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Review Requests: ON
1,125 Public Reviews Given
1,366 Total Reviews Given
Review Style
Disclaimer: I am not good at remembering to do requested reviews. Often I have busy things going on with work and my own novels, so sorry if I decline or don't remember to do a review in the short time given. Just a warning. When I review: Long. Depending on the type of story and reason for review I tend to get anywhere from 4,000 characters to on the rare occasion over 10,000. I will make overall comments, technical points and even offer sources when necessary but a lot is dependent on what I'm reviewing. I can even do a full edit but that's take a lot of niceness and time.
I'm good at...
Ummm let me ask someone and get back to you on this.
Favorite Genres
Fantasy. I read a lot of romance/erotica because of the contest I run. I'm fairly open and will read stories, poems, nonfiction, chapters, almost anything.
Least Favorite Genres
I know less about mystery, horror, some nonfiction topics, and westerns. I also don't care for vampires, sorry but just don't interest me.
Favorite Item Types
Short stories.
Least Favorite Item Types
Probably campfires and interactives. Maybe surveys and polls too though I can always managed to find enough to say.
I will not review...
Shrink or Growth items. I've seen references and yeah, not my type. Erotica is one thing, I can handle most with only few times leaving a story feeling scarred for life, but those two I have no interest in helping. So, unless you want me to say please stop, don't request I review that and if you do, better have it rated appropriately.
Public Reviews
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26
26
Review by Dawn Embers
Rated: E | (4.0)
Greetings. H❀pe

My name is Dawn and I'm reviewing your item as a judge for "What a Character! : Official WDC Contest"  [E]. Thank you for entering the official contest with the character focused prompt.


Initial Reaction: It is a nice start though minimal in story and word count. Though it does take a challenge to put something together in the micro-fiction range. However, with the potential of getting to see a non-villain side of known characters, it would have helped to get more.

Prompt: Considering the prompt, doing something related to the characters in Frankenstein does make sense. The story has the options of the monster, the master and the servant. There is even a video game that centers around the characters, Igor, though I don't think I played enough to see what the plot was set up for that one. While this isn't a particular character that comes to mind as a big bad guy, I do see the reason for the pick so no worries in qualification.

General Thoughts: This has potential but felt limited and a little lacking for me when it comes to story. I just wanted more. But I do really like how you started the story and hope that you had fun with the challenge of the contest.


Keep Writing. *PenB*


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27
27
Review by Dawn Embers
Rated: E | (3.5)
Hello WriterRick .

My name is Dawn and I'm reviewing your item as a judge for "What a Character! : Official WDC Contest"  [E]. Thank you for entering the official contest with the character focused prompt.

First Impression: Vampire is something I did expect considering the prompt and the month of the challenge. Represented a challenge in a way, to pick that character out of the options. Viktor makes sense in the options and can see the prompt in how you approached the story, so that is helpful.

Prompt: The character prompt was a fun one for October with the "villain" becoming the focus with the indication that they aren't actually a bad person. With the requirement, this story fits well. Having the vampire from Transylvania be a misconstrued figure, one side characters fear but someone who is tortured due to the "curse" creates his own suffering. In the regards of the prompt and the contest, this entry works well and has some good potential.

Story Thoughts: Prompt part of story conflict was expected but also did make sense and does have more potential. The word count limit may have been a struggle with this story because we are limited on what we got to see of either character: Eliza and Viktor. Would help to get to see more of the story to build the case of why she was able to see past the fear and how they were able to fight the mistrust put into the villain stereotype. It comes off as a little more tell than show in the approach of the story.


Final Comments: Overall, it's a good start with room to develop. Hope that you enjoyed the challenge and the prompt.


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28
28
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: ASR | (4.0)
Hi there, Jeff

I am reviewing your item for "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+]. Nice work in the challenge that we've done over the year. It has been quite the challenge and we're making it to the very end at long last. Well done.

Initial Impression: It is a fun item considering the prompt and that the flash fiction was done in a single day due to the deadline of the contest. Gave me the sort of telling the story, stream of conscience to a degree. Not sure if that was the actual approach or how it seemed to go in my head. Could just be the first person pov that I don't often prefer but I do try to write that too.

Contest/Prompt: I do like the Writer's Cramp for the I Write challenge since there is a chance every single day each month for something to enter. Sometimes the prompts are a miss but that's okay because after 24 hours, they change. Some rounds get several entries and others just a couple, or none. The round you entered on the 18th had some competition. Occult day was a good prompt.

General Thoughts and Final Notes: There were some sentences that didn't quite mesh did come to mind as I read over the item but not that anything was particularly wrong. It did have some good sentences that stood out in the other way too. They helped to give the character a voice and personality. Good luck with a teenage is always a valid offering. It might not have won for the round but I'm sure the judge found it entertaining.


Nice work with the entries and the challenge.


Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
29
29
Review of Where is God?  
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: ASR | (5.0)
Greetings Weirdone-Back in the games . I am reviewing your story today as part of "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+] since I posted my entry after yours in the forum. Hope that you are enjoying the challenge with entering contests this year for the site.


Initial Reaction: A good question with the title and could draw in a number of readers based off that point alone because they may wonder what approach this could take. Or may have concern but that can bring attention too. I wasn't sure what to expect from the title and the contest, but it made for an interesting approach then I got into the story with the characters. It wasn't expected in a good way.

Contest/Prompt: It is nice the religious contest has the option of following a prompt or going with whatever the writer has in mind. The universe prompt with the options to explain how faith works in the contest on a personal level is an interesting one too. I don't often look at the religious contests but I'm glad I got to check it out thanks to your entry. Your story will very much fit into the contest and I hope it does well.

Technical thoughts: The characters in particular are what stand out for this story, which make the most sense. Even though the topic is important too, with the discussion over the existence of God being a high point, it's what we see in the characters that bring the story to life. It's not as autobiographical as some people might go with this type of contest and it may be what helps the story stand out. The only technical thing I noticed as a reader is that some sections of the story felt a little rushed to me. Then again, there is always a word count limit so I can understand if some things don't make it in the story. It happens, often for me. Not that it doesn't seem complete, as it did work well as a story.

There may be a few readers who aren't too fond with some of the terms used in regards to the younger character. I know, working in my current field, that it can be a difficult subject. But it's also something that is authentic. While not "pc" it's also something that has been used at times, so it's understandable in the choice made for the particular story.

Final Comments: Overall, with the types of characters and how things developed to the ending point, you did a great job. The ending worked well and I'm glad you went that route. I wish you luck and hope that you enjoyed coming up with the story.

Keep Writing!

Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
30
30
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: E | (3.5)
Greetings, {suserweirdone28:}. I am reviewing your poem today as part of "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+]. Hope you've enjoyed the challenge so far and keep putting up entries in contests here on the site.


Initial Reaction: You got quite the question created within the first lines and that will be bound to create some attention. I'm sure the start of the poem will be a good attention grabber for whoever comes across the poem. The short lines also make the poem move quick and to the point to bring the reader down the page to see what happens, which brings up the great point at the end. It is also fun to see the word choices for those that know the prompt.


Contest/Prompt: Well, this is an easy one considering we entered the same contest with the same day, thus the same prompt. It was quite the challenge with having to start every line with a letter from the alphabet. Despite that challenge for the poem in Writer's Cramp, it was also a popular day.


Form: The form is followed based on the requirements to start each line with the certain letter of the alphabet. A couple places are a little bit of a stretch, like the pause to put the x for the Gen X comment. However, the one thing that may cause a minor issue for you with the contest and prompt would be that I don't see the line that starts with the letter "K". Might want to add a line. You only have 25 lines at the moment.


Final Thoughts: I have a couple of other thoughts you could maybe consider. Just from my point of view as the reader but not anything that will change the results. While it's not needed, it may help for other readers (if you keep the poem in your port) to have a description of the form at the bottom or a link to the entry that explains the form. While not required, it does help if you get a random read to explain the form or influence behind the poem.

Overall, nice work and good luck with the contest.

*Peng*Keep Writing*Peng*



Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
31
31
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
Hi there, again. I am reviewing your flash fiction story entered in "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+]. I'm lucky in that I get to post after you often, probably because we both procrastinate a little each month with the challenge. lol


Title: It is a fun title. I like the play from the song, which many people will know. It was a good word choice too, adding Midtown for the end instead of trying to put in a different state.


General Thoughts: The title helped to give some expectations since there is a very real limit with the word count for story and character building. And you do a good job in that time frame to do the build up before delivering the punch. Well done. I had to chuckle at the end.


Contest: It is a fun contest even if I struggle with anything under 5,000 words. This one requires very short though not the shortest we have tried. The prompts are nice because they do stuff like the add a line. The one for this round fits in many different situations and in various spots of a story.


Final Thoughts: Nice work in the very short story. It's a fun little bit. Congrats on winning the round with this entry. *MedalGold*



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*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
32
32
Review of Better Together  
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
Greetings. I am reviewing your story as part of "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+]. Ruwth was kind enough to email me about the forum posting for the challenge. So, I get to review this entry for the month.


Title: I like the approach with the title combined with the details in the description section. It works well together. The title in particular, it is something that really works overall.

Contest Comments: Having the contest posted at the bottom is also helpful but from you that's almost expected. It helps with having to run contests and such to know some things to make things easier for the random readers who check out. Knowing the prompt or reason behind the inspiration is always helpful. The contest has a good approach with the options for people to post and can see why it was a good option to appeal.


