Noticing Newbies: July 11, 2012 Issue [#5147]
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Noticing Newbies


 This week: Accepting Feedback Graciously
  Edited by: Tornado Dodger Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter


The Noticing Newbies Newsletter's goal is to make the newer members feel welcome and encourage them with useful information and/or links to make navigating Writing.com easier. Writing.com members of all ages and even veteran members can find useful information here. If you have specific questions, try visiting "Writing.Com 101Open in new Window. and/or "Noticing NewbiesOpen in new Window..

Meet The Noticing Newbies Full-Time Newsletter Editors

JACE Author Icon ~ Tornado Dodger Author Icon ~ Stephanie Grace Author Icon ~ Sara♥Jean Author Icon


Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor


[Accepting Feedback Graciously]

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby


There are many ways to do reviews on this site. Some are casual, short reviews that don't really give much concrete feedback other than to let you know if they liked or disliked an item. While that may not be particularly earth-shattering in the manner of helping you evaluate your work, it's still has value. Sometimes your audience just wants to enjoy the story, not pick it apart. There is also the opposite end of the spectrum, those that review and nitpick a hundred things that you really didn't expect to be noticed or pointed out. While all reviews have value and should be appreciated, some are harder to appreciate than others.

Something to remember when reading a review. It's natural to feel defensive when reading a critique. However, have you ever noticed, sometimes the things you're most defensive about, actually have strands of truth to them? When you read a review that has some elements of suggested improvements, take a step back when you feel attacked and defensive. Take a breath and then reread the review with an open mind. No one is perfect and sometimes the best ideas are found with fresh eyes. You've probably heard the phrase, "The mind is like a parachute - it works best when open." The saying has validity. The only way to improve is to learn and apply that knowledge to your writing. Everyone is here to learn from each other.

When doing reviews, it's important to consider the author who will be reading your review. You don't have to sugarcoat your opinions, just do your best to give a balanced review. If you have taken any management courses, you might be familiar with something called "The Feedback Sandwich" which I have seen in selected reviews on the site.

         *BoxCheck* Make a specific positive comment.
         *BoxCheck* Critique and/or suggestion for improvement.
         *BoxCheck* Overall positive comment.

When possible, always try to balance your suggestions with something positive. It not only lessens the blow but it's just as important to let the author know what works, as it is to let them know what doesn't.

Write and Review on! ~ Brooke

*Down*Published work from the brilliant dusktildawn is right here *Down* Check it out!
ASIN: 1612920217
Product Type: Book
Amazon's Price: Price N/A


[Related Links] *Thumbsup*
This month's links are to items that may help improve your reviewing.

"Invalid Item"  Open in new Window. [] by A Guest Visitor
"Reviewing"  Open in new Window. [E] by Jeff Author Icon
"Responding to Reviews"  Open in new Window. [13+] by tcprescott Author Icon
"Invalid Item"  Open in new Window. [] by A Guest Visitor



Editor's Picks


I'm featuring some work from new authors that just caught my eye. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. *Smile*

 Rock and Roll Grandma Open in new Window. [13+]
Becoming a grandma when you're a child of the Nixon-era 70's is pretty radical!
by Angie Yoder Author Icon

Excerpt:
At 12:47 am, May 16, 2012 my life changed permanently. After almost 24 hours of my daughter's drug-free labor, many hurried texts to the father-to-be in the labor room, countless cups of horrible hospital coffee and several walks around halls, up and down stairs and out to the parking lot for some fresh air, I became the grandmother of a beautiful baby boy named Benjamin Alexander.


~*Star*~

 Invalid Item Open in new Window. []

by A Guest Visitor

Excerpt:
"But we don't just disagree. Disagreeing is civilised. No one throws crockery when they disagree, they keep on talking until one person is convinced or ....... they both agree to disagree."

"That's just 'Women's Magazine' stuff, nobody is convinced or disagrees politely unless there's a referee watching them."

"That's what we needed then."

"What?"

"A referee. Save us a fortune on crockery."

"For the last time, I did not throw that cup. I dropped it."


~*Star*~

 So Lost Without Him. Open in new Window. [13+]
A poem about a girl struggling to cope with her lovers death.
by Jessica_SecretSoul Author Icon

Excerpt:
Empty and scared, the lost girl cried.
A bouqet of daffodils wilting against her side,
tightly grasped in hands which appeared to be aging,
despite her obvious youth that was unchanging.


