February Editorial

Reviews: An Overview

The editorial in this issue of the Novel Newsletter takes a look at the many aspects of reviewing. We each have our own method for performing reviews. Some of us have clearly defined guidelines by which we judge a piece of writing; others just go with their instincts. Regardless of which method you use to critique, there are some commonalities that we would like to discuss.

We will begin with a discussion on the review process in detail, focusing on the method we follow here in the "Invalid Item" . Next, we will cover the art of balancing positive and negative comments in your review of others. Helpful hints for what to say when we draw a blank will follow, and finally we will leave you with some advice on how to handle a negative review.

The Review Process and the Actions that Follow.
By pendragon

The reaction that most often comes to my mind when I first read a review that has been presented to me for my writing is gratitude. No matter how long it is or what was said (and yes, some nasty ones have befallen me too!)it was nice someone said something. Unfortunately in the Novel Workshop detail is important and it decides the course of action the author will take to improve his or her writing. Although we are all ecstatic for a 4 to 5 star rating, most of us feel that honesty is the best policy to begin with here.

The workshop has a detailed critique format which the most of us are familiar with and if you are a new member, this is the method:

Title of novel:
Chapter number:
Punctuation and grammar problems:
Plot problems: (anything from suggestions to complications from a previous chapter):
Questions:
General comments:

It may seem a little much with the information needed to complete the full critique, but I am sure it answers a lot of the age old questions everyone wants to know about their piece.

Title of Novel: First the name of the title will give the author the confidence that you took the time to know what the piece is titled. I know for me, The title sometimes grabs my interest and sucks me into reading the piece and also is the hardest task in writing for me. A title should be a summation of what your book is about and if you have a opinion for the author to improve this as well, offer it!

Chapter number: The chapter number helps the author know what point in the novel your at. Questions will arise the further into a book you will go and if you know what chapter was critiqued, then you will know how better to answer or correct (if needed) what is proposed in the other sections of your critique.

Punctuation and grammar problems: I smell a weakness in my aspect of writing and yes folks, spelling and grammar is it! To me, knowing how I am, this is the most important thing I pay attention to. Spell check works wonders, but it can not tell me the right tense to write in or the conflicting grammar challenges I face every time I write. Besides when your grammar and punctuation is correct, the read is smoother and more satisfying.

Plot problems: the only way I can tell you where I am going with this section is this: think of a time line, it is straight and has significant marks that leave milestones on your memories. Within these milestones you can recall certain details to surround that individual memory. A plot is much the same way and when it gets derailed or it contradicts itself, memories are brought forth and the argument begins. Not to say a plot should be kept on a thin, narrow path, but it should flow smoothly like a river: Some bends and twists but it keeps flowing to it destination.

Questions: Present any questions in this section that might be on your mind, or questions you want to bring to the attention of the authors mind on what you have read.

General comments: Tell the author what you think! You opinions are valued because they teach the author the consensus of who your opinion might represent.

Remember honesty is always best and even when you write Fantasy, smoke and mirrors are a drag!

Okay so now you have your review, what are you going to do with it? The best piece of advice I have ever received is this:

You are your own individual person, you have your own ideas and way of writing and that is what makes everyone unique. There will be times in your life when you feel what you wrote is a masterpiece and then someone will come along and rain on your parade. Take what they say seriously but only apply what you feel is relevant to your writing style after careful consideration that it will not de-value your work.

Writing is a serious business to some, pleasure for others, and a royal pain in the you know where to most. You only get out of your writing what you put in. The same goes for reviewing a piece. The author will only know as much as you tell them, so be honest!

Balancing positive and negative feedback when giving a review.
By Marlene making a ComeBack!!

It is never easy to give a community member an honest and thorough review, especially on a piece you did not particularly like. This is where I find it most difficult to give a rate and review, but I do because I know I would want the favor returned. Here is where it gets tricky, even if you were not too fond of the piece; you need to balance out the good and bad points. Just because you didn’t like it does not mean there was nothing good about it. Look for those points, make mental notes. When you get ready to write the review, be sure to mention those good points mixed in with the bad you think they could improve on. For example:

“I like the way you developed your characters’ personalities, however you may want to give a little more detail on their looks and what they are wearing, as readers we like to be able to see what you are seeing.”

