on a post after skimming it or — worse — not reading it at all, you greatly increase the chances you’ll say something silly.

Mistake #5: Droning On and On (and On)

A long-winded blog comment, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.Kevin Duncan

Some people like the sound of their own voices. Ask them what music they like, and they’ll take you on a 12-minute journey into the minutia of John Mayer’s latest album.

One-sided conversations on a date are not much fun and neither are blog comments that last forever and a day.

Many great comments are on the longer side, but be careful not to confuse quantity with quality.

A 500-word comment isn’t better than a 100-word comment. It’s usually just five times longer.

(And probably five times more boring.)

Mistake #6: Repeating What the Post Just Said

Ever had a date where the other person repeated everything you said?

You love Kevin Costner movies? So do they.

You adore Mexican food? Yep, them too.

You hate Mondays? They hate Mondays.

In the blogging world, this kind of parroting is a (re)Pete Comment.

It doesn’t add to the conversation. It doesn’t ask questions. It doesn’t challenge an idea.

It simply repeats what was said in the post.

It’s okay to summarize, but your comment needs to be more than the CliffsNotes version of the post you just read.

Otherwise, what’s the point?

How to Write a Good Blog Comment (Plus: Lots of Examples)

Now that we’ve inoculated you against writing comments that truly suck, let’s look at the structure of a comment that stands out for all the right reasons.

How does a great comment begin? How does it end? What’s the stuff that goes in the middle?

Here are the essential parts, from top to bottom.

Part #1: The Friendly Greeting

The first thing I look for is personalization. This is so easy, all it takes is to just include the name of the author.Blogging Wizard

Let’s go back to our dating analogy…

You meet your handsome guy or beautiful gal at a restaurant for your first date. Could they be the one? They don’t look crazy or anything.

Hopeful, you take a deep breath, smile, and say hi.

But instead of greeting you or even acknowledging you, your date just starts talking.

No preamble — they launch right into talking about their day.

Did you know they have a co-worker named Mr. Buttons? Did you know they have a peanut allergy?

You do now.

Memorable date? I suppose.

A date you would like to get to know better? Definitely not.

And yet, every day, thousands of comments are written that do not bother to acknowledge the post’s author in any way, shape, or form.

If you’re hoping to catch the attention of bloggers and strike up a relationship, a healthy dose of proper etiquette can go a long way.

So say hello to them.

Greet them.

Refer to them by name.

How To Do It

This one’s so simple, it shouldn’t need explanation. But here’s how to do it anyway.

Scroll back to the top of the post and find the author’s name. If you are prone to misspellings, here’s a comment editing tip — copy the name so you can paste it into your comment.

Then say hello. Or hi. Or howdy, if you’re feeling folksy.

You’ll only spend a few seconds to get your comment started on the right foot.

It’s time well spent.

Part #2: The Sincere Compliment

It’s a nice confirmation when an author’s work is validated, and they can see the fruit of their labor.Carol Amato

You meet your date for the first time.

“Wow! I love your outfit,” you might say.

Or, “I really like your car.”

Or even, “Your SpongeBob tattoo is awesome!”

The details are different each time, but the act is the same. When you’re on a date, you pay the other person a compliment. It’s what you do in civilized societies.

Once again, blog commenting isn’t any different.

Chances are, you like them. You value them. You respect them.

So pay them a compliment…

Tell them how much you enjoyed their post…

Make their day…

Tell them you dig their groovy tunes…

In short, pay them a compliment. Any compliment. Just make sure it’s a sincere compliment.

How To Do It

You can focus on the blogger, the post itself, or a combination of the two.

Are you a fan of the blogger’s body of work? Tell them so. Say how much you enjoy their writing. Even better? Tell them about a specific example where their writing has helped you.

(Plus, you don’t want to come across as a creepy stalker.)

Part #3: The Added Value

My favorite comments add extra value to a post. Perhaps they add a personal experience, a different perspective or a new question.Henneke Duistermaat

Now we’re into the meat of what makes a great comment great.

Greeting the author and paying a compliment are nice, but no one cares how good the appetizers are if the main course is a garbage sandwich with no mayo.