~*Star*~

 The Final Good-bye Open in new Window. [13+]
A story about family, friendship, heartache, longing and hope. A story of good-bye.
by mozziska Author Icon

Excerpt:
'You can only become immortal after you die' the words where burned into Amelia's mind, it echoed through her as she stared at the lifeless body in front of her.

'If that's true then why doesn't one rise from the dead?' she thought to herself. Remorse filled her as she placed the name tag back on the body. Looking around the clearing she saw more people, like herself, looking for someone they loved who had been left dead from the war.

~*Star*~

 Collectivists: Professional Middlemen Open in new Window. [E]
A brief satirical look at the champion of mankind: the collectivist
by ralph Author Icon

Excerpt:
All collectivists, socialists, communists, etc. are middlemen by profession and if inspired, often ascend into the rarified air inhabited by the gods. Although they produce nothing of tangible value, their vision of equality for all mankind is unparalleled. Their heightened social awareness and superior intellect enables them to quickly identify social inequities, the victims thereof and formulate programs designed to "level the playing field".


~*Star*~

 Mrs. Donnes Open in new Window. [ASR]
What would you do if there was a dead man in the apartment above you?
by JulieB Author Icon

Excerpt:
The day her husband died, Mrs. Donnes was sweeping the hallway that led to the back porch. It was a Sunday afternoon, the day after my eighth birthday, when my little sister and I walked out the door of our first-floor apartment and almost ran into her back end. This was the end my siblings and I were most familiar with. Our landlady, was always bending over at some cleaning task around the house, making her look like one of those wooden, half-a-woman garden ornaments-the behind and legs only. She was an endless source of entertainment for us kids because of her customary posture, her slow reflexes, and our propensities toward meanness.


~*Star*~

 The Gentleman Open in new Window. [18+]
A mystery with some romance and adventure.
by Aganippe Author Icon

Excerpt:
Lightning streaked across the sky. A lone figure stood at a window watching the storm rage outside. When there was a break in the thunder the sound of quiet sobs could be heard.
"Sweetling," a weak voice said, "Come back to my side." The figure moved to the king size canopy bed and sat on the edge. "Light the candle, I want to see you."
A candle flared to life and illuminated the tear stained face of a young woman.
"Sweetling don't cry, everything will be all right, I promise. Bad things happened but I accept it. Please, accept it too."


~*Star*~

 AMY'S FREEDOM Open in new Window. [ASR]
My sister's freedom from a 20 year coma. In her words, as I feel they may have been.
by Lady Dee Author Icon

Excerpt:
Hello, who are you? What have you come in my room for? There are so many people who come in my room and I never know what they're going to do next. Some come in and check my blood pressure and temperature. Some come in and take my blood. Some come in and I think they're feeding me, because after they leave I feel like I've just eaten something, but I never see any food. There are even people who come in my room just to watch my TV or to pray over me. It's confusing to me, because I talk to them and they don't seem to hear me.


~*Star*~

 Chapter One: 'A Retired Death' Open in new Window. [ASR]
The first chapter in my satire novel, "Death in the City," titled 'A Retired Death."
by thejoysoftrout Author Icon

Excerpt:
Death was always good at what he did; he hardly ever erred in his work. And even if he did, if by some incredible circumstance a person escaped his hand, went on talk shows to tell his incredible story, wrote books, and lived armless but in riches for the rest of his life, Death still took him. It was just the way things were for him-he was too good for anyone to keep up. But even the best chess players in the world want to play checkers sometimes. So, one summer afternoon, Death decided to retire.


~*Star*~



 
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Ask & Answer


I received some wonderful feedback to my last newsletter [#5093] "Building Your VocabularyOpen in new Window. and I'm proud to share it with you.

From ~ Aqua ~ Author Icon
Wow! These links are really helpful. I even added them to my bookmarks and will try to use them as much as possible!

Thanks a lot!



From BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful Author Icon submitted this item: "Anthro InformationOpen in new Window.
Sometimes you have to stop and smell the roses. After that, Get out the weedwacker and cut those thorny things down!




From shoumojit
Jace this is a nice newsletter and you have described importance of vocabulary and use of it in judicious and appropriate manner to make reader enjoy your story or work and I find good link it just the attitude with sense of purpose and inner strength of author that will isolate his hunt for vocabulary in that specific field, your opinion on this will be great.




From S. R. Capener Author Icon submitted with item: "The SingularityOpen in new Window.
This is my longest, most thought out story. My account has been around for a while but it's been inactive. I didn't start using it till about a week ago I believe. You can look at th story dates for proof.



From magicmayflower
This is a great help, good article.



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