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185 Public Reviews Given
193 Total Reviews Given
Review Style
I give encouraging, but in-depth reviews. Please do not be offended if I do not offer you a work solely of glowing praise. I instead work very hard to ensure I give comments that are as helpful as I can. This ideology means pointing out both the great things in a work and the things that may need improvement.
I'm good at...
I am best at reviewing short stories and certain types of poetry. I am still learning, of course, but I feel I have the most useful feedback when reviewing short fiction.
Favorite Genres
I enjoy reading science fiction and occasionally fantasy. My favorite stories tend to have the two intertwined. I also enjoy free-form poetry. I can appreciate a well-crafted form poem, but prefer to review looser forms.
Least Favorite Genres
I am not a big fan of romances. Even though most good stories have a romantic subplot, I'm not as interested in reading stories in which the romance is the primary focus of the work. I also hesitate to read overly religious works.
Favorite Item Types
Short stories, poetry, some blog posts
Least Favorite Item Types
I don't really enjoy interactive writing, though I do enjoy becoming active in groups.
I will not review...
...anything in which I can't find something nice to say. If I can't be encouraging, I don't review a work at all.
Public Reviews
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1
1
Review of At Duffy's  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Happy Anniversary to Joy Author Icon of House Florent


Moving on through my raid of your port today, I have just finished reading your poem, "At Duffy'sOpen in new Window., and was inspired to offer you a few comments. I hope you find them both encouraging and helpful! *Smile*


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

I love the conversational tone of this piece, but even more I love its pointed criticism of the elite, of those with money to spend and little understanding of those still scrounging for rent at the bottom of the economic ladder. It paints this lovely picture of an enjoyable meal while still managing to get a few barbs in at the system that disadvantages those who work in it. It reminds me quite a bit at the way this economic caste in society function: we work, we complain, but we go on and find our pleasures where we may anyway.


*Penv*Strengths:

I love that you've written this piece in almost a prose form. I did pop over to your link regarding its place as a response piece, and I think you've done well to capture the mood and flow of the original poem. Excellent job! I also loved the tiny barbs thrown in which take aim at those in power: "contrasting / the battered markets and job losses with / a collage of modern-material things" sets the mood immediately. When the poet then admits to eating her meals with a "discount card at Duffy's" and sharing words with the waitress about "the rent she can't pay," I find the situation feeling very familiar, yet comforting in a way I can't describe.


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

This is more a question than a suggestion: When you write these sorts of prose poems, how do you decide where to break your lines? There are some lines where the enjambment makes perfect sense, and others where I don't quite understand your reasoning. That is the difficulty with this kind of form, however, so ignore me entirely if you like. *Smile*


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

On to the next poem!

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
2
2
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Happy Account Anniversary to Joy Author Icon of House Florent


Happy Anniversary, Joy! On this, the occasion of your 14th WDC anniversary, I hope to undertake a massive raid of your port. I cannot believe my luck in finding this first poem, "On Crabapple BeachOpen in new Window., to review! I hope you find my comments both encouraging and helpful! *Smile*


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

This piece is absolutely breathtaking in its romance, in the way it woos the reader into a state of blissful tranquility. I was at the beach just this past Saturday, and it makes me long to return there with a heartache I can't adequately describe.


*Penv*Strengths:

The imagery in this piece is spot on. I can see in my mind's eye the sand, the lighthouses, the lovers embracing, even the "white flowers in a coffee mug." That image among all others seems to resonate with me the most. But all the images you've incorporated into the poem contribute to the overall feeling of peaceful bliss, the marriage of the poet to her dreams, and it's breathtaking. *Smile*


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

This is not so much a suggestion as a wondering. The sentences (one for each stanza) are lovely and rambling, like waves upon a shore, but I wonder whether they might better be broken into smaller pieces, for easier digestion as it were. I don't know whether any such tinkering would actually result in a better poem, however, so for now I'd say leave it as it is. It's absolutely charming just the way you've written it. *Bigsmile*


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I can't wait to see what else your port has in store for me today! *Bigsmile* Thank you so much for sharing!

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
3
3
Review of My Baby  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Best wishes to of House (enter their House)


And here we are! My final review from your port raid this afternoon, this time in alliance with House Florent. I have just finished reading your poem, "My BabyOpen in new Window., and was inspired to offer you a few comments. I hope you find them both encouraging and helpful! *Smile*

*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

What a lovely, romantic tribute to love, and specifically to its erotic forms. Although this piece is not by any means graphic, it is still filled with that wonderful heat and desire of emotion we feel when with the one we love. Beautifully stated!


*Penv*Strengths:

Your metaphors here are by far my favorite aspect of the poem. In particular, I loved your reference to lust as "burning embers of an autumn sky." It's basically a metaphor within a metaphor, and I could delve into potential hidden meanings for forever. The autumn sky might easily represent fading: the fading of day to night, of autumn to winter, and then the burning embers as the long-burning remnants of earlier blazes. We could therefore read into that metaphor as saying that lust does not burn so brightly forever, but the warmth, the heat, the love that accompanies it, those things may yet remain throughout the cold of wintry night.


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

I feel like this particular poem might benefit from being broken into stanzas, if for no other reason than to articulate the way your structure flows from one part of the poem to the next. Personally, I would insert a space between lines six and seven, then again between lines 14 and 15. This would emphasize how you veer into new structural territory with your fourth metaphor, and then emphasize the return of that structure when it arrives. Again, just a suggestion. *Smile*


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5


I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to raid your port today! I hope you have enjoyed all of the spoiling you will receive this weekend!

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
4
4
Review of The Caged Bird  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Best wishes to kiyasama from Noble House Stark


Hello again! I'm continuing my raid of your port (in alliance with House Florent) by reviewing your poem, "The Caged BirdOpen in new Window.. I hope you find my comments encouraging and helpful! *Smile* Thanks so much for sharing with me today!


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

I've seen a few different "alpha" poems in your port, but I feel like this one was the cleanest and best done. Great job! And, as usual, your topic is raw and emotional and perfectly presented as wholly YOU. Thanks so much for sharing the heartache with me!


*Penv*Strengths:

You have managed here to pull off an alpha poem without any of the stuttering or stilted wording that often accompanies any acrostic type poem. In fact, the lines flow so well that I would not have realized this was even an alpha poem without the bolding of the first letter of each line. Great job!

I was also moved by your poem's subject, particularly in the way you portray images of an ideal romance in the beginning before turning it into something dark and dangerous. So many abusive relationships begin in exactly that way. Romance and adoration and sighing all gradually become twisted into some terrible mockery of what love should be, but by then the victim is too invested in the relationship to let go. I am so glad the subject of the poem does indeed have plans to break free and fly away.


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

I'm pretty sure I've made this suggestion on all of your poems so far, but I'm not a proponent of capitalizing the beginning of each line. Although the bolding DOES help the reader identify what you are attempting to accomplish, I feel like the capitalization, oftentimes in the middle of a sentence, breaks up the flow of the poem unintentionally. When it's otherwise written so well, a little change here and there could really help smooth out the edges, so to speak.


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Only one review to go! I hope you're enjoying your spoiling this weekend!

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
5
5
Review of Me, Myself and I  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Best wishes to kiyasama from Noble House Stark


And here we go! Onto part 2 of my raid of your port today, this time in alliance with House Florent! I have just finished reading your poem, "Me, Myself and IOpen in new Window., and was inspired to offer you a few comments. I hope you find them both encouraging and helpful! *Smile* Feel free to order them to make you a sandwich if they aren't proving their worth. *Laugh*


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

This whole piece made my relatively loud inner feminist cackle with glee. *Bigsmile* When we are looked upon by men (or frankly, by other women) solely by our looks, our admirers miss so much about who we are as people. Some people simply can't handle it when we act in ways that aren't "ladylike." This poem takes that outdated stereotype and insists that the reader sees us exactly as we are. Frankly, based solely on this poem, I would say you would be both my ideal woman and my worst nightmare. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with either. *Smile*


*Penv*Strengths:

I like the way you've structured this poem, with questioning lines alternating between questions of what the reader THINKS he sees and questions that show the way you see yourself. The structure adds another layer of meaning to the poem by insisting that the reader compare what he thinks he sees to what is actually there, and then further asking him whether he can handle the truth beneath the veneer. I love it!