Your goal in every comment should be to add value. If your comment doesn’t add value, it’s wasting everyone’s time.

Of course adding value has become one of those overused and meaningless phrases in the blogging world. Like Sriracha sauce, people tend to throw it around and use it for everything.

What does it actually mean?

You do that by making a positive impression and then building upon it.

But how?

Let’s review some tactics that work every time.

Value Tactic #1: Share Personal Insights or Anecdotes

Did a particular point in the post hit home for you? Did you find something particularly relatable? Did the post bring up an area in which you’re struggling?

When you share a personal insight, bloggers can more easily relate to you. You’re no longer just an unfamiliar name making a comment that could have been left by anyone…

You’re a blogger with a story!

How To Do It

Don’t worry about channeling Herman Melville; remember, comments don’t have to be long to be effective.

Amanda Formaro demonstrates this perfectly in her succinct comment about email subscribers.

In the same discussion, Jenn establishes a connection by sharing her struggles.

Don Purdum, meanwhile, enhances the post by sharing details of a conversation he’d had just days earlier.

Value Tactic #2: Ask Thoughtful Questions

Was an idea presented in the post that you didn’t fully understand? Did you want the author to expand on a certain point? Did the post spark an inquiry?

Asking thoughtful questions is an excellent way to build relationships because it starts a one-on-one conversation with the blogger.

You ask them a question; they answer. It’s pure, simple, poetry in motion. And it’s a great way to introduce yourself to bloggers you enjoy.

How To Do It

Andrew Warner went the inquiry route after reading Andrianes Pinantoan’s blog traffic case study:

Pooja, an excellent writer in her own right, did the same after reading Glen Long’s post on crystal clear writing:

And Gertrude Nonterah, after reading the blogger’s bucket list, took the opportunity to ask a question that had been weighing on her:

Sometimes for brevity’s sake, an author won’t fully flesh out a detail in his or her blog post. So if the article contained a detail you want expanded upon, don’t be afraid to comment and ask.

Value Tactic #3: Contribute To The Discussion

If you want the attention of influencers and blog owners, your comment should add to the conversation.Sue Anne Dunlevie

Were 10 ideas presented in the post, but you know an 11th? Want to flesh out a point discussed in the post? How about a detail that wasn’t covered at all?

And bloggers love when the comment count for their posts get higher and higher. It’s validation that their work is reaching people.

When you write a great comment that adds to the discussion, it often has a domino effect. Others will respond to your comment, which will fuel even more comments.

The result is more people reading and discussing the blogger’s work, which means a higher comment count.

Bloggers love that — and they love the commenters who help make that happen.

How To Do It

A great example of this is the following comment Anne R. Allen left Brian Dean in his blogger outreach post here at Smart Blogger.

Another is the comment Harleena Singh left Will Blunt in his guide on Google+.

And one of the best examples you’ll ever see is the comment Matthew Harding left on Smart Blogger’s post on blogging milestones. Here is a snippet:

When you add value via a great comment, you’re investing in the blog post.

Blog owners love that. They appreciate it.…

They learn from it.…

They remember it.

Part #4: The Parting Promise

After a successful first date, each person is usually looking for a clue that that the other enjoyed themselves and that a second date might be in the cards.

That clue could be a lingering smile. It could be a casual remark about not having any plans the following Saturday. It could be the other person actually saying, “I enjoyed myself and would like to see you again.”

Whatever form it takes, it sends the message that this date was not just a one-off.

And when wooing a popular blogger, you’d be smart to let them know you’re interested in a longer-term relationship too.

That’s why great blog comments make a promise at the end. They tell bloggers, “Hey… I enjoyed this so much I want to keep the party going!”

How To Do It

One great way to make a promise is to tell the author you’re going to share the post on your favorite social media platform…

Tell them their post is so good you have no choice BUT to share it…

Or channel your inner Arnold Schwarzenegger and tell them, “I’ll be back” (to read more of your content)…

But whatever promise you make, be sure to keep it.

Tweet the post like you said you would. Read the blogger’s other posts, and leave more comments. In other words, do exactly what you said you would do.

