Those Little Stars

In General

This is the rating scale I use for written static items. (I never will figure out how to rate polls or pictures of Fluffy playing in the clothes dryer.) Always feel free to accept whatever helps you and leave alone what doesn't. You're welcome to write back to ask for clarification or further information, to argue, to ask me to re-review after you edit, or to tell me I'm about as bright as a fish sandwich. I'm not the slightest bit sensitive about that sort of thing, and I truly enjoy working with other writers.

I rate according to how close your item is to being finished, to communicating what I think you intend it to say. I use the entire rating scale, one through five stars. If I rate your item low, that means I see a number of issues you should check out when revising. It doesn't mean I don't like your work. If I didn't like something, I wouldn't bother to read or review it at all. I don't have that kind of time.

The descriptions below give both the meanings of my star ratings, plus a general idea of how to proceed. The blue text suggests what you may want to do next, although every situation is different.

Here's what you should expect from my review:
for 1 to 2 star ratings: There are some things you need to do before this is ready for readers and reviewers. I'll point out what your next step should be.
for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 star ratings: My review will elaborate on a few of the most important steps I think you should take. It won't cover a lot of fine tuning, because the piece isn't ready for that yet.
for 4 to 5 star ratings: Mostly I'll talk about how I understand the piece. I'll also note any little things I see that could help you improve it.

Specific Ratings What to do next -- suggestion in blue

Unreadable. Needs major editing, including a spell check. The item in too hard to read, and therefore not ready for a real review. What to do next: The first step is to spell check. Edit as well as you can, then hit "Save and View" to look for mistakes in formatting.

Unreadable. The item has been spell checked, but otherwise needs major editing before it's ready to review. Read the whole thing through, making corrections as you go. Ask for help if your English skills are rough. I'll be happy to provide a line-by-line edit on request.

Readable, but not ready to be made public on WDC. Reasons for this may include:

a) The item's content rating is completely off. See "Content Rating System (CRS)" .
b) The item is personal in nature, not understandable to general readers. Read it through as if you were a stranger, someone halfway around the world with a different belief system, and edit to make the item speak to that person.
c) The item demonstrates a "My way or the highway" religious viewpoint. While religious content and even argument may be appropriate, remaking reality to validate your beliefs is not going to win any points with those who don't share those beliefs. That goes double for name-calling and blanket condemnations. Save items like this for people who already agree with you. Same as b, above.
d) The item attacks another member of the site by name or handle. Not cool. Make the item private or delete it.
e) It's a how-to article on writing, but it's full of mistakes. Make the item private until you check your facts.
f) Some subject matter involving children may be morally unacceptable. I can't be more explicit and keep this document's E rating, but I think you know what I'm talking about. If this comes up in a review, I won't beat around the bush.

The item has most of its pieces, but some major flaw keeps it from working yet. Often this is a first draft with some basic structural flaw. Perhaps the storytelling style is convoluted, the stated poetic form is misused, the story's structure doesn't work, or it's a first chapter that doesn't give a good introduction to your novel. Print the document out, read it, and put it aside for a day or two. Then rewrite from scratch. Maybe you'll want to import some text from the first draft, but don't feel tied to it.

The item is enjoyable to read, but has several noticeable problems. These may include inappropriate shifts in point of view or verb tense, over-reliance on one aspect (dialogue, description, etc.), sloppy writing, misplaced hints that could lead readers astray, confusing or unrealistic details, or too much "telling" where "showing" would be better. Research the problems I point out. Don't take my word for anything. Check what I tell you against published fiction, poems, and books on how to write them. This will enable you to decide where and how you need to rewrite.

The item is enjoyable, but has one of the problems described under three stars. Same as above, but the rewriting will be less extensive.

Hey, this is pretty good! I see originality, good writing, and a sincere attempt to connect with readers. The overall quality is uneven, though. Maybe the dialogue doesn't sound quite right, the point of view changes too often, the poem is a little stiff or clumsy, or something in the style doesn't mesh with the content. Consider my suggestions for fine-tuning the item, but let your instinct show you where change is truly needed.

This is an item I would read for enjoyment, but some little things made me get out my red pen. Usually this will by some little burp in the style, a few sentences that got tangled in the editing process, some incorrect background fact, or some writing that isn't clear. These minor problems made for a small interruption in my overall enjoyment of your writing. Same as 4-star above.

Really good. Any corrections I see are very, very minor. I was able to sit back and enjoy this piece. Same as 4-star above.