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4,180 Public Reviews Given
4,309 Total Reviews Given
Review Style
I believe in constructive criticism and honesty. I can adapt my review style to fit the kind of feedback an author is looking for (e.g., developmental suggestions, fine-tuning, proofreading, etc.), but will always try to be as encouraging and helpful as possible.
I'm good at...
Plotting, characterization, dialogue, structure/pacing, and professional considerations. I can also do serviceable technical editing/proofreading, but I'm much better with developmental/creative feedback.
Favorite Genres
I read almost everything. I particularly love genre fiction (mystery/thriller and science fiction/fantasy especially) and nonfiction of all kinds.
Public Reviews
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676
Review of Wounds In Bones  
Review by Jeff
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)

Hi Lunarmirror -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. There was clearly a lot of originality and creativity that went into writing a story like this; your characters were excellent, and the story was well-presented with consistent atmosphere and tone. The two suggestions I have are to make the opening dialogue a little less expository (many of the lines were on the nose), and to flesh out the story with some detailed narrative description, in addition to the dialogue. When a piece is composed primarily of dialogue, it feels more like it's written for the stage or screen rather than the page... and the way you present that narrative is often one of the defining characteristics of an author. Still, this was a very well written piece, and I greatly enjoyed reading it. Good work! *Smile*

I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,

- S o C a l S c r i b e
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Please check out my community items:
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My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Go Noticed.
677
677
Review of Lullaby  
Review by Jeff
Rated: E | (3.0)

Hi Just Aniece! -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the item, but ultimately felt that it was a bit unfinished. In this relatively short piece of writing, the reader is thrown into an unfamiliar situation (a narrator who has a conversation with a bed), and the events of the story are concluded rather abruptly. I was a little confused about who the narrator is, why he would have a conversation with the bed (and what makes a bed "wise") about bedbugs, and where the man comes into play.

I definitely think there's potential for this story, but in its present form, the point of view needs to be clarified and the work, in my opinion, needs to be developed and expanded so that the reader can have a clear picture in their mind about who this narrator is, and why they are reading this story.

All that said, the overall concept intrigued me, and I would like to read more. *Smile*

I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,

- S o C a l S c r i b e
Logo for Writing.Com Moderators - small.

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
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My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Go Noticed.
678
678
Review of Fluffy  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)

Hi kittiara -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Engaging dialogue

*Star* Interesting story

*Star* Great ending

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* The section breaks made the item feel slightly disjointed

OVERALL IMPRESSION

This was a fun story. I love the Dialogue 500 Contest, and you did a great job telling a story through dialogue. I thought that the section breaks made the story feel a bit segmented and jumpy, but other than that, you did a really good job with this entry. It's hard to get dialogue right... and even harder to tell a story with ONLY dialogue... and in that respect, I think you did an excellent job. Good work! *Smile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Go Noticed.
679
679
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: ASR | (5.0)

Hi Lexi -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Socially relevant and concerning

*Star* Well written

*Star* Engaging

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* Nothing that I could find

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I thought this was an excellent piece, that highlights some truly troubling issues with the workplace, especially when that workplace is tasked with taking care of others. From my experience in the business arena, I know that fudging numbers, not taking responsibility for one's actions, and general lack of concern or attention to detail can be problematic for employers and colleagues when a coworker is less concerned than he or she should be with their job performance... and it's a real tragedy when those same people are given the responsibility of managing the health and safety of other people. Thank you this Item; writing like this is what encourages all of us to make positive change, whether it's in our personal lives, the work place, or the world.

Great work! *Smile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Go Noticed.
680
680
Review of I'm Here  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: E | (3.0)

Hi tearsdelilah -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Concise

*Star* Clear

*Star* Good imagery and tone

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* Inconsistent structure

*Halfstar* Could use a little more variety in rhymes

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Overall, I enjoyed this poem, but thought the structure needed to be consistent between the two stanzas (a,a,a and b,c,b) and that there could have been a bit more variety in the rhyming words, since all the "a" lines repeated the word "near" and all the "b" lines repeated the word "here." Repetition can sometimes be an effective way of emphasizing a point or giving the reader a feeling of rhythm and comfort, but in a short piece like this, I would recommend finding alternative words that rhyme with 'near' and 'here' (e.g. beer, cheer, clear, dear, deer, ear, gear, hear, mere, peer, pier, queer, rear, seer, sheer, spear, sphere, steer, tear, we're, year, etc.) to give the poem a little variety and sense of diversity. If this were a longer piece, I think the stanzas you have would work really well... but with only six lines, I was hoping to see your poetic structure have a little more diversity.

