Oh, man, responding to feedback.

This is one of my great insane guilts in fandom. I try, I try so hard, but I always forget someone and then look up and it's two weeks later and there are ten comments I haven't responded to--and sometimes they're intelligent, well-reasoned, extremely flattering comments!--and I would feel like such an idiot responding to them two weeks (or...a month...or more...) after the fact.

I actually just kind of suck at responding to comments in general. I think it's something to do with being a really aggressive introvert, not that that's an excuse--for some reason, it just seems to take a lot of energy. Or maybe it's just that I'm lazy. But again, I feel reeeeeeaally guilty about it.

I do think that people should respond to feedback, but God, I know how much time and effort it takes me, and I know that I adore every comment whether I manage to respond to it or not (most of them! I respond to most of them! almost all, even!) so I don't hold it against the authors who don't. That said, I do appreciate it when authors respond to my comments, especially if it's something thoughtful, although God knows I've left enough "OMG GREAT STORY YOU KILLED ME" comments that really can't be responded to thoughtfully.

So, yes. Anyone out there who has posted a long involved comment to a story of mine and not gotten a response: I sincerely, sincerely, apologize, and I can guarantee that I read it and loved it.