Review Improvements

         As you finish a review, ready to push the "submit" button, what thoughts go through your mind? Are you proud of your reviews? Why or why not? Are you afraid of reviewing? After all, who gave us the right to tell other people our opinions about their work? And if I make a mistake or misinterpret something, what will they think of me then?
         I have been reviewing on Writing.com for over a year, and even though I have taken some classes on reviewing it still scares me. It doesn't matter how scary reviewing can be, there's still the sense of reward when I receive a comment saying that I helped someone with whatever item it was. Reviewing is very rewarding to me, and it's not just because of getting gift points as a reward. I have three tips that help me out when I review, and they apply to any style.

Tip 1: Write the Review You Want to Receive. When you receive a review, does it make you smile or does it disappoint and anger you? I encourage you to go through your reviews and look at all the reviews you have received. Which ones were helpful? Why? Did you like the way that it was in-depth and that it gave good pointers on how to make your piece better? Whatever the reason you liked it, I encourage you to think about it and try and recreate their technique in your reviews. Even though we write reviews for others, it's still good advice for ourselves.

Tip 2: Review often. I know time is a hazard with this piece of advice. I mean, how do you write even one review when you work, have school or whatever? What if you are in the middle of a writing project and have a deadline? I know, it's tough right there. My advice stays the same, review often. Try setting a specific goal, whether it is a specific number of reviews a year or whatever. But why is it so important to review often? Because it's like there's a certain review muscle. The more you use it the easier it gets. It's like writing: our styles only get better over time. Repetition creates habit like exercise grows muscle.

Tip 3: Keep Improving. There's no shame in wanting to be better. Let me say this outright: there will always be room for improvement. If there wasn't room for improvement, would you be reading this right now? There's a beauty to having the ability to grow. How does one go about making their reviews better? Sometimes the list can seem overwhelming, but let me narrow it down to one tip. I always like to read my reviews after I submit them. It's that simple. I can guarantee that you will find areas that could be improved in your reviews. No, you can't go back and edit, but try and see if you can include that advice in a future review.

         These tips will work with any review style, no matter what kind of item you are reviewing. It's normal to be nervous about reviewing, or at least in my case. Don't feel like you have to change those things just so you can have a better review style. And finally, enjoy yourself. As scary as it can be, it's can also be a whole lot of fun to learn something new. In my case, it's like discovering a new superpower.