General Thoughts: From the starting paragraph, you have a good hook that will draw in readers who can relate to the way the essay goes. You do give good points in the topic. Community is very important in many arenas. It can be difficult for some to connect with groups or see the need. However, it can also be very helpful to many. Nice work and good luck. I can imagine that contest is a challenge to judge with the personal stories.



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33
33
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with Team Weekly Quickie & Contest ...  
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Hello Jeff !

Thank you for taking the time to enter the Weekly Quickie Contest back in June. Sorry for the delay in the review.


First Impression: Oh M G... You managed to make quite a quirky, nerdy story using the prompt of enemies to lovers with the view into the business world. From the title to the way the economic side in this story, it was a fun read while leaving the end to where people will want more.

Prompt: The prompt, as posted in the item description, was based on having enemies who become lovers within the story. You did well with the characters, showcasing in little words that the two had been rivals for years. Many Many years of going in circles to each other Having them come to terms with the feelings behind some of those moves in the story was perfect for the round.

Final Thoughts/Comments: I liked the story overall. Granted, there were some limits due to the word count with the contest but you did well in giving the story in that frame. I hope things get even better for the characters off screen now that they are past the rivals part. Sure they can still battle in the work world, that doesn't have to change, but they can have some fun together in private. Nice work!



Thank you for entering the Weekly Quickie.


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34
34
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with Team Weekly Quickie & Contest ...  
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
Hello Angelica- Happy May 5th!


First Impression: It is a good start. I know this contest isn't easy with the genres and the limited word count. While you keep it very short, on the other side, it becomes more of an idea than a full story. That is what I get here with this one. A peek to characters and an idea.


Prompt: The prompt of enemies to loves is fun and gave the potential for almost anything. You definitely got the characters quite right with the different of a KKK member and someone who they would have wanted to hurt instead of get close to them. It does read enemies without having to put a lot of detail to show that element.


Overall thoughts: You did a good attempt here with the story. While enemies becoming lovers is a common trope in romance, there are many different ways to show the enemies and choices to make for characters. You took a risk with the KKK character and it comes with something that will catch attention

Minor notes... Check out sentences like this one: "You and your people are disgusting me." It looks like a word is missing in the sentence.

With some development, this could build into something. I appreciated you making the effort to write something for the prompt.


Thank you for entering the Weekly Quickie.


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35
35
Review of A Double Dog Dare  
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with Team Weekly Quickie & Contest ...  
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hello Beholden

Thank you for entering the Weekly Quickie Contest.


First Impression: Wasn't expecting a sky diving story with the round but that was a fun element. This is cute and with more word counts, could become something more. We get a hint from the story but not a strong step into romance. Word count is limited due to the contest, so that probably influenced things a little


Prompt: Enemies to lovers was the prompt for this one. It was a different approach and choice for point of view to get the guy as he competes with what becomes the love interest. The competitive nature between them helps to match the story with the prompt, though I didn't get a strong enemies feel from flash fiction story as the reader. Still worked enough for the contest.


General Thoughts: I like the idea with the story but wanted a little more. I wanted to get a strong impression of their rivalry. With the limited space to show both that side and the romance, I know it's a challenge. Does have a cute moment with the challenge and what happens when they follow through. Then there is a desire for even more. I can't quite tell if there is a potential for romance between them yet, from this bit of story. Need more to get to that point.


Thank you for entering the Weekly Quickie. Good Luck!


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36
36
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Hello ruwth .

My name is Dawn and I'm reviewing your item as part of "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+] since I posted my entry on the forum after you. Here are a few thoughts on the item you posted for the challenge and the contest entered.

First Impression: It helped to look at the contest first in order to see the source of inspiration. Nice that they’re is a contest where people can write about and express their faith. The prompt you picked was also a good choice even with the option to write anything for the open prompt. It will be nice for others to read about your faith and the hope that comes with it.

Contest/Prompt: The contest has some requirements with the topic and prompt chosen. It is nice with this type of writing to have the item/entry titled after the prompt. Everything looks good in relation to the contest and prompt chosen.

Comments: Nice work. I like how you were able to tie in the specific points from the Bible with your personal experiences and thoughts. It was a nice, personal expression that combined faith and hope.


Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
37
37
Review of This is Me  
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: E | (4.5)
Hello Sumojo

My name is Dawn and I'll be reviewing your item in connection with "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+]. These are just my thoughts since I posted my entry after you on the forum.


Initial Reaction: Nice work. I took one look at the contest and went, nope. Poetry is fun but have found it's hard for judges at times to see the music inspiration and add it being so personal, the topic didn't interest me. However, I did appreciate your approach the topic and the poem. It's personal but also relatable.


Contest/Prompt: Good on you for entering the site contest for the month. I like the contests and sometimes judge though there is always a challenge that comes along. This time the prompt was the song by Taylor Swift. It was one I'd never heard so I gave it a quick listen before checking out the poem. From what I can tell, you show the inspiration of the song. Antihero is interesting as the choice for the song (not your pick obviously, also found it interesting for the artist and word choice) but in the end, everything made sense.