Also, from the short description of your item ("A lost soul... looking for a way home..."), I imagined this poem would be a little more about someone trying to get home, rather than questioning what it is the narrator is afraid of, when the person she needs is sitting next to him/her.

Other than that, though, I thought this was an entertaining short poem, and it would be a pleasure to feature this item in the next issue of the official Mystery newsletter. *Smile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Go Noticed.
681
681
Review of The Tower  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: E | (3.5)

Hi smizwaz -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Good characterization

*Star* Excellent, exotic location

*Star* Intriguing concept

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* Ending was a little abrupt

*Halfstar* Needing some more mystery/tension throughout

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I thought this was a fun, entertaining item. You did a really great job capturing Cassie's excitement for traveling to Greece, and nailed that feeling of going somewhere on vacation, waking up, and being amazed by even the smallest things, which all seem so fresh and new. If there were one area of improvement, it would be to work the tower into your story a little more, and create a sense of foreboding (and irresistibility) about it. As is, the story feels a little more like a recounting of the little things on Cassie's vacation, and then leaves us when she just happens to see the tower and heads inside. If the tower were more prominently featured, and Cassie were to have avoided it a few times, until curiosity got the better of her, it would make the pull on the audience that much stronger.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the story, and it would be a pleasure to feature it in the next issue of the official Mystery newsletter. *Bigsmile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Go Noticed.
682
682
Review of Wherever You Go  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)

Hi Josh T. Alto -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Good use of tone

*Star* Easy, straightforward style

*Star* Good mystery elements

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* Some grammatical errors, particularly the need for commas in complex sentences (e.g. "As the newspapers described it later, there must have been..." / "Between the storms, she looked totally normal...")

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I thought this was an enjoyable mystery story that was effectively presented, with good character development, structure and pacing. With a little work on the grammar, I think this could be an excellent story, and it would be a pleasure to feature this item in the next issue of the official Mystery newsletter. *Smile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Go Noticed.
683
683
Review of Haunting Whispers  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: E | (4.0)

Hi Susan Gilson -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Consistent tone

*Star* Good structure and rhyme scheme

*Star* Great twist at the end

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* Another stanza or two to really build up the suspense before the twist at the end

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Overall, I really enjoyed this poem. I thought you did a great job creating an entertaining tale that took the reader in one direction, and then surprised them with a twist at the end. I think a little more content would have helped establish the atmosphere a little better (and more effectively bring home the twist at the end), but other than that, this was a really excellent piece of poetry. It would be a pleasure to feature this item in the next issue of the official Mystery newsletter. *Smile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Go Noticed.
684
684
Review of A Vile Visitor  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: ASR | (4.5)

Hi Tammy~Catchin Up~ -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


Really great job with this poem, Tammy! I thought you did a wonderful job capturing a creepy, terrifying atmosphere with this poem, and keeping the reader engaged all the way through. The structure was solid, the words were effective, and, overall, I really enjoyed this piece. Nicely done! *Smile*

I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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685
685
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: E | (4.5)

Hi Thaddeus Buxton Winthrop -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


I really enjoyed this item. I thought you did a great job with the rhyme scheme, structure, and imagery. It was an interesting concept executed very well. Great work! *Smile*

I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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686
686
Review of Was it a dream?  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: 18+ | (3.0)

Hi reader -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Good concept

*Star* Interesting characters

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* The piece felt a little rough

*Halfstar* Some point of view conflicts (between second and third person)

*Halfstar* "*Flashback*" could be better integrated into the story. Rather than stating it, try to present it to the audience as an intrinsic part of the narrative.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Overall, I think there's a lot of potential in this work. It was interesting, engaging, and I wanted to know more about the characters. It would be a pleasure to feature this item in the next issue of the official Mystery newsletter. *Smile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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687
687
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)

Hi YearoftheKitty -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Imaginative concept