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

Another personal suggestion. In the fifth stanza, you break with the form of the previous five stanzas by using three lines instead of four. Ordinarily, I think it would work well, particularly since your sixth stanza becomes just a couplet (and a very powerful one at that), BUT, in this case I actually think you'd be better off breaking down the very long third line into two, for readability if for nothing else.

*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Thanks for tickling my feminist sensibilities this morning! *Bigsmile*

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
6
6
Review of My Dearest Friend  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Best wishes to kiyasama from Noble House Stark


Hi again, Kiya! Along with my allies in House Hightower, I am back to review your prose/poem, "My Dearest FriendOpen in new Window., and hope you find my comments both encouraging and helpful! *Smile* Throw out anything you don't like!


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

I immediately felt for you as I read through your piece. I do have one person on WDC I can call my friend, almost my sister, and we met in very similar circumstances. We're in all the same groups, etc., but we interact on facebook more than WDC, so even when one of us goes on hiatus the other still keeps them up to date. I can't imagine what it would feel like to lose that connection entirely, though. Such a lovely tribute! Thanks so much for sharing!


*Penv*Strengths:

I am always amazed at your willingness to be raw, to say things exactly the way you see them and put them out there for scrutiny. The end result is writing that's unpretentious and powerful. I particularly love your expression of loneliness, particularly in that the connection hasn't been severed, just changed, even dampened. I have felt too often how my sisters (by choice if not by blood) have become more and more distant, and I don't think that pain ever really goes away.


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

I have nothing here. This piece is far too personal for me to stick my nose in it. It's a beautiful tribute, and I think you (and she) should both be proud of the connection you have made. Thank you so much for sharing!


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 5.0 out of 5

Thank you so much for reminding me of how I should appreciate my connections, both on WDC and elsewhere!

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
7
7
Review of Trayvon Martin  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Best wishes to kiyasama from Noble House Stark


Happy Sunday! I get the honor of doing a double-duty raid on your port this weekend! I'm so excited to get to dive right in! This first batch of reviews will be done in alliance with House Hightower. I have just finished reading your poem, "Trayvon MartinOpen in new Window., and was inspired to offer you a few comments. I hope you find them both encouraging and helpful! *Smile* If not, feel free to throw them right out!


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

At first, I was struck by your bravery in tackling such a current and (unfortunately) controversial topic. Then as I dug into the poem itself, I remembered anew all of the tragedy that has come upon the black community in the U.S., not only lately but throughout their history. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the topic.


*Penv*Strengths:

I absolutely love how raw you've made your emotions in this piece. The freedom of your form allows you to simply speak exactly as you must, and that speech brings with it the emotional maelstrom that comes every time one of these supposed "tragedies" occurs. (Personally, I think tragedy is too weak a word here. Such atrocities are acts of war, a war that's been going on as long as history can remember, and the violence here and elsewhere are the senseless remnants of an argument that should have long been put to bed.)

It seems less important here, but I also have to give you kudos to introducing me to a form I had not known before. I may have to try it out myself later! *Bigsmile*


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

Only one small suggestion: your form requires enjambment almost by necessity, which you have handled here very well. However, particularly in a poem that mimics prose, I personally feel like capitalization should follow prose rules. For instance, in the second stanza from the end ("And / Still there will be more / Untold..."), there are many capitalized words that would be left lowercase in prose ("still," "untold," "such"). Rather than leaving the beginning of every word capitalized, I would go back and alter the beginnings of each line according to its place within a complete thought or sentence.


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Excellent piece! I can't wait to read more!

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
8
8
Review of Not You Again...  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

More Birthday Wishes to Angus Author Icon of The Night's Watch



And your final pressie for the day: a review of the highly amusing "Not You Again...Open in new Window. I hope you find my comments both encouraging and helpful! *Smile* If not, you can always divorce them. *Laugh*


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

This piece had me chuckling from beginning to end. The idea of begging for forgiveness in advance reminds me SO MUCH of how all of us struggle with those "addictions" we have in our lives. The way "The Higher Power" basically sighs and shakes his head made me grin.


*Penv*Strengths:

The humor in this piece shines. From the very first sentence, you infuse humor by refusing to name "his Higher Power." Already I'm prepared to laugh. Then, when you find out exactly what his addiction is at the end, I'm torn between snickering and shaking my head in incredulity. I can't even begin to imagine what the "Higher Power" must be thinking. Or even Jerry himself. Seventeen!?!? It's hard enough to handle ONE!!! *Laugh*


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

Again, my preference is to have the contest listed somewhere in the item so that you advertise those things that you find inspiring. But that's a personal preference, and surely not everyone does it.

The only suggestion I have regards the ending. The whole piece is humorous and satirical and makes me smile, but when we get to your plot twist at the end (i.e., we discover the source of Jerry's addiction), I feel somewhat let down because it feels OVERreaching, like you're trying too hard to make it funny. I could see him doing something seven times, but at seventeen it just feels ridiculous and kind of ruins the subtle edge of your humor. You might even think about OTHER plot twists that would be equally funny. Maybe picking up a tenth cat from the shelter (that's the crazy cat lady in me talking), etc.


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.0 out of 5

I hope you've enjoyed your birthday spoiling! Have an excellent rest of your day!

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
9
9
Review of TIME  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

More Birthday Wishes to Angus Author Icon of The Night's Watch



Part two of your birthday pressie! I'm having fun raiding your port for items such as "TIMEOpen in new Window.. I hope you find my comments both encouraging and helpful! *Smile* Set them on fire if they are not.


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

This piece really resonated with me at an instinctual level. My great-great grandmother was half African American and half Cherokee, and my grandmother hid it from our family for an incredibly long time (the rest of my ancestors so far as I know are a mix of various white European heritages). Knowing that I had family here, in Oklahoma, where the indigenous population is much higher than in other parts of the country, makes scenes like this particularly haunting for me. I want to know more about this women, the things she went through before, and the things she went through after.


*Penv*Strengths:

I actually like the starkness of your descriptions in this piece. The "barren, ash filled plain" serves as a grim reminder of what the native people of this country must have felt as their land, rights, and dignity were stripped away. You also feel her pain when she ponders the remembered screams and wondering "Why?"


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

I like the way you vary your sentences, with some of shorter length and some longer. I myself struggle with the tendency to write long rambling sentences with a million clauses, so I am very aware when the same thing happens with other writers. Your very first sentence is 33 words long (if Microsoft Word hasn't lied to me). Although I think that length of sentence would be fine elsewhere, for the opening sentence it doesn't encourage your readers to keep going, and it feels out of place in a piece so short. Just a thought. *Smile*

One other small thing: is "The Daily Flash Fiction Contest" still running? If it is, you might consider adding an item link at the bottom in addition to your comments. If you like a contest enough to steal a prompt, you should like it enough to advertise it. *Bigsmile*


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Lovely read! Thanks so much for sharing!

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
10
10
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Best wishes to Dejaiced Author Icon from the Noble House Stark



Good afternoon, Jesse! This afternoon I was clicking through the "Read and Review" tool, which brought me to your lovely poem, "There's More to this Life Than LivingOpen in new Window.. I was inspired to offer you a few comments, which I hope you find both encouraging and helpful! *Smile* If not, you can always cheerfully toss them aside!


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

Thank you for reminding me of one of my greatest faults. I, too, tend to rush by my life without noticing the beauty that's around me. Thanks so much for reminding me of the beauty that comes from just sitting and NOTICING. Hopefully I'll be able to take some time today to do just that!


*Penv*Strengths:

I am a poet that lives for alliteration, consonance, assonance, any of those things that make words trip off your tongue likely a tightly wound tightrope. I LOVE them. And you put some lovely ones right in your first couple of lines. Bravo! I also really enjoyed the repetition starting in line five, where you list all the things we "never" do when we're too busy controlling our lives to live them.