Favorite Part:
Daily I dress, not just in clothes.
Put on a suit of stronger robes
My own true self I don’t disclose.
My true feelings I can’t expose.



Final Notes: Nice work. Overall, you've done well. The only thing I would suggest is maybe do a comb through type of edit and check the flow. I would look over the commas and other forms of punctuation. Nothing is flaring as wrong but a couple sections could be tweaked. The end, for example, with the first sentence of the last paragraph could use something other than the comma. It does fee appropriate to pause after the sentence but maybe : might work better. Just a suggestion.


Good luck with the contest and the writing challenge.



Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
38
38
Review of Brave New Work  
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with Team Weekly Quickie & Contest ...  
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Hello PiriPica . Thank you for entering the Weekly Quickie contest for the June prompts. I appreciate every entry. Here is a review with just some of my thoughts as the judge/reader.

First Impression: I am always happy to see a story that includes a non-straight couple. While m/f is fine, as a writer of m/m stories, it does make me happy to see someone else entering the contest with the type of character I would write. So, that catches my attention right away, then we get to the story.

For the story, we get the rivalry within a very limited word count. Even in the quickie, we do get a little insight into the character, some backstory and the chance for more fun to come.


Prompt: The prompt for this round had to do with showcasing enemies that become lovers. It helps to have the prompt at the end of the story but even without that part, since I created the prompt it was something I could see. There is a little tell aspect to his annoyance about the other character. What you have works well for the contest and qualified with the prompt.


Other Notes: Overall, this is a nice approach to the story. It could have used a few hundred more words but even without that it is one that people could enjoy. It does seem a little strange with the cafeteria scene in a work setting but that's only because my only cafeteria experience was in school. I have seen in movies and anime that companies have cafeteria but maybe a little more information on the type of job might help it make sense to how the company had a cafeteria. Then again, can't base that much off my personal experience as even my high school didn't have a cafeteria.

The downside to the word count limit is that we only get to see the potential. When I say it could use a little more words, it has more to do with getting to see the shift. We get some paragraphs with the fooling around but there isn't enough space to show the backstory of his annoyance at the other guy and to see why things changed. Plus, we just get hints and not as much of the fun that will come later, hopefully. Not that it's wrong but just what comes to mind.

Good job with the story based on the tropes prompt.

Thank you for entering the Weekly Quickie.


an image made for the contests I host and take part in that are adult orientated


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39
39
Review of The Dance  
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with Team Weekly Quickie & Contest ...  
Rated: E | (3.0)
Hello PB Curtis . Here are some thoughts on the store you posted in the Weekly Quickie contest forum.

First Impression: It is a nice story with potential that had a cute ending. I like the element of romance put into it though have some thoughts on ways to make the story a little easier to read.

Characters/Story: Since you had room, I would suggest maybe putting more detail into the story. Where you talk about her hair and the scents, that was a great moment. It gave more than just some dialogue or short actions in the short paragraphs of the story. It was a nice touch and brought to the ending, where the story held attention better.

Other Notes: Just a few thoughts on aspect of the story that you can maybe consider. A big one that would make it easier without changing any story element would be in how you space the paragraphs. Each time there is a paragraph, I recommend putting a space between them. It doesn't need to be big, just one extra enter before starting the next. That will help avoid it looking like a block of text and give the chance to develop the paragraphs further. With more detail on some to make them longer you can have varying paragraph lengths as variety also helps the readers.

For contests, it can help to add information at the end of the static item. Word count is one. I do appreciate you had the word count listed in the item. Another you could add is the prompt used and the contest entered. That's not so much for the judge but for people who might come upon your story and that way they know the inspiration.

I'm not a big fan of the colorful font in a story unless there is a prompt that required specific words used. The different font, in that case, helps the person find it in the story. If there isn't a noticeable reason, it comes off random and out of place. At least for me. I'm sure there are other people who like having the different things used and quirks in the story on WDC.



Thank you for entering the Weekly Quickie.


~~Image ID# 1850193's Content Rating Exceeds Item Content Rating~~


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
40
40
for entry "Talisman" 
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: E | (4.5)
Greetings, Tinker . I am reviewing your poem today as part of "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+]. These are just a few of my thoughts in regard to the poem and the contest entered. Hope that it helps and you are enjoying the writing challenge.


Initial Reaction: A nice poem with a good source of imagery and interesting use of words all within a short amount of lines. I even got to learn a new word as I looked one of them up to make sure I knew what it meant. Always fun to find a different detail in a poem to expand my horizons. I will admit that I think more of a necklace when I think of the word Talisman (the title) but the ring that it seems to talk about is a nice topic for the poem.


