Let's Publish! In-Depth Reviewing

I believe meaningful feedback is an important and necessary component for any writer's growth. Take, for example, famous literary duos like Yeats and Pound, Hemingway and Fitzgerald, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien. They show us, the aspiring writer, that a sense of comradeship and honest feedback are necessary for the development of our own inspired works.

For us, members of "Let's Publish!" , reviewing is a great way to:

1. Receive feedback on our pieces in order to revise and improve both the piece itself and our general craft
2. Learn to develop a critical eye
3. Gain a greater appreciation of the undercurrents of contemporary writing.

Or, as Dave aptly described: "In my mind, each review is another nonfiction writing project, to be organized, developed and customized specifically for that particular piece of work as if it were being prepared to be submitted for publication."

As members of a group striving toward publication, it is important that we understand and appreciate the art that is often termed in-depth reviewing.

What exactly is in-depth reviewing?

There exists more than one definition, but the comprehensive one that I've put together is:

In-depth reviewing is a method of close reading in which the reviewer examines the piece, comments on its notable features, offers suggestions for improvement and notes his own personal thoughts and reactions. In-depth reviewing, as opposed to normal reviewing, goes beyond generic reactions. The in-depth reviewer has the intent to help the author bring the work to its maximum potential.

As described by Dave .

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Furthermore, the in-depth reviewer who is helping an author polish for a publication market will consider the market itself when constructing her review.

For the purposes of Let's Publish!, I, with the assistance of friends from "Invalid Item" , have put together a fairly detailed reviewing format in order to facilitate the process.

RECOMMENDED REVIEWING FORMATS:


FICTION

Title: What to Comment on: In short fiction, the title is often essential for establishing mood, tone, or even giving the story a completely different meaning. Is the title catchy? Does it make you interested or intrigue you? Is it generic or bland? Does the title fit in with the rest of the story? Or do you not understand its meaning? Mention this.

Plot: What to Comment on: Is there a successfully established plot? Does the plot come through strong? Has the author waited too long to bring the plot/conflict forward? Are things clear and making sense? Are you left with questions? List those questions...jog an author's brain. When you do so, it can be beneficial to the writer in clarifying or expanding certain scenes.

Style & Voice: What to Comment on: The style and voice is that of both the author as well as the characters. Are the character's voices clear (i.e. the reason why they're in the scene) or are they being used as unnecessary fillers? Another thing to look at is whether the characters are staying true to form. If we have this strong character (let's make it the main one) and she's very strong, forthright at the beginning of the story, and then a couple paragraphs later, she's withdrawn, shy and not showing her true nature "without" an incident causing it (i.e. an underlying reason for the change in her personality) this should be commented on. If your story is fantasy, and your speech is stilted and very formal, and suddenly we start reading slang, abbreviations and contractions (weren't, hasn't, he'll, wasn't, etc.) that weren't there before, then this is a change in style and should be commented on.

Referencing: What to Comment on: Referencing means whether the story is following modern-day, medieval, fantasy, Sci-Fi, etc. Is the referencing clear at the onset? This will include dialogue as well. This is set by making references to certain items of clothing, machines, the scenery, and even dialogue. Is there some confusion as to the time era? If you're writing fantasy, you're certainly not going to see a fridge or a radio, or begin to hear slang words. And believe me, we sometimes slip in this area. When you're reviewing chapters, try to remember what has happened previously, and if you notice an inconsistency, mention it.

Scene/Setting: What to Comment on: This is self-explanatory. Again, inconsistencies can happen here. Comment on whether the scene is clear--for example, if the characters are standing in a forest, and all of a sudden they're in a field, this needs to be mentioned to the author. As I stress this in all my own reviews, keep in mind the three senses to see whether the author has incorporated them: Sight, sound and smell.

Characters: What to Comment on: Are the characters believable? So what are your opinions about them? Do they move you? Frighten you? Can you relate to them? Are their "voices" (yep, got another for you here) clear and strong? Are they too much alike that they're confusing you? (i.e. they all have brown hair, average height, and no distinct mannerisms or traits that sets them apart so a reader can identify them without having to read their name every time there's dialogue). Are their names so similar that this causes confusion as well? Has the author incorportated distinct mannerisms, traits, physical descriptions...something that differentiates the characters? If not, a reader can become confused, so tell the author. Do you feel like some of the characters are just wasting space--that they're not important in moving the story ahead? Is there something you'd like to see from them? Has the author portrayed them in a way that you easily recognize them?