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

I have only one small thing that's really more of a personal preference than a correction. The "default" setting of capitalizing the first word of every line in a poem has always rubbed me the wrong way. Unless done for dramatic effect, I always recommend using capitalization (and punctuation for that matter) in a poem the same way you would if you were writing prose. For example, because line two is a continuation of line one (part of the same phrase), you would begin the line with a lowercase H. For similar reasons, I would use a lowercase O at the beginning of line 10. That being said, you might choose to leave each "Never" capitalized in lines 5-8, but that would be for dramatic/repetitive effect. Again, all of these suggestions are from personal preference and do not constitute any sort of poetic "rule," so do with the suggestions what you will.


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best wishes! I hope you find your time on WDC worthwhile and encouraging!


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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
11
11
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Best wishes to Sunny Author Icon from the Noble House Stark



Good morning! I stumbled upon your short story, "The Sound of SunshineOpen in new Window. through the "Read and Review" tool. I was inspired to offer you a few comments, which I hope you find both encouraging and helpful! *Smile* If not, feel free to throw them away!


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

Your descriptions in the first paragraph literally swept me away immediately. The sense of place is incredibly strong, and I immediately feel surrounded by the sights and sounds of Maya's home. The attention to detail really sparked a longing in my chest that I can't even rightly describe. Excellent work!


*Penv*Strengths:

Your descriptions are your gold mine. From the wooden dragons and their comparison to cigarette smoke to the worn-out umbrella with the rusty clasp, I feel absolutely transported to the land of your story. Keep up the great work with that attention to detail! It will serve you well! *Bigsmile*


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

I felt swept away by the story, but somehow left wanting at the end. Sometimes that wanting is a wonderful thing, but in this case it's the wrong kind of wanting. I'm not one to long for resolution so much as for bringing a circle full story. In the beginning, Maya focuses on expressing her resentment for who I assume is a younger brother and her mother's attention to him. Yet at the end she's forgotten all that in favor of a new found lover. Yes, that's a good way to end the PLOT, but I feel like the STORY could benefit from more of a resolution (or even a dramatic anti-resolution) of those feelings that began the piece. How does her feelings for her new love REALLY affect her feelings for her mother? You say "But just as Mamma had realized a simple truth that fateful night," but I'm left wondering what exactly Mamma realized. Did she realize that love was better than pride? Is that why Maya keeps calling the child at the beginning "the bastard"? Some clarity in those sentences MIGHT help bring the tale to a more satisfactory resolution.


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Best wishes, and I hope you're enjoying your time on WDC! Welcome to the site! *Bigsmile*

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
12
12
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Best wishes to SWPoet Author Icon from the Noble House Stark



Good morning! I stumbled upon your poem "The Space Between the NotesOpen in new Window. through the "Random Review" menu and found it so fun that I had to offer you a few comments. I hope you find them both encouraging and helpful! *Smile* If not, be sure to cheerfully throw them away!


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

I LOVE how you've used the metaphor of musical space to represent the space between people and the way that we connect in our lives. I was a musician in a former life, and I cannot think of a better way to describe relationships among people than by the keys on a keyboard.


*Penv*Strengths:

The metaphor here is so creative! C and E played together as a major third are a very consonant interval, but adding the D in there does add a bit of "chaotic" dissonance. For some people, that dissonance is just too much, but when you learn to move within the tonal space you figure out that even that dissonance is part of the beauty. Your poem brings home the idea that those things are true of people and relationships as well. Those things that separate us, that make us distinct from one another, can add to our beauty as much as take away from it.


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

I would love to see this poem expanded even further. I'm thinking about how (if you wanted) you could add a child into the metaphor, that perfect G completing a triad, or even F with its plagal influences.

And I did not meant to hijack this review with my love of music theory. *Laugh*

I also wonder how this would read as poetic prose rather than as a structured poem. It almost reads that way already, and sometimes the breaks in lines stutter a bit of the rhythm for me. In some places that's less true than in others. I'm a huge fan of free verse, but as reviewers have mentioned to me, sometimes it's hard to find just the right places to break a line. If you ever feel like experimenting, you might try writing this out in paragraph form and then re-breaking it to see if you like the flow any better.


*Penv*Overall Rating: 4.0 out of 5

I truly enjoyed the imagery in this little poem. Thanks so much for sharing it with me and with the rest of the WDC community! *Bigsmile*

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
13
13
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Best wishes to DMCarroll Author Icon from the Noble House Stark



Good morning! I just stumbled upon your essay, "My first sip of wineOpen in new Window., and was inspired to offer you a few comments. I hope you find them both encouraging and helpful! *Smile* Be sure to use anything you find helpful and cheerfully toss the rest!


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

This whole piece feels so familiar to me. I am still quite an amateur when it comes to wines, but the more I practice the more I love it! From that first lovely inhale to first sip to finished glass, I can't help but marvel at the way one beverage can have so many scents and flavors. I do hope you are (or will one day become) a wine lover! It's well worth it! *Glass2* *Glass2* *Glass2*


*Penv*Strengths:

I love the use of metaphor and simile in this piece. Your comparison of the scent to "the hunting grounds" gives me more information both about the drink and about you as a narrator, since it implies a certain type of experience in your background. Your descriptions make me long for a good glass of Merlot. Or even better, port. *Devil*


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

I like your variety of sentence length in this piece. It's an area of the craft that I struggle with regularly. However, some of your longer sentences could use a bit of crafting here or there. For instance, here's one potential rewrite of the fourth sentence in your second paragraph:

The cool liquid burned, its lightness evaporating from my mouth before I could even swallow.


In the end, it's about honing those sentences down to their meat, and I feel (personally) like those few descriptors really comprise the heart of that sentence. Again, just an idea and a personal preference. *Smile*


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.0 out of 5

An enjoyable and quick read! I will have to peruse more of your port later!

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
14
14
Review of The Terrible Gift  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
*Burstv* A House Stark review for "King's Landing updating Open in new Window. *Burstv*

Many Birthday Wishes to 🐕GeminiGem🎁 Author Icon of the Soon Victorious House Stark



Personally, I can't think of any better birthday present than an inbox full of well-intentioned reviews, so I hope you enjoy your gift! I have just finished reading your poem, "The Terrible GiftOpen in new Window., and was inspired to offer you a few comments. I hope you find them both encouraging and helpful!*Smile*


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

This piece embodies what poetry is best meant to do: It reaches down into the very soul of the poet and expresses the deepest longings, hurts, and hatreds of the heart. It's so very personal that I'm half-afraid to offer any critique at all! It's absolutely heart-rending. Thank you so much for sharing!


*Penv*Strengths:

I believe the honesty that shines through this piece is by far the most important of its strengths. That being said, because I like to pretend I'm a poet, I see other wonderful poetic elements that I cannot help point out. I particularly love the repetition of "to break" in the second stanza. It really pushes those lines into an urgency that resonate so well with your theme. I feel the same way about the repetition of "I want" from the fourth stanza to the end. The couplets of contradictory emotions in this section also bring home the heartache and mixed emotions that come from any serious diagnosis. I hate that anyone should have to go through such emotions, but I love how you have portrayed them.


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

For once, I got nothin' major. It's too personal and too wonderful for me to mess with. I'll leave that up to you. *Smile* Only one small grammatical error: Line 3 should be "whose" (the possessive) rather than "who's" (the contraction of "who is"). Otherwise a wonderful emotional piece. Thank you so much for sharing!

*Penbl*Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5


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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
15
15
Review of The Night  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (3.0)
*Burstv*A Review from the Paper Doll Gang*Burstv*


Hi, very thankful Author Icon!

As part of this week's homework assignment, I have just finished reading your story, "The NightOpen in new Window., and was inspired to offer you a few comments. Please remember that these are the thoughts of only one reader, so you should take whatever insights you find useful and completely disregard everything else. *Smile*


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

I found this little introduction to Deacon and its unusual inhabitants very intriguing, particularly since you took care to present it from the perspective of an outsider. It's such a shame we don't see more of what happens to Kenny afterwards, don't you think? Or perhaps even Lucifer and Cydia? That would make for interesting reading. *Laugh* Seriously, though, I am intrigued as to whether this is part of a larger story or whether you intended this to be a standalone piece. It really could work either way and could perhaps even stand in as a prologue to one of the longer books.


