Writing.Com 101

Basic members and above can create their own review templates using The Review Tool. Multiple templates can be created and stored, which allows members to select different templates for various review types. For example, a member might have one template for stories, another for poetry and a third for non-fiction reviews (see: Sample Review Templates).

Creating A Template
To create a template, members must open their Review Tool, which can be accessed by selecting "My Account" in the left navigation under the Writing.Com logo and clicking on "My Review Tool." Next, click on the "New" button. This opens up another window where you can name and format your template. After entering the template text, you have the option to Preview or Store the template. The window should now refresh with a "Success" message at the top. Congratulations! You have created a template!

Using Your Template
Using a template is easy. First, open an item to review, then click on the Review Tool link from the review area at the bottom of the item. In the Review Tool window, you will see a link to the item you are reviewing. Select the template you want to use for the review and click the "Load" button. At this point you can also create a new template or edit and save a template before proceeding with your review. Keep in mind that loading a template will replace anything you have already typed in the review so you must load the template before beginning the review!

You're now ready to start writing your review. Use the Store/Edit button to save your draft review, but continue editing it. For longer reviews, this is a handy way to make sure you don't accidentally lose what you've written in the case of an internet outage, browser crash, or any of the other things that can go wrong. In addition, you can "Store A Draft" and finish the review at a later time. After choosing your rating and typing your review, you have the option to Preview, Spell Check, or Submit the review to the author.

Accessing Draft Reviews
Drafts can be accessed by selecting "My Account" under site navigation and clicking on "My Review Tool." You can also pull up a draft review of any item by clicking on the Review Tool link from the review area at the bottom of the item.1