And when you share the post on your favorite social media platform, be sure to tag the blogger — let them know you followed through…

And if the bloggers are anything like Will Hoekenga, they’ll notice and express their gratitude…

Examples of Blog Comments that Kicked Butt (and The Extra Ingredient They All Share)

So what does a comment that has each of these elements look like?

It looks a lot like this comment from Adrienne Smith:

And it looks a lot like this comment from Carol Amato:

Adrienne’s and Carol’s comments start with greetings, go straight to compliments, add value to make connections, and end on promises.

But beyond that, they add an additional element present in every great comment…

Personality.

Any robot can start a comment with a greeting and end it with a promise.

But for a comment to take that next step, for a comment to get you noticed by the blog’s owner, you have to let “you” shine through.

As Jaime Buckley once wrote: “Unless you’re engaging, my eyes will glaze over. We all have a personality, but do you use it? Does it come out in your comments?”

Jaime should know. He’s an expert at letting his personality shine through in his comments. The comment he left for “The Blogger’s Bucket List: 20 Must-Reach Milestones on the Path to World Domination” is a perfect example.

Here is a snippet:

Jaime writes his comments the way he might write an email to a friend.

It’s refreshing and it’s an excellent way to get noticed.

For a handy visual reminder of the four-part formula, check out the image below (click to see a larger view):

Embed This Infographic On Your Site

<!—– Copy and Paste This Code Into Your Post —-><a href=”https://smartblogger.com/blog-comments/”><img src=”https://smartblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/blog-comments-infographic.png” alt=”How to Write Blog Comments That Stand Out to Influencers (Plus Examples!) from SmartBlogger.com” width=”700 px” class=”noa3lazy”/></a><br /><a href=”https://smartblogger.com/gdpr”>How to Write Blog Comments That Stand Out to Influencers (Plus Examples!) from SmartBlogger.com</a>

The Rich Rewards That Flow from Carefully Crafted Comments

You may be wondering at this point…

Is it worth it? Is it worth putting all that time and thought into a single blog comment?

Well, that depends on what you’d like to achieve from your blogging efforts.

Would you like influential bloggers to notice you and follow you on Twitter?

Do you want to expand your reach on other platforms like Google+?

Would you like Darren Rowse, Pamela Wilson, and other blogging icons to share your posts with their followers?

Would you like to be invited to participate in expert roundups, conferences, and other great opportunities?

Would you like to receive emails out-of-the-blue from super-cool and talented people asking you to write for them?

Would you like to have your work published on one of the biggest, baddest blogs in the world?

Because this is what can happen when bloggers notice you.

It isn’t easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. And, clearly, great comments alone won’t catapult you to world domination.

But they’re a critical, often-overlooked component. And most people who try it write comments that suck.

In a sea of sameness, great comments with great personalities stand out like Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels at a charity gala for the preservation of the endangered Icelandic snow owl.

They’re capable of getting other bloggers to sit up, take notice, and ask themselves: “Who is that?”

So tell me, now do you think it’s worth it?

Let’s Find Out Where Comments Could Catapult Your Blog

Comments are perhaps the most misused — and least understood — weapons in the ambitious blogger’s arsenal.

That’s why most blog comments suck.

You now understand the anatomy of the perfect blog comment, so you can start crafting your comments with purpose.

Comments that get you noticed.

Comments that woo popular bloggers.

Comments that cause opportunities to drop into your lap.

The days of frowning cat gravatars are over. Repetitive comments are yesterday’s news. Empty contributions have gone the way of the dodo.

So, are you ready for a new era of smarter commenting?

Are you ready to discover where it could take you?

Then let’s do this thing.

About the Author: Kevin Duncan runs Be A Better Blogger, where he uses his very particular set of skills to help people become the best bloggers they can be. To further your quest to woo bloggers, he’s written a special post just for Smart Blogger readers: How I Went From Unknown to Boost Blog Traffic Writer in Six Months (and How You Can, Too).

The post How to Write Blog Comments That Stand Out (Plus Examples!) appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from Lauren Cameron Updates https://smartblogger.com/blog-comments/

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lindabodecom · 6 years ago