*Star* Interesting characters

*Star* Entertaining story

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* Nothing that I could find

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Overall, I thought this was an excellent piece of writing. It was original, entertaining, and interesting. It would be a pleasure to feature this item in next week's issue of the official Mystery newsletter. *Bigsmile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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688
688
Review of The Promise  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: E | (4.0)

Hi Persephone -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Good description

*Star* Strong characterization

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* A little more tension and atmosphere

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was an intriguing concept that was well written and well presented. It would be a pleasure to feature this item in next week's official Mystery newsletter. *Smile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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689
689
Review of Tea Kettle In Awe  
Review by Jeff
Rated: E | (4.5)

Hi Daizy May -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Excellent structure

*Star* Great rhyming vocabulary

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Star* Nothing that I can think of

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Overall, I thought you did a great job with this poem. It was entertaining, enjoyable, and very well written. All in all, an excellent piece of poetry. Great work! *Smile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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690
690
Review of NYC  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: E | (4.5)

Hi Legerdemain -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* You really captured the feel and energy of New York

*Star* Well written and evocative

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* Nothing that I could find

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I thought you did a really great job with this item, Leger! Reading it reminded me of my first trip to New York a few years ago, and all the magic and energy that can be found in the city. Great work! *Bigsmile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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691
691
Review of The Legacy  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with The Talent Pond  
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
Signature for judges of The Talent Pond's Tennis Tournament.


Hi 🌕 HuntersMoon -

This is Jeff , and I'm the chair umpire for your Talent Pond Tennis match. Please keep in mind that I do my best to call it like I see it... and may the best player win! *Smile*

Great entry. The dialogue was realistic and engaging, the scene was interesting, and there was a great twist at the end. All in all, this was an excellent one-act play, and I'm pleased to announce that you've won your quarterfinal match... welcome to the semis! *Smile*

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work. Stay tuned; the match results will be posted soon.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,

- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations
692
692
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: E | (4.5)

Hi ~WhoMe???~ -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Great structure

*Star* Good imagery

*Star* Wonderful sense of style

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* Nothing that I could find

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I really enjoyed this poem. I thought you did a great job creating a cohesive, engaging piece. It was short, to the point, and entirely effective. Really wonderful job! *Bigsmile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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693
693
Review of Online Dating  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with The Talent Pond  
Rated: E | (4.5)
Signature for judges of The Talent Pond's Tennis Tournament.


Hi Ask for what you want -

This is Jeff , and I'm the chair umpire for your Talent Pond Tennis match. Please keep in mind that I do my best to call it like I see it... and may the best player win! *Smile*

Thank you for your informative and well presented article on the subject of online dating. Since you submitted a qualifying entry and had a bye in Round 2 of the competition, I'm pleased to announce that you've walked through to the next round of the tournament. Welcome to the Quarterfinals! *Bigsmile*

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work. Stay tuned; the match results will be posted soon.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,

- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations
694
694
Review of Father's Day  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with The Talent Pond  
Rated: E | (4.0)
Signature for judges of The Talent Pond's Tennis Tournament.


Hi Have a sunshiny day! -

This is Jeff , and I'm the chair umpire for your Talent Pond Tennis match. Please keep in mind that I do my best to call it like I see it... and may the best player win! *Smile*

Thank you for the well-researched and well-presented article on Father's Day! While you did a great job serve and volleying, unfortunately your opponent just came up with the right shots at the right time and, after a very close match, I'm afraid he walked away with the win. *Frown* We'd like to thank you for your participation in the Talent Pond Tennis tournament, and have included your prize money for successfully making it to Round 2 of the competition. Thanks for competing! *Smile*

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work. Stay tuned; the match results will be posted soon.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,

- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations
695
695
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with The Talent Pond  
Rated: E | (4.0)
*Star* "Here's the pitch." CRAAACK! "It's a line drive!"
You've just been reviewed by ""Take Me Out to the Ballgame" Reviews for THE TALENT POND! *Star*


Hi Karen Winters Schwartz -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


CONCEPT

I really like the premise of this piece; following a writer as he endures the creative process. I was a little confused, however, that the piece was listed as being in the "comedy" genre. Seeing that designation going into the story led me to believe this would be a lighthearted or amusing story, and instead found it to be a little darker, more serious, and more dramatic than I had originally anticipated. Not that there's anything wrong with writing that kind of piece... but I would suggest adjusting your genre designation so that a reader clearly understands what type of item he or she is reading before getting into it. *Smile*


