The Snowflake Chronicles

The Complaint Department

19 Jalal 164 B.E. – Friday, April 27, 2007

“I don’t like to complain, but …” Your eyes roll back in your head, chills crawl up your spine, time and space collapse into a black hole and you just stand there staring at the person wondering what the problem is this time.

NO! Bite your tongue off and swallow it, do not … I repeat DO NOT say these words out loud. You love to complain. You complain all the time. I’ve never spoken to you, but what you didn’t complain about something or someone.

“As I was saying,” gives you this weird look as if you just spoke those words aloud. “I don’t like to complain, but don’t you think you should be …”

“What should I be? A little more positive or a little more negative, perhaps you should complain a little less about what I’m doing and look to yourself.” OK, if you want to keep this acquaintance-friendship, perhaps these are the wrong words to speak. On the other hand, these could be good words to speak, especially if all you ever hear from the person is complaints about what you do and the other person never tries to change him/herself. These words may actually guarantee that the person never speaks … complains … to you again.

All right, now that I have gotten that off my chest. Let me move on to reviews.

I don’t mind negative reviews, in fact I’ve learned a great deal from the negative reviews. I do mind offensive reviews or, at least, I think I do (I’ve never received an offensive review on writing.com). The type of reviews I know I don’t like are those that give a negative rating without giving the reason or suggesting ways to improve the piece. If one doesn’t know how the piece should be improved, but that it needs improvement, just say so. And if it is a negative review or even a rating, don’t send it anonymously.

I’m not going to bit your head off if you give me a negative review. I will simply thank you for the review and perhaps ask if there are any suggestions for improvement. There are reasons we were born on Earth at this time in history and not on a planet circling a Red Dwarf during the Crusades. The reason we are here is to improve. This goes for both our births onto this planet and our joining writing.com. However, we cannot … I repeat … CANNOT improve until we’re tested and know the areas we need to work on.

On writing.com those areas have to do with an individual’s writing capabilities. Talent and writing capabilities are two different things. Just because a person may not be talented doesn’t mean he/she can’t learn the technical aspects of a short story, essay or poem. If a person has problems spelling and has difficulties in spelling words in way the spellchecker, can find them, then spell the words phonetically. I’ve found that spellcheckers can usually fine a misspelled word if it’s spelled phonetically. Believe me when I say, that if nothing else, my rough drafts contain what can only be termed as creative spelling.

As for the technical issues of writing, there are books and online sources that can assist a writer. However, the best assistance I writer can get in writing comes through reviews. I attempt and hope that I give helpful reviews, I know that reviewing has helped me improve my writing, that’s why I like to do a wide range of reviews. True there are some genres I avoid, I normally don’t review graphic content, but that is a personal preference.

When I review a piece, I attempt to review the writing, the plot line, the character development, etc. Some of the items I review do not reflect my belief system, but that doesn’t mean I won’t review them. I like to learn what other people think and the best way to do that is to review manuscripts that show a different point of view. I attempt and hope that I review the writing rather than the concepts presented. When reviewing a piece that doesn’t reflect one’s belief system, give the review without commenting one way or another on the ideas presented, unless the author request such comments. After finishing the article or story then write about your own beliefs on the matter, but don’t comment on the reviewed article, except to thank the author for writing the article or story or poem. (Especially if you reference the piece of writing in your work, after all if it weren’t for the item you reviewed you may not be writing your views on the subject).

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