Grammar: What to Comment on: Some of you aren't strong in this area and others...WOWIE! But that's what's so great about this forum. You may not be able to comment on a lot of the grammar issues, but you can certainly comment on other things. What you will miss, others will not. Just do what you can and what you know.

Just My Personal Opinion: What to Comment on: Again, share with the reader how this chapter made you feel. Then include your opinion about whether it's all coming together. Is there something you didn't like? Don't be afraid to voice your opinions, but do so in a nice, helpful way.

POETRY

Title: What to Comment on: In poetry, the title is often essential for establishing mood, tone, or even giving the poem a completely different meaning. Is the title catchy? Does it make you interested or intrigue you? Is it generic or bland? Does the title fit in with the rest of the story? Or do you not understand its meaning? Does it provide context? Could you suggest a better title?

Style and Voice: What to Comment on: Each writer has his or her unique voice and style. Does that come through? Does the writer allow a form, e.g. a Shakespearean Sonnet, to limit their voice? Are there words out of place? If the piece is a dramatic monologue, does the voice not fit the subject? Are there slips in style? Is it consistent throughout?

Word Choice: What to Comment on: Which words stuck out? Which words did not? Can you suggest alternate words to choose? Watch out for cliches and awkward wording.

Figurative Language: What to comment on: This includes everything from metaphors, similes, onomatopoeia, and alliteration. Is it used effectively? Are metaphors and similes cliched? Do they add to the overall meaning of the poem, or are they there merely for the sake of being there?

Rhyme and Rhythm: What to comment on: Is the rhyme and rhythm consistent? Are there places where the rhythm falters? If slant rhyme or internal rhyme is used, is it used effectively? Is the rhyme cheesy e.g. a poem that end rhymes with cat, hat, mat and bat? Or is it surprising and effective? Does the rhyme and rhythm add to the overall meaning of the poem, or do you think they impose restrictions that only limit the poem's ability to convey a specific message?

Structure and Form: What to comment on: Is the form (e.g. Sonnet, Pantoum, Haiku, Villanelle, Sestina) employed correctly? Most importantly, is the form necessary? In today's age, form is less and less important. Is the writer using terrible rhymes in order to fit the form, or is the form adding meaning to the poem that it would lose without it?

Imagery: What to comment on: Is there imagery? If so, are they cliche, overused or corny, or do they have fresh appeal? What sense or emotion do the images evoke? Are they surprising or funny in any way? Is the imagery adding to the overall meaning of the poem?

Theme and Meaning: What to comment on: Like stories, poems must also mean something. What is the purpose of the poem? To convince the reader of something? To portray a sad truth? To reach an emotional catharsis? Is the theme too strong, or not strong enough? Does the poet sound preachy or overbearing? How is this meaning conveyed?

Personal Opinion: What to comment on: How did this poem make you feel? What was the overall effect? Remember, be honest, but courteous. If for some reason, something about the poem bothered you, mentioned it. But don't be mean about it. Talk about personal bias or anything that might help the poet think deeper about their creation.


If you are at a loss for what to say, this reviewing format is a good place to start. One may also comment on the following areas listed below:

* How effective is the opening hook?
* Does the writer use an authoritative voice to establish his/her own unique universe?
* Along the same line, how well do the selected imagery details engage the reader?
* Is the story creative or original?
* Are there needless words that can be omitted?
* Comparison between the reviewee's piece and a published work
* How were themes developed?
* Which characters remained with you most vividly?
* Which line(s) struck you as particularly witty, touching or aphoristic?
* At which point in the story/poem did you feel completely invested and wanted to read on?


There is currently a minimum character count of 750 characters per review. The reason for this rule is that I believe it to be difficult to offer an in-depth review in under 750 characters. I will not be a huge stickler about this rule. I do my best to read all the reviews posted in the forum; if I believe that members are skimping on reviews, then this number will come into play. I will always announce when characters are being counted, and will always inform the reviewer if their review does not qualify.

More so than the character length, the reason for a disqualified review will be lack of depth.


Hopefully this reference will be helpful in our quest to become better reviewers. The most important rule is, as stated by Raven , "Review onto others as you would have them review you."




In creating this reference, I am indebted to Dave , Raven and Vampyr14 for their ideas, suggestions and caveats.