STORY

The story was well presented and interesting. I thought you did a particularly good job with the detail and description of the setting; I really felt like I was in the story with your protagonist, experiencing the same emotions and turmoil that he experienced. Nicely done. *Smile*


CHARACTERS

I thought both characters in the story were well developed. The wife was a great foil for your protagonist, and your writer lead character was well developed, realistic, and engaging. I really felt like I got a sense of who these characters are in a relatively short span of time, which is not easy to do.


DIALOGUE

The dialogue worked effectively for this story. There wasn't any in the last half of the piece, but I didn't think it was necessary; the exchange with his wife established the relationship they had, and the rest of the tale was told from his perspective alone. The dialogue itself was realistic and helped move the narrative along.


STRUCTURE

This story was very well structured. From the introduction and the exchange with the wife to his solitary life as a writer struggling to put words on the page (or screen, as the case may be *Wink*), I thought you did a really great job with the pacing and story arcs in this piece, giving the reader a satisfied feeling of having read an entire, complete piece of writing with relatively few words. It's not easy to make a short piece feel like it's a complete standalone, but you did a really good job with this particular story. *Smile*


MECHANICS

The only technical issue I noticed was the hyphens in the sentence, "... only days before she'd slipped out of the-door-of-his-life..." I wasn't quite sure what the purpose of hyphenating that particular series of words was, but it felt a little awkward.

Other than that, the technical aspects of your writing are just fine. There were a lot of well phrased passages, and your writing has a unique style and sophistication that makes it stand out. I was really impressed with your writing style and the way you were able to create such vivid images with your words. *Bigsmile*


OVERALL

Overall, I enjoyed this story a great deal. It was clear, concise, and really had a great atmosphere and style to it. Other than it being designated as a comedy, there were really no major errors that I could find, and I thought it was very entertaining and engaging. Really good work. *Smile*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,

- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


** Image ID #1671723 Unavailable **
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696
Review of Stranded  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with The Talent Pond  
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
*Star* "Here's the pitch." CRAAACK! "It's a line drive!"
You've just been reviewed by ""Take Me Out to the Ballgame" Reviews for THE TALENT POND! *Star*


Hi Bikerider -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


CONCEPT

I thought this was an interesting concept; nothing like a shipwreck to really give the reader some insight into the varied and sometimes terrifying aspects of human nature. Great concept. *Smile*


STORY

The story was engaging and interesting. I like the fact that there was so much going on with the survivors; their relationships to each other is what kept this story fresh and exciting all the way through. The ending was just a tad confusing (I had to read it a couple times to feel like I understood the significance of Kevin and Sarah's final actions, but other than that, the story worked very well.


CHARACTERS

I really liked all four characters; each was distinctive in their own way and added something to the narrative. If there were one aspect of the characterization that I thought was a little off, it was the debate about going to jail and being accomplices. With characters who think they're stranded alone on an island, it seemed a rather strange conversation to have... presumably so far away from civilization and the reach of the law. I do think that, in some respects, characters clinging onto this aspect of themselves and society as a means to cope with the fact that they're stranded in the middle of nowhere is a valid, psychological issue... but if the intent was to include it as such, I think there needs to be a little more content to the conversation; a little more back and forth debating the merits of the argument... and even whether they should be discussing it at all.

Other than that, I thought the characters were well developed and realistic. Nice work! *Smile*


DIALOGUE

The dialogue effectively moved the story along without dragging it down. I thought the conversations were handled well, and, except for the lawyer/prison conversation mentioned above, I thought you did a great job creating realistic, engaging conversations for your four characters as they acclimate to their surroundings on the island.


STRUCTURE

The structure worked well for this piece; it was short, to the point, and didn't waste a lot of space with unnecessary description and detail. I thought a little more imagery could have gone into the story to establish the setting and explain to the reader exactly where the characters now find themselves after the shipwreck, but other than that, this was well paced and well structured. *Smile*


MECHANICS

The biggest technical error I noticed in this piece was a tendency to omit necessary commas. For example:

"Pushing black hair off his forehead, Dan watched..."