See, this gives them what you found to be a plus, while at the same time giving a suggestion on what you found to be a slightly weak point in the piece. No matter how you feel you should word it, you should try not to be too harsh. No one likes to be bashed, and no one likes to read a rude review. As long as you come across as helpful and kind, your reviews will be taken to heart, even if it is a negative one.

What can I say?
By Diane

We’ve all been there, staring at the computer screen after reading a story or poem with nothing to say. It didn’t touch us in any particular manner. It just exists. The content of the story is just as important as the format. If the reader cannot relate, there is no point in reading.

How do you get this point across to the author without sounding condescending? Being vague in a review gets you out of the predicament but doesn’t help the author. For example, you could respond with, “This was interesting.” That statement could mean a number of things, but it isn’t very useful feedback. Instead, focus on something that could improve the piece.

Critique the grammar, sentence construction and spelling. When you are finished covering these basics, discuss the use of description in the writing. Could you picture the setting or the characters? Finally, imagine that this was given to you as a writing assignment. Take the basic concept behind the story and determine what you would have written. Relay this to the author as a series of questions. For example, “What brought your character to this place?” or “Why did your character react in this manner?”. This type of feedback allows the author to consider his writing from a different viewpoint. Often they don’t realize that what they envision in their head hasn’t been clearly translated to their reader.

Next time you find yourself without words to express what you feel after reading something at Writing.com, don’t panic. Take a deep breath, and then use these techniques to help you through a difficult review. By taking the time to review a difficult piece, you not only help a struggling writer, you raise your awareness about deficiencies in your own writing.

How to handle a negative review
By opto

"I thought this story sucked. It's too long, you put me to sleep and I didn't feel a thing about the characters" anonymous

That was one of the very first reviews I received on my book, {item: 484881} It was disheartening. I had only been on the site for about a month, receiving no reviews, posting FOR reviews and getting none and not knowing anyone else who might review what I had - a very long and lengthy book that no one on the site REALLY wanted to read.

Did it make me stop writing? Hmmmm . . . . NO! I'm a bully of bullies - I realize you don't know that about me yet, but I'm a bully. So, I'm not going to let some anonymous person say that about my baby and keep me down. No, it only drove me to find someone who would actually understand my book and have them review it.

The thing to remember is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and they all have the right to be just as rude and spiteful as they want to and when they read something they're not used to reading, they remember their rights and entitlements and use them to the best of their abilities. You may not realize this, but when you write, you're aiming at a "target group",
someone who will like the book and understand it. Even if you only write for you, when you put it out for the general public to read, you're aiming at people . . . just like you who will read it and love it.

For instance, who here loves J.R.R. Tolkein? I'm not seeing everyone's hands in the air. I see a lot of Fantasy writers and a couple of romance authors. What about Johanna Lindsay? What?! Romance writers? Well, *frown* why wouldn't the horror fans like Johanna? She is a hilariously funny historical romance author! Why are mystery guys agreeing with me that Tolkein is the bomb?

Because those guys weren't in the target groups I listed.

That's what you have to keep in mind when you receive a bad review like that.

Here in "Invalid Item" , we try to keep that down to a minimum by keeping the fiction writers in fiction and the sci/fi authors in sci/fi. The managers of this forum will not tolerate abuse.

Which, then, leads to the last review and then I'm done!

Grammatical reviews. I've had several people get rather upset with me because I told them they had a wonderful story, but they needed to work on their grammar. I'm not really great with grammar, but it's there! It helps to clear a story up and make it flow with ease. It's what separates a want-to-be author from a published and well-received writer. When you get a grammatical review that leaves things rather vague about "needing to clear it up" or "sentence structure was poor", don't loose faith! They thought you had a good story idea, or else THEY WOULDN'T HAVE MENTIONED THE GRAMMAR!

So shoot them an e-mail back and ask them if they could go through bit by bit and actually review it for piece-by-piece grammar!

The biggest thing you need to remember is this: You're here now, which means you have taken a solid step forward into the writing world. It's not always a very friendly place, so make sure to keep your thick skinned suit of humor on at all times! Congratulations! You've just made it one step closer to your goal!

Contrary to the rumors, reviewing can be a painless and even enjoyable process. By reading and reviewing the work of our fellow Writing.com members, we improve the quality of our writing and the selection of items on the site for all readers. Remember to focus on the positives while pointing out the negatives and don't take a negative review to heart.