*Penv*Strengths:

You have a very vivid understanding of the town and its characters, and you don't waste time overly explaining everything to the reader. It's incredibly important to me as a reader that authors don't spell everything out for me, and I'm glad you've assumed your readers are smart enough to figure some things out on their own. *Smile*


*Penv*Setting:

Deacon, for all of its intriguing differences, does have a certain small town feel to it. Where else would the mayor and her husband the sheriff welcome someone obviously new and lost wandering the town? I would love more active descriptions of the town's specifics, however. Are the roads asphalt, gravel, or dirt? Are streets lined with trees or planting boxes? What season is the story set in? Is it slightly cool in early spring, or is Kenny drenched in sweat of the heat of the summer? We get Kenny's description of the "fog," but it's fairly obvious that he's not encountering a normal fog. Deacon is such an intriguing town it seems almost a waste not to present it in glorious technicolor for your readers' imaginations. *Smile*


*Penv*Plot/Structure:

There are a few questions/suggestions I have regarding some of the specifics in your plot that you might want to consider if and when you make rewrites.

Spoilers!


*Penv*Conflict:

Spoilers!


*Penv*Characterization:

I really love Cydia in this piece. She's friendly but conniving and downright coldhearted, and I love how excited she gets from a little cruelty.

The only character I really didn't have any strong feelings regarding would be the story's protagonist, Kenny. We find out that perhaps he is more than he seems, but we don't find that out until later. Before the climax he feels bland, like he's just there as a random victim. Perhaps he's a random deserving victim, but from the little bit of description we get of him before the climax, there's not a lot for the reader to grasp onto. You can't really cheer him on because you don't know him enough to like him. You CAN cheer on Cydia and Lucifer (if you're twisted like I am anyway) just because they're so diabolical, but you don't actually wish Kenny any ill will either. In fact, he seems to just go with the flow so easily (it's not like Cydia had to WORK much to get him to do what she wanted) that in the end you want him to suffer because he deserves it for not being more careful, not because he is or isn't an inherently bad person. And that leaves me blaming the victim. Tut tut on me...


*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

1. I think the beginning needs a stronger hook. At the very least, Kenny deserves a name earlier on. Since you're writing in third person limited, Kenny knows his name and would not describe himself as a "blond man." I also wonder whether you might find a better place to start the story in general. Maybe he's already in the restroom, worried about the contents of his bag (although you don't need to reveal what those are), and wondering exactly what the sign means. The first two paragraphs (dialogue dependent of course) seem almost irrelevant.

2. It is quite difficult to engage a reader using dialogue-heavy stories. It's not impossible mind you, and there are some great ones out there. In this particular case, though, I often feel like I'm listening to a conversation through the wall of my apartment. I can get an idea of what the neighbors are talking about, but I can't really emotionally engage with it because it lacks context. Within the context of a bigger work, these sorts of scenes might work well, because you have other places where you can more fully immerse the reader in the story and help them fall in love with the characters. As a standalone, there isn't enough detail surrounding the dialogue to really get the reader drawn in to the world.


*Penbl*Overall Rating: 3.0 out of 5

You have a wonderfully creative town and story laid out here and in your other works, and I know they have the potential to become the kind of stories I would read over and over again as I relished in the sheer delight of evil. (We all have our dark sides, yes? *Wink*) I do think the execution could use some work to really engage the readers (namely, me) and help them become immersed in your dreamscape.

I hope you are having an excellent day, and please do let me know if I can ever help with anything else. *Smile*

*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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16
16
In affiliation with  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*Burstg*A Rising Stars Member-to-Member Review*Burstg*


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Hi, Ẃeβ࿚ẂỉԎḈĥmas Author Icon!

You were kind enough to recently leave me a review, and I thought it would be appropriate to return the favor. *Smile* I have just finished reading your poem, "I Don’t See The Juncos, AnymoreOpen in new Window., and was inspired to offer you a few comments. I hope you find them helpful and encouraging. Please remember that these are the opinions of only one reader, so I hope you will use whatever insights you find useful and cheerfully toss out the rest. *Smile*


*Peng*Initial Thoughts:

I was born and raised in the Southern U.S., so I had to go visit wikipedia in an attempt to get a better idea of what a "junco" might be. Then, as I read your poem, I discovered I learned far more of the important things about them from you than I did from the article! A job incredibly well done! *Smile*


*Peng*Theme:

For me, the theme of nostalgia for things passed stands out in your romantic images. Then, as I dig into the meat of the poem, I see another, perhaps deeper level of symbolism. There's this idea of moving on to better and brighter things, the "paradise" of Florida, but getting a glance of perhaps darker times (as winter is often meant to symbolize), and actually feeling nostalgic for them. For me (and perhaps only for me), this feeling connects intimately with my struggle with mental illness. On even my brightest days, when I feel happiest, lightest, I will sometimes have images of what life was like at its darkness, and for a moment, I reflect, remember, and I mourn what was. I miss it, even if I know I'm much better off where I am now. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to explore my own inner life through the beauty of your very natural poem.


*Peng*Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure:

I love what you've done with your rhythmic structure in this piece. The piece reads very much like what I would consider completely free-verse poetry, but then I'm struck by a subtle rhyming of a mid-line with an ending line. Specifically, I'm intrigued by the rhyming of "snow" and "show" in lines three and four of the first stanza, or "around" and "ground" in the last two lines of a stanza. In these instances the rhymes are close enough together to bring the meter to my attention in the way it might not have otherwise.

In contrast, the rhyming of "perch" and "birch" in the final two lines of the second stanza are far subtler, but I reach the end of the final line feeling as if I've been brought to the satisfactory closing of a melody. It's quite lovely and used to good effect. *Smile*

All in all, I think this sort of "hidden" rhyme does an excellent job of contributing to the overall rhythm of the piece. Very nice job!


*Peng*Poetic Conventions:

Your imagery in this piece is PHENOMENAL. Though I have never actually seen a junco myself, your images make me long to one day see them. I also particularly enjoyed some of your similes/metaphors. I particularly appreciated these lines:

The dark coolness whips-up a chill of moisture in the air
causing downy flakes, like fluffy angel feathers,
to break loose in the wind.
It will cover the long-armed boughs of the fir,
fitting them like a well tailored shirt.
Such is the unstarched finery from above.


You've created a beautiful image here that also imbues the scene with glimpses of heaven, of goodness, and of purity. I love it!


*Peng*Overall Rating: 5.0 out of 5!

I am so busy being in awe of the beauty of this piece that I don't have the mental energy to offer any suggestions. *Bigsmile* A job fantastically done!


*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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17
17
Review of Could This Be All  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (3.5)
*Burstv*A Review from the Paper Doll Gang*Burstv*


Hi, 💙 Carly-wrimo 2024 Author Icon!

I am reviewing your poem, "Could This Be AllOpen in new Window., as judge for the PDG Newbie Poetry Contest at "Invalid ItemOpen in new Window.. Thank you for your submission and your hard work throughout the class! *Smile*


*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

I empathized immediately with your opening line: "To work, these hours press down on me." I imagine there are few of us who haven't at one point or another found ourselves piled heavy with responsibilities we wish we didn't have, whether those are responsibilities at work, at home, in a relationship, or wherever else they might be. That line in particular was a great statement of a universal feeling that I think helps draw your readers in immediately.


*Penv*Theme:

In my personal opinion, good poetry gives me something to think -- a statement of the poet's intentions, if you will. Great poetry gives me the desire to think, to decide something on my own. As I examine this piece, I wonder what it means to balance responsibility and dreams that might lie outside the realm of that responsibility. In the end, I suppose we can only "push the tears aside and try."


*Penv*Adherence to Prompt: Click for detailed notes.


*Penv*Overall Impression:

I think you have an excellent idea here that could use a bit of crafting to transform it into the truly great poem it has the potential to be. For the purposes of this contest, you were constrained within a very narrow set of parameters. Now that you've proven you have the ability to write within those restraints, you can allow the poem to break free where necessary and begin to allow it to blossom under a poetic hand. For instance, I believe that breaking with an established meter/rhythm to bring about emphasis to a particular line works very well, but in this particular piece the only place you've changed your rhythm is in an odd place. Just an idea I'm throwing out for you to consider: what if you flipped the last two ideas in your final stanza?