Contest: I like a good poetry contest. It isn't easy when given an open prompt. The ability to use free verse is nice because it allows you to do almost anything you want. I struggle with this one myself because I need some type of direction. A subject or a type of form to use, anything to help narrow things down.


Imagery: This poem does a good job in painting the picture of the item for the reader. We don't need every little detail. Within the short set of lines, the reader gets enough that they can see what is being discussed in their mind, both the physical elements and the other words added to give a more rounded approach.


Final Thoughts and Suggestions: Nice work with the free verse poem. The only suggestion would be to maybe consider the last set of lines. I appreciated the f trail in the last line of the first stanza. However, something about the r approach in the second comes off more as a stumbling block. It might just be my mind. Once I get through remains and start in on reminder, my brain wants to stop before the end of the sentence. Hard to say why but it was a minor struggle for me. Others probably will have no issues there.

Good luck with the contest. We're half way through the year of writing challenge. Keep on writing!


*Peng*Keep Writing*Peng*



Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
41
41
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
Hello ruwth . I am here to review your essay as part of "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+] since you posted below my entry in the forum. These are just some of my thoughts on the item and contest entered. I hope that it helps you.


Initial Reaction: It is a nice choice in topic and approach to the discussion over self reflection. The influence for the topic came from the prompt but you brought about the personal side that helps bring a reader into the conversation. It is a good idea for a personal essay. Just needs a little work and editing to make it even more solid.

Contest: The contest requires to write an essay. Here you have the personal approach to an essay, taking your thoughts and experiences over taking a personal inventory and putting it online for us to read.


Topic/Idea: This is a good topic and you picked a great quote to focus around. It is something many of us have heard, even with different religious beliefs or different backgrounds. It is something we can relate too and you do well with bringing in your own personal experience with the struggle. It's not an easy task to do, taking a personal inventory of everything.


Notes and Suggestions: Overall, you've got a good start and with some minor edits, it should be something other readers can enjoy and find themselves within.

One thing to adjust is in the first paragraph. You have the quotation that I think is from the Oxford Groups. You have the beginning with the proper markings but then missed the end " marks, which makes it hard to tell if it is just the one sentence or more.

Some of the paragraphs, including the first, could use a little more development or information for the reader. It's not an error, but something that could be considered if you have word count to develop it more. In the first paragraph, you have something to grab attention and a little bit of information with the groups before you go into the personal element but the reader might be helped if more was added to shift between the elements. Perhaps there is a way to word your main point (beyond the starting quote) that adds to why the two groups mentioned are a good example that might tie those things together. You could also move the last sentence to a different paragraph.

If you want to play with the start of the essay, maybe consider starting with the quotation and source of title. It might work better to state about examining life, then discuss who might be the source of the words.

As for the rest, just check for minor things when you do an edit. The usual, spelling, word strength and even in essays try to keep the tense the same (such as the second paragraph). That is the normal stuff for any writing here on the site and nothing too big to fuss. A quick line edit and it's all good to go on that range.


Nice work with putting together the essay and taking the risk in doing something so personal. I'm not a big fan of writing about myself, which is why I stick to fiction most of the time, so I commend you for taking the approach with the essay.

Good luck!


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42
42
Review of Hunger  
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: E | (4.0)
Greetings Sumojo . I am reviewing your story today as part of the "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+] since I posted after you in the forum. Nice job in keeping up with the challenge. We are at the halfway point almost and so much writing to go.


Initial Reaction: It is a very touching and sad, flash fiction story that is unfortunately fair too possible. Brings a sadness to reality to know children live in settings much like the characters you have created.


Contest: The dialogue 500 is quite the challenge for a contest. Having to write under 500 words, create a story and not use any dialogue isn't easy. Good job in creating a story that pulls emotions within the limits of the contest. You did well not using actual dialogue with the hint of the mother wanting to say something but nothing being needed. Nicely done.


Thoughts and Suggestions: Overall, you have done a good job with a limited word count.

The main suggestion I have for this flash fiction, no dialogue, entry would be to consider the paragraph spacing. You don't need a lot of space, but giving an extra enter when typing so there is one line of white between each paragraph will help for the eyes and also give a little better pacing. Right now, it's a bulk section so having that space will look better on the computer screen.

If you feel so inclined to edit, you could do a little trimming of extra words or tweak a couple sentences in the middle. One sentence came off a little bit of a run-on, not wrong but in my mind was a little clunky to read. Another option would be the added words like "very" as the reason for the word is clear but the sentence may actually be stronger or more pin pushing on the emotion by having a flat "sick" acknowledgement. Just my thoughts. It all is well written but we can always adjust a little when editing.


Good luck with the contest and the writing challenge. Keep writing!

Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


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Review of The Will  
Review by Dawn Embers
Rated: E | (4.0)
Hello Espero .

My name is Dawn and I'm reviewing your item as a judge for "Short Shots: Official WDC Contest"  [ASR]. Thank you for entering the official contest with the image based prompt.


