Six Word Memoirs on Life Stories

Dean6805 says,

It's always nice to be featured, but I'd be on here whether there were featured memoirs or not. It's way too interesting to stay away.

jl333 says,

Ditto that Dean

maryjane31 says,

Yes but being featured once in a while helps build some encouragement too. It's like a pat on the back to me. We all need that occasionally.

L2L3 says,

This is both freedom of speech and sad.

Dragonflower says,

I don't think being featured is over-rated. It is a nice "feature" of this site, for lack of a better term. It is fun each day to see which memoir is chosen. I also like to read the featured backstories because sometimes I miss them in my day to day perusals of memoirs. There is so much creativity to read here.

I did feel sad for a bit when it was suggested new writers were featured just to encourage them, rather than on the merits of the memoir. But I got over that. For whatever reason memoirs are chosen, it makes it fun and encouraging when your own memoir is selected for MOTD. I hope this feature does not get discontinued nor downplayed and is respected for the work that goes into both the writing of the memoirs, and the selection of featured ones.

When I first came to this site, I was so impressed by the comments people made to each other on the MOTD. They were so kind and enthusiastic. And for the longest time, I didn't even realize why there were two columns of memoirs and that one was a "featured" column. I still am not sure of the significance of the featured memoirs.

Great creativity here always. My favorite part of each day.

maryjane31 says,

You are right and the funny part is I love the comments better than any other feature! Some are so funny that I actually laugh out loud. Really talented comical writing here. Please remember that I am just kinda teasing about the features as I so rarely make it. I am not serious by any means. It kinda was meant at poking fun at myself.

L2L3 says,

The features are the hook, especially for new and potential members. It keeps some people here as well but as a number of people have stated, they stay for other reasons as well. I've not seen anyone get featured just because they're new. Maybe new and clearly talented or new with promise. It isn't like every newbie gets featured with nothing else to recommend them. In fact, many newbies don't get featured. You can learn a lot by scrolling way back through the features.

Dragonflower says,

Well, mj31 and L2, yes! to both your comments. Thinking of all the memoirs is what made me get over the "new" comment. I started thinking about the memoirs featured and they all are excellent. None seem like just a six for sixword sake. I got the word calendar and those memoirs are very good and very universal, so they are inspiring to me. I also like the ones here that tell a bigger story and are sometimes more personal.

L2L3 says,

The calendars and books are necessarily more selective as there is more competion for space and they're not fluid.

catsmeow says,

I think I commented that some less regular contributors may be featured to encourage them. Of course, I have no idea, but I could see the value in it. This is not meant to imply that those newbies don't deserve the honor on the merits of their Six. It's just that there are so many good Sixes, I can't imagine how it gets winnowed down. There has to be a certain amount of arbitrariness in the process, don't you think?

notjustagirlintheworld says,

One man's (or woman's) ceiling is another man's floor.

Dragonflower says,

I do, catsmeow. After Dean said he used a word generator for the word of the day, I even entertained the idea that the motd,s might be computer selected, only because it seems like such a daunting of a task to do everyday.
It wasn't your comment, but two others that were more direct in saying that Larry has said the new contributors are encouraged, not necessarily by merit. I don't know how to verify that statement, I didn't ask, and then someone else said they aren't necessarily the "best" ones. Neither comments were meant in a mean- spirited way, but they just kinda bummed me out for a while. Since I'm new and all and was just starting to feel more confident. It was a kind of bubble buster, like the bubblewrap memoir I remember reading!

But I have to take comments like that and let them blow over, especially when they are not even directed at me! Confidence X6!

Believe says,

What's wrong with a little encouragement to newbies? As you will come to know, Autumn, we are a tight bunch around here. We bake for each other. We send condolence cards. We celebrate births. We "kidnap" each other and go on adventures. We send comfort, figurative and literally. And more than that we read into each other's lives. And we know each other's fears. Sometimes we need to be reminded to welcome new members. The features allow is to take notice of our friends, current and future. Want to add something even more to that? Sometimes, when I am having a really bad couple of days I will get featured. And that feature probably isn't the best thing written. But it doesn't matter. Because it makes my day. And more than that, I'd trade comments for features any day!!

Dragonflower says,

Yes, I have noticed it is a tight bunch here. And there's nothing wrong with encouragement to the new folks. I was thrilled with it. But then when I read complaining about old members not be featured and then comments that the new ones are just featured for features sakes and not necessarily their writing, then I thought, well, maybe I shouldn't be so thrilled; maybe it doesn't mean much, as maryjane31 says. Maybe it isn't so special here, just another website. And now maybe the complaining person was just joking around, who knows? Hard to tell with just writing sometimes. I'm ultra cautious, expecially on the internet, so it just bummed for a while.

I do know that it is hard to join a new group, make new friends. I moved to a new town and have tried several writing groups. The tighter they are, the longer they've been together, the less "friendly" they are to new people. I say friendly with quotes, because they are friendly, they just don't want to let you in their circle. I started one of my own, and it was great for a while, but the minute I invited another person to join us, it fell apart because the others didn't want that new person and there was nothing wrong with that person!! I had even asked ahead of time and everyone agreed. So, yes, I know about tight groups.

So, having said that, I felt welcome here and like it didn't matter if I was new or not, I was seen as a writer. I still feel that way. This was just my first complainer experience here and my utopia was shattered! No doubt, it has happened before at other times with other complaints. Thanks for all the comments and discussion.