Where are my days of wild and sass?
I push the tears aside and try.
My wails rise up and shatter glass
I hide my face, and let the pieces fly.


In this transformation, the one line that was "out of meter" earlier in the stanza finds its home at the very end, where the change in meter allows it to have greater emotional impact. Since these two lines are the most emotive (for me at least) in the poem, they also allow you to save the punch for the very end and leave the reader a bit breathless.


*Penv*Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Again, thank you so much for your participation in our class and for your submission. You have a developing talent for poetry; now's the time to dive into learning the craft. Your readers won't know what hit them! *Smile*

*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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18
18
In affiliation with  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (3.5)
*Burstg*A Rising Stars Member to Member Review*Burstg*


Hi, 💙 Carly-wrimo 2024 Author Icon!

I am making a point of trying to review poems by students in the PDG Poetic Pen workshop this term. I came upon your poem, "Sweet Child Is ThisOpen in new Window., and was inspired to offer you a few comments. Please remember that these are the opinions of only one reader, so I hope you will use whatever insights you find useful and cheerfully toss out the rest. *Smile*


*Peng*Initial Thoughts:

What a touching tribute to those amongst us who may be given more troubles than their bodies can handle. I had not heard of Batten disease before, so thank you for bringing it to our community's attention.


*Peng*Strengths:

The strength of this poem is undoubtedly in its message: that disease may destroy the body but can leave the soul and spirit intact.


*Peng*Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure:

The simplicity of your rhyme scheme I think contributes to the theme of innocence and works quite well in this little poem. However, there are some areas where the rhythm/meter feels slightly off to me. For instance, in lines 2 and 3 of the second stanza, "A true heart beats strong and defies / Look a little closer still" flows oddly, because I assume the end of line 2 is intended to create enjambment (see Enjambment  Open in new Window. for a full definition), and thus I'm expecting an object for the verb "defies" in line three. Instead I realize that line 2 is meant to be a complete thought without the need to continue into line 3. That particular phrasing jarred me from an otherwise comfortable rhythm. My suggestion might be to either CREATE enjambment by continuing the "defies" thought in line 3, or to add some sort of punctuation at the end of line 2 to make its completion more apparent.


*Peng*Theme:

The theme in this poem I feel could use a tiny bit more development. Your message is so important, that within these little lives that might not gain much respect is a world of emotion and love and importance, yet you spend more time either describing the actions of the ignorant passersby or exhorting those same passersby to better behavior than you spend on showing the brilliance these little lives hold. Unfortunately, no amount of telling people "these children are worth it" will ever change lives--you have to give them a better argument for why. Right now I feel that even an extra stanza or two (somewhere before stanza 3 I would think) could help get that message better across.


*Peng*Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation:

One small error I noticed: I believe in the third line of the third stanza you mean "Sweet heart" (or "Sweetheart") rather than "Sweat heart."

Also, I ascribe to only one rule when it comes to punctuation in poetry: Whatever you do, keep it consistent and meaningful. Right now, in a way, you have established that consistency. You've punctuated only the end line of each stanza, which is fine. However, I think you might better get your aesthetic across either by eliminating punctuation altogether or adding a period/comma/semicolon/whatever is appropriate to the end of each complete thought. That way you make it obvious to your reader where your breaks in thought are meant to be. As it stands now, it's almost like the period at the end of the stanza just adds to the finality of the stanza, which frankly a line break can handle all by itself.


*Peng*Suggestions for Improvement:

1. Take some time to think about your meter. You might sit down with a pen and mark the natural stresses in your line, for example:

A body twisted into disuse
Pulls stares from passersby

Then you could better identify places where the meter/rhythm just don't work out for the kind of flow you might like.

2. Think on what you would like your punctuation standard to be. The more I look at your poem, the less I like punctuation at the end of every line. It would make the poem overly cluttered I think. I also think, however, that the period at the end of each stanza looks lonely if that's the only time punctuation is used. I'm not sure how to best find the middle-ground, but I think some more conscious thought into that might make this work a bit more aesthetically pleasing and would also contribute to its meaning.

*Peng*Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5. This poem has potential to really open hearts and minds. Don't abandon it before it can do just that. *Smile*

If you'd ever like me to take a look at other works or to offer another rate and review on this piece later, please do let me know! Best wishes, and I look forward to seeing you more on the poetry forums!

*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
19
19
Review of RoadWork  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
*Burstg*A Rising Stars Member to Member Review*Burstg*


Hi, Sharkdaddy Author Icon!

As a congratulations for your exceptional win in the RS Shining Brighter contest, I thought I would offer a review of your award-winning poem, "RoadWorkOpen in new Window.. Please remember that these are the opinions of only one reader, so I hope you will use whatever insights you find useful and cheerfully toss out the rest. *Smile*


*Peng*Initial Thoughts:

I love love love love LOVE the imagery in this poem. In some ways it's very urban, even very clinical and unemotional, yet the images contrasting with particular phrases really bring the emotion into the picture. Loved it!


*Peng*Strengths:

Your turns of phrase, particularly when combined with vivid imagery, are downright breathtaking. Just a few of my favorites:
         *Bulletg*"Wrestling the jitterbug jump of the jackhammer"
         *Bulletg*"Gloopy gray butter / spread between the hills"
         *Bulletg*"Smoothing into permanence / at the end of the day"


*Peng*Rhyme/Rhythm/Structure:

I will admit, I like my free verse with a bit of structure. If I can't see a scaffolding upon which a poem is built, then I tend not to get involved in it as much. Fortunately for you, I have no problem finding structure in its freedom. It is like its topic itself, starting off somewhat half-formed, experimenting with pushing, pulling, and twisting, before settling into something resembling an almost traditional form by the third stanza. I think it really adds to your meaning as well as makes it incredibly visually appealing. Very cool!


*Peng*Theme:

Others may read something else into this work, but to me the whole poem is about the sometimes unnoticed efforts, the hiding in the background while pouring the concrete, and how those efforts can, over time, contribute to the changes that create the future. You've taken a relatively mundane subject, "appear unexceptional," and demonstrated how it can be used as a metaphor for something much grander. Bravo!


*Peng*Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation:

I've got nothing for you. To add anything in this area would detract from what you've already written.


*Peng*Suggestions for Improvement:

Only one small complaint: it's too short! To me this poem is far too important to end here. It's brilliant and beautiful and could be expanded to so much more. Then again, maybe that would ruin what's already here.


*Peng*Overall Rating: 5.0 out of 5. As close to perfect an item as I've seen on WDC thus far, and I am not one to ever give more than 4.5. You've really impressed me. I will have to poke around more in your port in the future. *Smile*

Best wishes! If you ever have something you'd like reviewed, do feel free to ask!

*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!Open in new Window..
20
20
Review of Dear Me  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
*Burstv*A Review from the Paper Doll Gang*Burstv*


Hi, Parthena Black Author Icon!

You were so nice to offer a review on my entry for the "Dear Me" contest that I thought I should return the favor. I have just finished reading your possible entry, "Dear MeOpen in new Window., and hope to offer you a few comments. Please remember that these are the thoughts of only one reader, so you should take whatever insights you find useful and completely disregard everything else. *Smile*

*Penv*Initial Thoughts:

I'd really be more interested to hear about that experiment your psychology professor ran! What was your goal? Did you achieve it?

*Penv*Strengths:

I like the variety of goals you've listed. You mention your physical and mental health as well as your plans for your writing and your employment. Great way to diversify!

*Penv*Structure:

I really like how you begin by saying what has worked in the past, then you move on to how 2013 changed you, then on to your goals for 2014. It's a very logical progression that works well in this particular prompt.

*Penv*Suggestions for Improvement:

I have a couple of suggestions for you, if you have time to edit this further before the contest ends, that I hope will make your letter both more inspiring to yourself and more intriguing to read for the judges.