First Impression: Ah, yes. A will can be a tense situation and makes for quite a little bit of conflict to focus a short story around. It is a nice choice. I may not have thought of that when I saw the prompt but it also made sense considering everything involved. And a bonus for having something in the item description that will grab someone's attention. Once contests are done, there need to be reasons (like title and item description) to get someone to read an item and you've got a good approach with the question.


Prompt: For the contest, it's fun and somewhat easy to use an image as the prompt because it needs to be seen somewhere but doesn't have to dominate the whole story. I feel any of the judges had an easy enough time to find the prompt in the story. I do think you did well with finding a story based off the still image of the man with the paper.


Story Thoughts: You had a challenge with this story and that came with the contest word count limit. Trust me, as a novel writer, I know that challenge because it's a struggle whenever I try to enter an official contest or any short contest to keep the story within the constraints. There are some parts where, in this story, it is very focused on the dialogue. The characters talking are important but because having to keep things limited, some of the talking felt like it lacked a little in the detail and information page. Not that we want to explain everything, cause that bores readers. However, if it's a lot of short time talking it starts to put the speed on the reader so they go down through the story quick but may not be as interested in what is going on in the story. Pacing is a challenge and I think that's where this story could use a little work.


Final Comments: Overall, you put quite a bit of story into the 2000 word limit of the contest and made a good choice based on the prompt provided. While the story feels like it needs more, you did manage to put forward a strong presentation for the reader. It might not have pulled me in with the particular characters, but there are other readers who will be more interested in the tale over the will. Good job and keep writing.


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for entry "~Daddy's Tree~" 
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Greetings, ruwth . I am reviewing your poem as part of "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+] As usual, it is good to see you taking part in the challenge and putting your writing out there, helping contests get entries. The poem is a good choice and I'm glad to be the one to do the review.


Initial Reaction: The haiku is always a nice treat because it's a short poem but has power behind the minimal lines and syllable count. This one had an added bonus due to the extra requirement from the contest. Thinking of May with the potential for gardening as we get closer to summer, the natural focus was a good choice. It also made sense considering haiku is often done focusing on nature as a topic. It is a nice poem overall and is clearly a good memory.


Prompt: I checked the contest first in order to see the prompt see for the challenge we have to enter contests here on the site. While it would be nice to have that information somewhere after the poem, since we have the information in the challenge within your post, that is fine. And you picked a fun contest. I don't write poetry much anymore but that looks like a fun round for the contest. The addition of the photo to enhance the poem was a great bonus.


Form: From my glance/read, it does look like you followed the general requirements with the haiku. I know it has a specific syllable count for each line. There has to be choices made when having this kind of limit as I'm sure there is a lot more you could say about the picture and your Daddy's Tree. Nice work with what you created.


Favorite Part: The photo and the addition you add with the information for anyone who wants to click on the poem. I hope others click and get more to the story behind everything. You could only put so much in a haiku and the use of the note with the picture was well done.


Final Thoughts: Overall, good work with the poem. It's going to be a tough round for the judges. Keep up the great work and write more!



*Peng*Keep Writing*Peng*



Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
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Review by Dawn Embers
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Hello Damon Nomad .

My name is Dawn and I'm reviewing your item as a judge for "Short Shots: Official WDC Contest"  [ASR]. Thank you for entering the official contest with the image based prompt.


First Impression: It is interesting when going into a story knowing a prompt and seeing the different creations people make. I never would have thought about an alchemist based off the image, yet having read this story it does make sense to have the character from the inspiration as the professor. You put a lot into this story, and it shows.


Prompt: The prompt is easy enough to see in the challenge. It helps with an image that focuses on showing a person because it gives a spark but allows for a variety of options when it comes to the plot and conflict. Having a character that a reader can distinguish from a few details helps for both the writer and the judge who has to search for the inspiration. You did well in following the prompt.


Story Thoughts: Nice work with the story. You clearly used all of the words you could within the word limit in order to tell this particular tale. And even in that regard, it does feel like there could have been more written. It doesn't jump around too much, though you did have to cut away in scenes in order to keep things in the limit but also to not create a whole novel. The main character does make some decisions. He isn't a good guy but it's also not to the point where it would make it unpleasant to read. There is a fine line between bad guy point of view and having someone we don't care to read about. You did well keeping it on the right side of that line.

The only difficult was that some aspects were a little harder to read and follow. Thinks this shows more in the end with where it trails off to not quite know what happens but the reader can make some guesses. It's nothing technical that I would point out. More of a personal read, so for me, it was a little bit of a dry story with just a touch less pull or interest for my personal taste. Nothing against it. Different readers will have a different reaction to the characters and story.

Final Comments: Nice work. Thank you for taking the time to put together this story and patience as it did take us some time for the official judging and such. I hope you enjoyed the challenge and had fun creating the story from an image prompt. Keep writing.



Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
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Review of Burning issue  
Review by Dawn Embers
Rated: 18+ | (3.5)
Hello Sumojo .

My name is Dawn and I'm reviewing your item as a judge for "Short Shots: Official WDC Contest"  [ASR]. Thank you for entering the official contest with the image based prompt.


First Impression: The story has both some good elements and some aspects that could use a little work. From the starting lines, you create a scene and pull the reader in, whether they came to it from the contest or through a random read approach. While the main character isn't the most likable option, there are also readers who appreciate that approach in story creation.


Prompt: From the description of the character, we can get the influence of the prompt. The fun part of the image is that it doesn't have to take over the entire story to qualify. We need to see if in the story but where the writer goes from or around that point, is up to the imagination. So, this does a good point in qualifying for the contest based on the prompt usage.


Story Thoughts: You have a good approach with the story that could be well appreciated by different readers. While it has a potential, there are also some aspects to maybe consider adjusting. You can't please every reader, so having the unlikeable main character might not be well met by everyone, but it is fitting for the particular story. Others will appreciate the approach and connect in particular then with how it ends. It wasn't the easiest for me to follow but part of that comes in how you are trying to show aspects of the main character's life to make the plot more understandable.

There are just a couple of things that I noticed on the technical side. In particular, the spacing of paragraphs feels off to me. From my point of view, you need more space. It seems like there should be more paragraphs in the story. I tend to follow the rule of thumb that every paragraph should be separated by a space. It doesn't need to be a big space, just one line. Changes in time from, point of view or shifts where a section with a big change, then you would need a bigger space between paragraphs. Example: The first section of words should be three paragraphs. Making a few technical adjustments will help the reader as they work through the short story.

Is there a reason for the blank space at the end of the story? It almost seems like you wanted to put the image from the prompt there or something but it's hard to say since the story ends, there is a chunk of blank pace then the little copyright line that is at the bottom of every static item on the site. Not that it is incorrect, just something that stands out and caused a question mark in my mind.


Final Comments: While there are some aspects that could use a little work, overall you did well in coming up with a story based off an image prompt. Thank you for taking the time to enter the contest months ago. I hope you had fun. Keep writing.



Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
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Review by Dawn Embers
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
Hello super sleuth .

My name is Dawn and I'm reviewing your item as a judge for "Short Shots: Official WDC Contest"  [ASR]. Thank you for entering the official contest with the image based prompt.


First Impression: Nice work with this story. It catches the attention from the beginning with a good balance of description and action. We get to see some details but not over the top so that things also happen to bring the reader into the story. It was a quick read but you managed a fair amount in the flash fiction length.


Prompt: While there were some elements in the description of the character in the beginning that differed from the image prompt, it was still easy to see the influence in the story. Having the picture at the beginning does help for those that don't know where the inspiration came from but the judges had an easy enough time telling even without that. You did a nice work putting a character into the conflict of a story and struggle from the start. You went with the book more than a paper but that's fine and still works within the framework of inspiration.


Story Thoughts: You did well creating a story in such a short length. Even though I run a contest that uses this short of a word count, it always amazes me what people can do in under 1k. I'm more of a novel writer so it always amazes me when a story is feeling complete in very short counts.

On a different note, I don't often go with the bold font for a whole story because it can feel a distraction to do anything different when it comes to font. However, I do think that in this case and font size, this is fine. It's easy to read but doesn't go past the line to where it would be a little distracting. I was able to focus on the character and what he has to endure. *spoiler* It isn't a happy end and we don't have answers to the questions of what happens. It may be the downside for some readers. It's okay though, at least for me, with this one.


Final Comments: I hope you enjoyed the challenge of the contest. It has taken a while for things to end so I'm not sure if you'll do anything more with this particular piece. Hope it was fun and that you keep on writing.


Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
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Review by Dawn Embers
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
Hello Graywriter .

My name is Dawn and I'm reviewing your item as a judge for "Short Shots: Official WDC Contest"  [ASR]. Thank you for entering the official contest with the image based prompt.


First Impression: Nicely done. You pull the reader in from the start with the struggles of the main character as he tries to get what he wants from the shop owner; the book. While there is tension and conflict, it is the character who really stood out. Readers who enjoy a good character focused story.

Some post the image prompt in the item but I will say that I didn't need that with yours because the characterization you created within the story does the work itself. I can see the image since I know it so well just from the words you used to describe the main character.


Prompt: This did well with using the prompt to create both the character and the story. We get to see what the person in the picture might have been like through the characterization. Any judge will have an easy time to see the influence of the prompt from the contest. While the contest was based on just image from story this could have been What A Character too with how you created the MC and wove the story around it all. Good job.


Story Thoughts: Overall, you did really well so there isn't much I can point out or critique. I even don't mind that you put the note at the very top of the static item. Normally, I recommend the contest information, word counts and extra details to be at the end of any writing because the focus should be the story/poem/etc. However, with the use of the word "caution" and the little warning added before the details bit, I think it works quite well at the very top.