"Louis and Sarah looked at Dan, who ignored the comment."

"Dan and Kevin bickered all morning, so it was decided..."


OVERALL

Overall, I thought this was an entertaining, engaging piece. You had great characters, a familiar, identifiable concept, and a solid execution. I think that, with a little revision (particularly the few technical errors and the issue about the lawyer/jail conversation), this could be a really strong, effective story about four people stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere.


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,

- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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Review of The Sea at Sunset  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with The Talent Pond  
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
*Star* "Here's the pitch." CRAAACK! "It's a line drive!"
You've just been reviewed by ""Take Me Out to the Ballgame" Reviews for THE TALENT POND! *Star*


Hi Anne Carol -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.

CONCEPT

I thought this was an intriguing start to a NaNoWriMo novel. Right off the bat, you set up a dramatic, tense crime scene, and more than one character who has a vested interest in what happens to the victims, particularly Pia... the one who survived the fall. I think this is a great start, that grabs the reader's attention straight away and has them racing through the narrative trying to figure out what will happen next. Not easy to do in this many words! *Smile*


STORY

Since this is a NaNoWriMo story, and you have 50,000+ words to play around with, I would have liked to have seen a little more detail throughout the story. A detailed description of the characters - particularly Arthur and Constance - would be a great help for the reader to visualize who (I assume) they're going to be following throughout the story, and some setting details about the locations and important features of the story would help the reader envision the world you're creating in a much more evocative and engaging way.

I thought you did a great job with the reveal that Constance had also come to the hotel to kill Manny and Pia. That was probably my favorite moment in this opening scene. *Smile*


CHARACTERS

Your characters were interesting and engaging. I like the fact that both Constance and Arthur had come to the hotel to kill Manny and Pia, presumably with different motives and/or employers. I have no doubt that this aspect of the story would be fleshed out and expanded upon in the full, completed novel... and I think you've got a good start here.

Similarly, I would be interested to see who Manny and Pia are as characters, and what they could have possibly done to have both Constance AND Arthur en route to their hotel to kill them! *Laugh*


DIALOGUE

Your dialogue was short, concise, and effective. It helped move the story along without being distracting, and I thought you captured the voice of the policeman well. Make sure that, as the story develops, each character has their own distinctive, unique voice, so that your reader can appreciate the nuances and personality of a variety of characters as they progress through your narrative. Dialogue is really tough to do well, but I think you're off to a solid start. *Smile*


STRUCTURE

I thought the segment of the story with Arthur going over the events of the hotel room in his head would have been more ideally situated before the reader knows that Pia survived. I think, in this particular situation, it would be beneficial to have the reader in the same position as Arthur, thinking the job is done and both Pia and Manny are dead... so that when Constance comes on the scene later and the officer tells her that Pia survived, it's a surprise for the audience... and Arthur's surprise later will be much more understandable and shocking than if the reader knows Pia survived before they find out that Arthur thinks they're both dead. *Smile*

I would also suggest a little more action and detail before switching between Arthur and Constance's storylines. When there's so little information being presented to the audience, it can be distracting to switch so often between characters in different locations. When writing a novel, it's often a good idea to spend an entire chapter (or a good portion of it) on one particular character and their experience, before transitioning to another character and their narrative... to help establish each character's individual story and chain of events before swapping it for another character's. *Smile*


MECHANICS

Just a couple of technical issues:

"... making a clean getaway."

"As she neared the hotel, she could see hoards hordes of people lined up..." (Hoard is a reference to an accumulation of things, while horde is a reference to an accumulation of people. *Smile*)


OVERALL

Overall, I think this is a great start to a NaNoWriMo novel. As a competitor myself for the past couple years, I can appreciate how difficult the task of writing 50,000+ words in a single month really is. I know that there's not a lot of time to edit, improve and find the ideal version of a story, so most of these comments are given with the assumption that the story will be revisited now that NaNoWriMo 2009 is over... if you're interested in revisiting and completing the piece. I know that during the month of November, there's not a lot of thought going into the revising and revisiting of what's already been written. *Bigsmile*

I'm curious to know if this is as much as you wrote for 2009 NaNoWriMo, or if you wrote more and just didn't post it to this item. Either way, I'm glad you attempted NaNoWriMo... it's a lot of work, but also a lot of fun... and I hope you enjoyed the experience. *Smile*

I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,

- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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Review of Good Conversation  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with The Talent Pond  
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
*Star* "Here's the pitch." CRAAACK! "It's a line drive!"
You've just been reviewed by ""Take Me Out to the Ballgame" Reviews for THE TALENT POND! *Star*


Hi aralls -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.