1. Use the imperative when it's appropriate. In your list of goals for 2014, you format them as "You take good care of the physical body with proper nutrition and yoga." This format reads as a second person statement of "you are currently doing this action," which means it reads as less of a goal and more of a "here's what you're doing now that's good." My personal suggestion would be to change these to the imperative form: "Take good care of your physical body with proper nutrition and yoga." That way, when you read it as the future "you," you can really take in those goals as something someone else (in this case, the past "you") has told you would be good things to achieve. Sometimes we're much more influenced by outside voices than we are our own ambition.

2. Be more specific. Try to go into more detail on each item and set manageable and measurable goals for each. For instance, in the item, "You create your dream job within the next six months," maybe you should have a calendar of dates by which you will have accomplished certain things. Maybe you will have crafted a really fantastic resume by the end of January 2014. Maybe you will begin making calls or searching craigslist and identify potential things from craigslist by February 2014. That way, you'll be able to see really measurable progress. When you set smaller scale goals, you are more likely to achieve them in a rapid manner and are thus less likely to give up on the "big picture." One group on WDC, "Invalid ItemOpen in new Window., uses the acronym SMART to define the best sorts of goals:

         Specific,
         Measurable,
         Attainable,
         Relevant, and
         Time-bound.

Perhaps by considering your goals in light of that acronym, you can make them more attainable and more reasonable.

3. Play with WritingML. Usually formatting isn't really necessary to put impact into your writing, but in something like this it can definitely add a bit of punch to what you're saying. Fortunately, there are many things you can do just by playing with the very useful editing tools above the entry box in any item. If you want to get more in-depth with how you can specify your formatting, you should definitely read some of the help docs available under "Writing.Com Tools" on the lefthand side of the screen. They have been incredibly helpful to me in the past, and I still reference them quite frequently.

*Penbl*Overall Rating:

4.0 out of 5! This prompt was really about creating a personal goal and encouraging yourself to stick with it, so I do hope you find a way to make your goals a reality! Please let me know if there's ever anything I can do for you!

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21
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Review of 'The Cave'  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
Hi, DeKalb Daddy Author Icon!

I saw your recent review request for your short story, "'The Cave'Open in new Window., and hope to offer you a review as a student of "Invalid ItemOpen in new Window.. Please remember that these are the thoughts and opinions of only one reader, so I hope you will take whatever insight you find useful but completely disregard everything else. *Smile*

Initial Thoughts:

I'm glad you chose to come to WDC and share this work with us! You do have a natural writing talent, and I hope you will find the encouragement and assistance to develop that talent here! Although this story is outside the genre in which I usually read, I found it easy to get lost inside of it for its duration, so well done!

Strengths:

You've created characters that are likable and that will fit well within your desired genre (the "teen mystery" niche). I feel that they would be well-received by your intended audience as well.

Plot:

You've done well in packing a very tightly woven story line in a small space. You give some expositional background on your characters, then proceed to their "present" exploration of a particular cave. You then build up the tension by having the brothers gradually uncover things in the cave that just don't seem normal before having them reach their final confrontation.

My only suggestion here would be to be less blatant in your giving of expositional/background information. I've heard the term "information dump" used to describe the placement of too much background information as a separate section of a fictional work. I don't feel you do this overly much, but in the first paragraph I feel a change in wording might prevent this particular problem:

Current wording: "For several years now, they had spent their summer vacations exploring the hills of Georgia, searching for caves. Typically, they would awaken at dawn, pack a large lunch and some water bottles and resume their adventures. Today was no different. They checked their backpacks before leaving the house: flashlights, bug repellent, pepper spray, air horns; all set. The pepper spray and air horns were Eric's idea."

Possible re-write: "Eric and Haeden (since you haven't introduced them by name yet at this point) took a brief break outside the entrance to their newest find: a large cavern burrowing into the side of Insertnamehere Mountain. They unloaded their gear for one final review of the checklist. Flashlights: check. Bug Repellent: check. Pepper spray and airhorns: check. Haeden had insisted on that last one. He secretly hoped that the cave would hold some wild animal that they could scare away."

Such a re-write would maybe require small changes to the actions later on, but it would also turn what is largely non-engaging backstory into an active part of Eric & Haeden's experience. Just a suggestion. *Smile*

Characterization:

I feel like you've done a great job of portraying Eric & Haeden as an older brother/younger brother duo. Eric is constantly either being protective or scolding, and Haeden is generally more laid back and overly excited. However, I'm having difficulty visualizing exactly how old they are. I'm not sure where you would put that information into the story, but it would be nice to know in order to better visualize them and their relationship to one another. Are they only a few years apart, and therefore Eric's experience maybe isn't as great as he'd like to think it is? Or is Eric much older and wiser? Just some food for thought.

Conflict and Climax:

The main conflict here doesn't come in until the very end of the story, when Eric and Haeden are confronted with the creature. Since you've put an element of something unnatural/supernatural into the story, you might try introducing the "spook" factor a bit earlier in order to better solidify your genre. The boys don't find the "coffin" until about halfway through this short piece, and there's been no real expression of fear (even if it's a fun silly kind of fear) up until that point, so the coffin (and its eventually revealed contents) are a little jarring. Perhaps one of the boys feels a brush of air within the damp cave that shouldn't been there and gets the shivers. Your foreshadowing in this instance can be very subtle, but it should be present. Since the primary conflict of your story IS this supernatural being, you want to introduce your characters into this conflict as early as you can without giving too much away.

Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation:

Just a few areas you might address going forward:

Misplaced modifiers: Participial phrases (such as "searching for caves") can be annoying to place correctly. Some editors will even allow them to be misplaced, but whenever possible, they should be placed near the noun they are describing. An example: "For several years now, they had spent their summer vacations exploring the hills of Georgia, searching for caves." Georgia, or even the hills of Georgia, are not "searching," but "they" are. A possible re-write: "For several years now, the arrival of summer vacation had found the Marlow boys exploring the hills of Georgia and searching for caves." Not the best re-write in the world, but I hope you see the idea. "Exploring and searching" are now more obviously referring to the Marlow boys because of the proximity of the phrase to the noun in question.

Verb choice: Don't use the same word too often in a short period of time, particularly where verbs are concerned. You refer to Eric's "moving" himself across the cave in one sentence and then "moving" a beam of light in the next. You might consider finding verbs more specific to the actions Eric is performing, such as "progress" (referring to Eric's motion through the cavern) or "sweep" (referring to the motion of the beam of light).

Pronoun usage: Since both of your characters are male, you will want to be careful with where you switch between a specific names and masculine pronouns. For the most part you do very well in keeping which character you have in mind clear, but there was one instance where clarification might help: "Eric finally convinced Haeden to take up a position behind him. Now in the lead, he moved..." Although it's implied that "Eric" is now the brother in the lead, it can't hurt to change the final "he" to "Eric" to prevent confusion.

Suggestions for Improvement: The biggest suggestion I could offer at this point (that I haven't already mentioned) would be to review each sentence of your work and decide how it contributes to the overall story. Are you giving background information, establishing a mood, or providing foreshadowing with a particular sentence? Then, once you've decided the function of the sentence, decide how to give it the largest possible impact. Sometimes it's a matter of structure, sometimes it's a matter of word choice, etc. Only you can know how any changes might contribute to the feel of the story as a whole.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5. This is an excellent start to a story. Now you simply need to do some polishing and editing. *Smile*

Best wishes! I am more than happy to come rate and review the work again after you've made edits, should you wish. Please do let me know!

*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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22
22
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | N/A (Review only item.)
Hi, Max!

I saw your review request for your essay and enjoyed it so much I thought I might offer you a few comments.

Initial Thoughts: This essay is short but also very well structured and to the point. I feel quite the same way you do regarding peer review as an exercise in improvement, but I was fascinated with all the historical anecdotes that contribute to your understanding. I felt that those both drew me into your argument and strengthened the argument itself simultaneously. Very nice! I also particularly liked how you emphasized that not any peer group would do. You needed someone to tell you WHY one method might be better than the other, and when the first group you joined didn't provide that clarification, you continued searching.