Final Comments: Thank you for taking the time to enter the site official contest back in March. I hope you enjoyed the challenge, the prompt and creating this story.

Good job and keep writing.


Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


*Gold* My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .
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Review of The evil Book.  
Review by Dawn Embers
Rated: 13+ | (3.5)
Hello DoXx, The Renegade Monkey .

My name is Dawn and I'm reviewing your item as a judge for "Short Shots: Official WDC Contest"  [ASR]. Thank you for entering the official contest with the image based prompt. Hope that you have enjoyed the challenge and had fun writing the story.


First Impression: This is a good starting point of a story that was inspired by the image prompt from the Short Shots contest. It took the image as strong inspiration focusing on creating what the title implies, a story about an evil book. There are some good points and a story that has potential to stand out with some development and skill work.


Prompt: The prompt is an interesting one with the image of the man and the newspaper/book item that looks like it has glowing flames coming from it. Your use of the image is very obvious, so any reader who is aware of the prompt will be able to see the influence. Readers who don't know will still enjoy the story too.


Story Thoughts: Here are some thoughts I have in the story that could be worked on some or at least considered for development of this piece or thought about as you create other ones. I could go much more into depth on where you could take this story but I'll hold back a little for now. Maybe if you want to know the full amount of details that I think could be added we can discuss later in future emails.

Overall, the story has a "told" feeling to it. There is a gem of a story in there but it needs to be developed more to show the reader elements. You have a good starting point, now to just work things out to provide more visual and senses to give the story extra weight/strength. I will warn, that adding the details to flesh this out will make the story long (a lot longer if I were the writer as I tend towards long fiction). You had some room with word count since the limit is 2,000 for the contest and you were well under but now that it's over, you can have it be whatever length you want.

I won't say every area that could be expanded so let's use the start as an example.

The main character (bookstore owner) is well done. He has potential for readers to enjoy going through the emotions from the trepidation to the fear and beyond with what happens in the story. He is a good choice beyond the prompt (even though a male character is an obvious choice based on the image). If we get to see a little more from his point of view, that will help to drive the emotions and conflict more for the reader.

Title - just out of curiosity: is there a reason you didn't capitalize the E for evil? Is it because of the particular word? It does stand out a little so I had to ask since general rules is to capitalize most words in a title. So, had to wonder if it was done on purpose or if maybe it should be capitalized to convey the importance of the word in the story since the book is almost a character in a way due to what happens.

Final Comments: Overall, this story has potential and I hope you enjoyed the challenge that came with writing it. And I will add that while the story does need some work, it does have an element that not every story can boast achieving. The story stood out for me and was something that I could remember later. That is not easy to achieve in an official contest with a fair number of entries. Nice work and keep writing.



Sig I bought to put on my reviews.


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Review of Contest Entries  
Review by Dawn Embers
In affiliation with I Write  
Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
Hello Angelica- Happy May 5th!

My name is Dawn and I'll be reviewing your item in connection with "Twenty-three in Eleven "  [13+]. These are just my thoughts and forgive me if I ramble. Thank you for sharing your writing and good luck with the contest.


Initial Reaction:: I love pets. I have two cats and a side gig where I take care of other peoples pets. Mostly I help with cats but have taken care of dogs, a lizard and a turtle. So, this topic is my jam and I'm always happy to read anything that celebrates the animals in our lives.

I also like that it's short words, kind of choppy style for the poetry. Like, I don't need sentences and punctuation always in poetry. At times, it's is fitting to just putt the words down and let them be, keeping it quick to move and word focused without too much fuss on the technical requirements of things like sentence structure. That was a good choice for this particular poem.


Contest: I also know the contest based on the prompt without looking for the information that you are helpful in placing at the end of the static item. The poetry topic contest is fun with the different options. Nice that the pet day during April gave the chance for some pet focused poetry. You fit the prompt with the piece for sure.


Technical Side: While the topic is great and the poem moves well, for the most part, I do have a couple of comments on the technical side for you to consider. In the fourth stanza (which has two lines), I think you should change it to "Pets come in" instead of "pets comes in" to follow correct grammar. If pets are plural the action doesn't need the s in this instance.

The only other note I have is that it needs an ending. Like you make some really great points and are right on all aspects about pets but once we get to the line about what they do: play, nap, cry... it just stops. The poem doesn't feel done at that stage. We need something to give it closure.


Final Thoughts: While I do think the poem could use just a little work, it's still a good approach to topic. I hope you had fun with creating it and if you add a little to the end, I'm all for seeing it again to check out what you come up with for the development. Good job in getting this done. It's hard writing every month and all the other activities or challenges you do too. Nice work and keep writing cause we've also got novel work to do now that we're getting into May.




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