CONCEPT

The concept of two strangers meeting in a bar is a familiar one, but that's what makes this story work so well. There are some stories that are unique in concept... and then there are stories like these, that take a common concept and execute it flawlessly. Well done!


STORY

The story played out really well. You did an excellent job of taking what would have been an ordinary exchange between two people in a bar, and made it into an exciting, entertaining, totally unforgettable meeting between two people. I particularly like the fact that the story remained in the bar; I think it would have lost something if you had had the characters leave together, or the story had started outside the bar. With everything contained inside the bar establishment, it gave this story a wonderful, contained feeling that worked well for this type of narrative.


CHARACTERS

Kyra and Jason were excellent characters, and Rob did a great job of lending support to the narrative. There were a lot of really brilliant character details, like the fact that Kyra always makes up a new lie about what she does for a living to avoid "teacher comments," and the fact that she drives all the way to the next town to have a drink. And, of course, Jason's reveal at the end was perfectly consistent with the story and an extremely clever way to throw the audience a twist ending.

These were realistic, engaging and three-dimensional characters; they practically leapt off the page and were a joy to follow through their bar adventure. *Smile*


DIALOGUE

Your dialogue was realistic, concise, and effective. It moved the story along in all the right places, and wasn't needlessly expository or on the nose. Most importantly, each character had their own distinctive voice, which isn't ever easy to do, especially not in such a relatively short piece of writing. I'm very impressed by your mastery of dialogue in this story.


STRUCTURE

This story was structured pitch-perfectly. You hit all the right beats and didn't miss a step. It was just the right length, long enough to fully establish the characters and the setting, but short enough that it doesn't get too redundant or drag in any places. Your comedic beats were perfectly placed, and they really enhanced the narrative. Your dialogue was also ideally structured to enhance the story rather than distract. *Bigsmile*


MECHANICS

Absolutely no technical errors that I could find. Nice job! *Smile*


OVERALL

Overall, I thought this was an outstanding piece of writing. You get an A+ on all of the above criteria from me; I don't give a 5.0 rating too freely, but this item definitely deserves it. When I read stories like this, it makes me wonder how I haven't happened across your port more often before, and convinces me that I need to make a return trip very soon. *Bigsmile*

Great job on this story. Kyra practically jumped off the page (or the screen, as it were *Wink*), and the best compliment I can think to offer is that I hope you'll consider either expanding this piece or writing a follow up, because I'd love to know what happens when Jason and Kyra show up to work the next day. *Laugh*


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,

- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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Review by Jeff
Rated: E | (4.5)
Thank you so much for sharing this item with me... I wish I knew where some of my old schoolwork was... I think it's fascinating to see where people have come from (and how far they've come, in some cases) since beginning their writing careers. I started writing fiction in 4th grade, and can't imagine what those stories would look like if I could find them today. *Laugh* I admire your braveness in sharing this part of your history with us. Hats off to you! *Bigsmile*
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Review of A Dis-Ash-ter  
Review by Jeff
In affiliation with SIMPLY POSITIVE GROUP  
Rated: E | (4.5)

Hi Harry -

I had a chance to read your item today, and have enclosed the following Simply Positive review for your consideration. Please keep in mind that the following is my opinion only, and you as the author have the right to use or disregard any of my comments as you see fit.


WHAT WORKED


*Star* Great imagery

*Star* Excellent tone and structure

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

*Halfstar* Nothing that I could think of!

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I thought this was a really great piece. It was entertaining, interesting, and left me wanting more! *Smile* Excellent job.


I hope that you've found my comments useful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your work.

Keep up the good work and keep writing!

Best regards,


- S o C a l S c r i b e

Please check out my community items:
"Unofficial Erotica Newsletter Group
"The Dark Society
"Blogocentric Formulations


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