Structure: For the most part, I found your argument to flow logically and in an engaging way. You begin by providing concrete examples of how peer review proved beneficial for individuals who are renowned in their respective fields. Then, you move onto the core of Gladwell's argument regarding guided practice and mentorship, which then flows into your personal experience regarding peer writing groups. I did, however, find your penultimate paragraph slightly disconnected. You're essentially making the argument that practice doesn't make perfect unless the practice is perfect. In order to practice perfectly, the novice must receive positive feedback and reinforcement during guided repetitions of the skill in question. This argument is connected to your primary argument that peer review groups can provide the mentorship required for effective practice. However, I had to make that connection myself rather than have it clearly stated for me. I'm not sure how you might want to weave that into your overall paragraph, but this particular sub-argument I feel would benefit from a more explicit connection.

Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation: In the first paragraph, I believe "storyteller" can be written as one word. I found the hyphen a bit distracting.

You have a few examples of the floating "this." Although writers sometimes get away with this particular problem because it doesn't affect the ability of the reader to understand their arguments, I personally try to avoid the problem altogether if possible. Particularly in an essay where understanding of the reader is vital (as it sometimes is not in fiction), we should do anything we can to increase the clarity of our ideas.

In the tenth paragraph, you write "This is obvious in the case of medical residencies and other professional apprenticeships." Maybe it should read "This need for mentorship"?

In the next paragraph: "These provide an opportunity..." It could perhaps read "These groups provide opportunities..."

In the fourth paragraph from the end: "I can attest to this based on my own experience." I'm having trouble finding a good noun or noun phrase to accompany the "this," but you might rewrite the sentence to discard it entirely. "My own experience attests to the benefits of finding the right group" might work just as well, and it provides a bit more active and direct statement than the current one.

In the third paragraph from the end: "There's more to this than a string of interesting stories." I'm not 100% sure to which noun "this" is referring. Maybe "this premise" would suffice? I'm having difficulty composing anything better, but you know much better than I would precisely what you mean to say. *Smile*

A small typo: "In short,, these groups contribute" should only have one comma.

Suggestions for Improvement: I had only one real suggestion going forward. You've argued for the value of peer review groups on WDC in particular, but you've not linked to any of them. Now, if there are groups that are closed or by invitation only, obviously you wouldn't want to advertise them. However, there might be several more that are open and searching for members, and frankly I would love to know where they are. I'm involved in a great group as far as learning how to give effective reviews goes, but I've yet to find somewhere I can really focus on becoming a better fiction writer.

Thanks as always for a great read!

*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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23
23
Review of Annie  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (1.0)
Hi, carlton607 Author Icon!

I will be reviewing your short story, "AnnieOpen in new Window., as a student of "Invalid ItemOpen in new Window.. Please remember that these are the thoughts and opinions of only one reader, so I hope you will take whatever insight you find useful but completely disregard everything else. *Smile*

Initial Thoughts/Overall Opinion: At the end of this little story, I am left wondering to what Annie keeps referring when she thinks about "when it had happened." I think that this basic premise, that Annie is somehow traumatized by something in her past, could be a brilliant idea for a short story. The open ending (in the sense that we never discover what that something is) could also be intriguing. However, I do have several concerns about the realization of your premise.

Strengths: The way you periodically mention "when it had happened" keeps the reader in suspense until the very end of the story. Though some readers could get bored with that particular phrase, I think it actually contributes to understanding Annie's mental state. Sometimes those sorts of occurrences become so lodged into our psyches that we become a bit obsessed, and we can see them in only one way.

Plot/Structure: "Stream of Consciousness" as a writing style can be used to great effect, particularly if it's meant to portray the mental state of a character. However, there is a limit to how far that style can be taken without losing your reader. Particularly since you've written a piece in third rather than first person, shifting topic too often without following an obvious form can be quite distracting. From reading the piece, I gather that the storm outside has triggered some sort of traumatic memory for Annie, and that the story is really about the memory rather than about what's presently happening. You might consider the following as an alternative outline for events when it comes to writing the work:

1. Introduction to Annie and Buster as they are alone in the house at night
2. Some sort of hint about how storms are unpleasant for Annie because of the memories
3. Description of the storm as it increases
4. Perhaps more solid hints/descriptions of the events "when that happened"
5. Annie's relief at the storm's end
6. The surprise/tragic ending

You could, of course, organize this in another way, so long as the organization is (relatively) easy to follow. By creating a chart of important events, you could give the story a bit more structure. Then, you could evaluate each sentence as it connects to the ones before and after it. If it connects to both other sentences in a logical way AND contributes to what you need to stay in that part of the story, then it stays; if not, it gets deleted, or at the very least moved or re-written.

Characterization: Annie as a main character obviously suffers from some sort of post-traumatic stress, and she is most consistent as a character when those elements of fear are exhibited. However, the reader might find other aspects of her personality less consistent. For instance, I cannot pinpoint Annie's age in this story. You mention that she is "not that old" and that her "hair was blonde turning brown," which makes her sound like a young person, perhaps even a teenager, as it's more common to see a person's hair going from blonde to brunette in adolescence or childhood than it is in adulthood. However, since whatever happened to her came about "a long time ago," my mind instead keeps drawing up images of an old lady living alone with her dog. That image was only intensified in my mind when "Annie groaned at the pain she felt and tried to clutch her heart but her hands didn't move," as I instantly thought about the heart problems that tend to plague the elderly.

Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation: I would be cautious of longer rambling sentences, as they provide more opportunities for grammatical errors. For instance,

She giggled and remembered the time when Buster was a puppy and turned sullenly onto her side.

Since Buster is the last character mentioned, "turned sullenly onto her side" actually refers to Buster, not to Annie. You could clean up the problem by breaking the sentence up into smaller pieces:

She giggled and remembered the time when Buster was a puppy. Annie turned sullenly onto her side.

You will also to watch out for inappropriate use of homophones. For example: "She was petrified like a peace of old wood" should read "She was petrified like a piece of old wood." Another example: "Oh, Buster...my passed is gone" should read "Oh, Buster...my past is gone." Spell checkers won't always catch these sorts of errors, since both "peace" and "passed" are correctly spelled words; they just aren't the words you intended to use.

Suggestions for Improvement:

1. Showing vs. Telling - Telling us that your setting is on "a stormy and dark night" (as you do in the first sentence) is less effective than telling us that "her room was brightened by clashes of lightning." The reader can infer the stormy atmosphere from that sentence alone, and it's much more engaging to read than a simple statement.

2. Watch the metaphors - I love a good simile or metaphor. Sometimes you absolutely cannot say what you intend without one. However, you will want to watch to make sure you do not overuse them or construct them such that they don't make the kind of impact you would like. For instance: "Her once apple red cheeks turned pale like fresh coconut flakes." "Apple red" is at least somewhat understandable, but "like fresh coconut flakes" doesn't give the kind of meaning that I think you might be intending. You want to describe her as frightened and even sickly pale, and a "fresh coconut" is neither. Instead you might say something like "Her once apple red cheeks turned pale as a haunted apparition."

3. Proofread! - Unfortunately, for some readers a few typos or mistakes in grammar and spelling will detract them from reading a piece at all. You might consider finding a reviewer or reviewing group on WDC who specializes in copyediting in order to help you clean up the problems with spelling and grammar up. I always have someone I trust read my work for those sorts of errors before posting. They don't always catch them all, but if you can get rid of most of the errors your readers will be more forgiving on the ones they do find.

Overall Rating: 1.0 out of 5. I think your premise has the potential to be a brilliant psychological thriller, should you take the time to edit and shape it into such a work. I am more than happy to come rate and review the work again after you've made edits, should you wish. Please do let me know! Keep writing! No one ever gets better without it!

*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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24
24
Review of Traffic Lights  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hi, Anna Author Icon!

By your request, I have just finished reading your short story, "Traffic LightsOpen in new Window., and hope to provide you with helpful and encouraging comments as you go forward with further revisions. Please remember that these are the thoughts and opinions of only one reader, so feel free to take whatever insights you may find useful and throw everything else out. *Smile*

Initial Thoughts/Overall Opinion: I'm not sure I can tell you how much I enjoyed this unusual little love story. My heart ached for Norton. Even with a wife he enjoyed, his actions showed just how lonely he was for connection. I love how you left the ending open, as there's no way to know whether that frail connection could ever lead to a real relationship, but the connection itself is real nonetheless.

