Alone, a girl walks down an empty street. She's silently crying. Trying to let go of the pain that has been casting her down for far too long. She doesn't know where she's going, or how she's going to get there. She's just trying to get away from the inner demons she has been fighting.

Death is a hard thing to cope with. I missed him so much, everyday of my life I thought about how brave he was. I thought every day about December 8, 1941. The day the United Stated entered World War II.

When Mattel Inc. recalled over 20 million toys made in China for toxic lead paint, as well as for the presence of magnets that could be easily swallowed by little children - and other issues - the media and the world stopped to notice. Like many parents, I went to the toy room and grabbed every toy I could find that was made in China. My mind was mired in questions. How could this happen?

My eyes are tired from a long day. The lights are starting to blur, giving the appearance of fairies floating around, bidding me to sleep. Warm colors always give me an enclosed, comforting feeling; like a sleeping bag on a crisp autumn night. I wish I knew why I was still awake but then again, sometimes things are better without purpose; it gives more freedom in decision making.

When the daytime sky turns black as night,
When not one star is twinkling bright
Don't lose faith, don't turn to fear
Don't be ashamed to shed a tear.

Simon found a good spot, soft fresh earth under his toes, took a good stance and flexed his haunches, tensed his sleek grey body and unloaded his bowels at the base of freshly planted tulips, destroying them instantly. By morning they would be dead, but that was ok, this human female was good, he knew it would be fresh again by the end of the week.

Spring brings a sign that everything is new, budding trees and the soft fragrance of flowers. I remember the feeling of joy and excitement I had as I heard the echoes of my newborn baby's cry. It felt like I would burst with all the love I felt inside. The gentle breezes blew and life could not have been better.

In school, popularity is a commodity, and like the real world, some have more than others. Popularity in school however isn't money per say, more like power. The less powerful people spend every day seeing the very powerful, and some envy them this power. Some try to improve themselves to become more popular, some people try to improve and just have bad luck, some give up, some go their own way, and some try to take the power from the powerful with force.

It'd all started with the scratches. I don't remember when they started, exactly, or how long they might've been going on before the first time they woke me up. When they did wake me up, I'd groggily turned onto my back in my bed and tried to pin down the slow, quiet scratching. I'd listened and eventually pin down where I thought I heard them coming from the far corner of my bedroom ceiling, barely discernible.

Sitting in my room,
As darkness creeps.
Shadows slither.
My fears increase,
As a noise comes forth!

So true! A writer must understand and appreciate the true value of a review. What is the use of writing if no one reviews your work. At first I would rush to change whatever the reviewer suggested. But then I realized not all things should be incorporated. We first write for ourselves and then for others.

Amen! Great article. I was just looking over something I posted on here last year. You're right. I've learned so much. (I'm now embarassed by it. lol) And, I checked out all its reviews. Bingo! Everywhere from a 3.5-5 star rating. Then again, I didn't notice how many stars people gave me, until I read the 3.5 star one. The only one who didn't think it was wonderful. A year later? I agee with him more and more. lol

I didn't get enough of reviews on this piece. Can you please tell me does this writing have any material..or should I stop wasting time in trying to write!

Excellent newsletter, Brooke! I really appreciate that you took the time to write this. I know there are often reviewers who are inexperienced and sometimes have absolutely no clue what they're talking about, but it's just as you pointed out - at the very least, they took the time to comment on something, even if their comments didn't make any sense. Sometimes, those reviewers might not even have meant to be offensive towards the author in the first place! The linked item is a piece I wrote a while ago about the relationship between author and reviewer. I think those who liked this newsletter might be interested in reading it.

It can be hard to get noticed.

I really like how you put an excerpt from the items you highlight. I've never considered that, and I think it's a great way to try to draw someone into an item.