Strengths: I think my favorite aspect of this work is Norton's poetic voice. Toward the end of the story, he speaks of how it seemed "unlike him" to feel "brimming with unexpressed passion," but really I think the words you use from his POV tell a different story. In only the second paragraph, Norton describes his relationship with his wife as if they were stars: "Sometimes he imagined that they too were stars, and that his clumsily spun in quite a different orbit to hers, where anything he said to her had to pass through inexhaustible light-years until the words finally reached her, crumbly and practically inaudible." Such language comes directly from a man filled to bursting with an unexpressed passion. I often do not "read aloud" in my head (I read too fast to "hear" it properly), but I forced myself to read this entire work aloud in order to really let the words roll around on my tongue, like a fine desert. It's really quite marvelous. *Smile*

Plot/Structure: In some ways the structure of your story is almost too archetypal. Man meets woman, proceeds to endeavor on a love affair with her--to the chagrin of his wife--faces some sort of confrontational moment upon discovery, and the affair either ends tragically or culminates in a new life for its participants. What you've done to keep this plot fresh is drastically changed the terms of the characters' interactions. From Jackie's point of view, their story is most likely only beginning at the very end of the work; Norton has already done the messy business of falling in love. They are essentially separated by time.

I particularly love, too, the way Norton's fall is described. Their first encounter mirrors that of "seeing someone across the room" for the first time. He even describes her as "wearing a gown of twisted blue metal and crushed in nature’s unforgiving embrace," and rather than the stereotypical portrayal of his heart racing, he instead feels his blood pressure dropping out of fear. All the elements of the archetypal love story are there, only modified for your own purposes. The affair even seems to culminate with physical descriptions of his crafting, "with his lily-white hands, anecdotes, stories and nicknames." This particular section feels incredibly intimate, as if he is making love to the woman in only his mind.

Characterization: Norton Grey, from the very outset, seems to be a man with an incredible sense of duty. He walks his property, not for the joy of it, but "because he felt that, living on sixteen acres, he really ought to explore it." Then, once Jackie has been taken to the hospital, he feels torn between wanting to visit her and not wanting to visit her. He obviously has discovered the status of her health by the time he arrives, which makes me wonder how much time has passed for him before he chooses to make his first visit. Norton also very much seems to be a man of "unexpressed passion," (as his mental language attests), so it is quite believable that he would essentially fall in love with a woman he quite literally does not know.

Norton's wife seems intentionally drawn as a caricature. She's described as Swedish and as having a "blondish neutrality" that mars all her interactions with her husband. She is as a cold fish to his unexpressed passion, so it is easy for the reader to imagine why Norton would stray (in his heart at the very least). On the other hand, I would like to have seen how their confrontation would have eventually played out. Our only evidence of her displeasure is that she is "producing at least one embroidered handkerchief per week." Then, by the time a woman calls Norton (whom we only assume is Jackie) she has already left and returned to Sweden.

Jackie is most fittingly the least accurately portrayed and most mysterious character in the story. We know literally nothing about her, other than she was adopted and has a sister, two things which seem to stun Norton when he finally encounters the latter. The reader is given only enough to confirm that she is most likely not the person Norton has crafted her to be.

Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation: I only saw two items that you might consider editing.

"an ambulance was despatched" -- I've always noticed this as being spelled "dispatched," but dictionary.com lists your spelling as a more rarely used version. However, I will freely admit this might be a slight difference in usage between American English and British English, so I would not change it solely on my behalf.

"And yet, something in his English blood implored him, and forced his hand. It’s only polite." The second comma in the first sentence is unnecessary and (to me at least) creates a "stutter" in the flow of the sentence. Also, I believe you mean "It was only polite" rather than "It is only polite." The change in verb tense is currently awkward, and I've not found anything online suggesting "it's" is often used as a contraction for "it was," only "it is" or "it has."

Suggestions for Improvement: This story, out of necessity, is very much drawn as a one-sided drama. I would be careful that your characters (Norton's unnamed wife for one) do not remain overly two-dimensional. On the one hand, it's obvious that her separation from his thoughts belies his lack of real interest in her, but at the same time it would be nice if she had at least been given a name.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review such a wonderful little short story. If you have found anything at all I've said useful, please do feel free to request reviews of other pieces. I would very much be interested in reading them (should I ever find the time). *Smile* Thank you again!

*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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25
25
In affiliation with The Rockin' Reviewers  Open in new Window.
Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
Hi, BDukes Author Icon!

I saw your review request for the introduction of your novella, "The Archduke - Crimson & ClovenOpen in new Window., and was intrigued enough by your description to give it a read through. I enjoyed it so much that I have chosen to review it today as a student of "Invalid ItemOpen in new Window.. As always, please remember that I am only one reader, and you should use whatever of my opinions you find useful and completely ignore all the rest. *Smile* I am also constantly striving to become better as a reviewer, so if you have any feedback for me I would be most happy to read it!

Initial Thoughts: This was a highly entertaining introduction! I love the dialogue and banter between Parker and "Arch," as it gives incredible insight to both their personalities. You continue this humorous streak throughout the excerpt, and I hope you continue to do so in future additions.

Strengths: I particularly like Arch's narrative voice. He's very straight-forward and humorous, and he works both that humor and that biting wit into even his descriptions of what's going on around him. I particularly liked this line: "Their pale faces and wide eyes marked them as crisis virgins." It was definitely a chuckle-worthy moment for me.

Plot/Structure: This feels like a great introduction to a longer work. Do you intend to finish the work here, or keep going? I was confused a bit because you posted this, stating it's a "novella," but at 2800 words and with the action setup the way it is, it feels like it's just the introduction to a longer work (either a novel or novella). That's absolutely fine, but I would hate to say something inappropriate without being certain you intended to expand this later. My only concern here is that it works very well expositionally, but lacks the kind of beginning/middle/end structure I would expect to see in a longer work. If, again, you intend to expand this into a longer piece, then by all means ignore that last comment. *Smile*

Characterization: You've done an excellent job of creating distinct personalities for the three main characters you've introduced in this piece. Parker's boyish arrogance regarding his own looks easily establishes him as someone the reader should not take overly seriously, whereas Arch is so uptight that the reader might wonder whether he takes himself too seriously. I would like to read more visual descriptors of them, however. Arch speaks of Parker as managing "to somehow surpass physical perfection," but we get no concrete descriptors of him other than he's beautiful. It's less likely that a reader should know how Arch looks immediately, since he's speaking in first person and isn't likely to divulge that information. We get the idea that he's overweight, but it's all coming from Parker's incessant nagging, and we get an idea of his manner of dress from Leon's disdain as well. Great use of outside characters to draw out the physical characteristics of the protagonist! Leon is probably the best physically described character of the lot, even if the major visual we have of him is of his massiveness.

Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation: Just a couple of tiny things:
*Bulletg*In the third paragraph, you are missing the opening quotation marks in the last part of the paragraph: A smile spread across his face. "Paunchy...
*Bulletg*Watch out for overuse of adverbs, such as "I said softly, and Leon openly stared." I struggle with this particular problem a great deal as well, but too many adverbs can make the writing feel watered down. You might try something like "I whispered, and Leon ruined my attempt at discretion with an open stare." (Okay, so the last half of that sentence got away from me a bit, but I hope you see what I mean.)

Suggestions for Improvement: You might consider alternative placements for your interjection regarding how "immortals" are defined in your universe. Though it's not overly disruptive here, it does create a small break in the dramatic line that you might want to keep building rather than to interrupt it, even so briefly. You might, instead, have Arch continue to narrate just the facts of what is happening around him, and then, once the danger has past, go back and define what immortal means in terms of why Cazael didn't go down the first time. Up until that point in the plot, the ease with which you've plopped the reader down into your universe creates a very absorbing narrative. I would consider whether interrupting the moment of impact (when Leon appears to have blown Cazael away) is worth the cost in dramatic flow.

Overall Rating: 4.0 out of 5

This excerpt is an excellent start to an intriguing work! Should you decide to post more or would like another review, please do not hesitate to ask!

*Pawprints**Pawprints**Pawprints**Cat2* Amalie

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