SuperNova Afterglow: End Of Days

Reviewing Or Filling?

Here's another type of reviewing style I notice. Instead of taking the time to read and react to something an author shares, a person starts out with one line about the item and then goes on about personal experiences, memories or nostalgia indirectly related. And then, the reviewer comes back around to wrap up with some sort of good job or compliment and tada! You got enough characters for a legit, long enough review.

I could write a myriad of responses about my own experiences until the cows come home (they don't come home here - no barn). How can anyone feel they are doing writers a service by trying to meet some review quota by type-garbling a bunch of disjointed memories that do not serve the author in a review? I couldn't conceive of doing this. I know I will ramble within a review at times, but pull it together after a few lines.

I know reviewing is hard, intimidating for some. Sometimes, we're afraid to say the wrong thing (because these are people's word babies), but it's easier to idly go on about something we know as feedback? You just have to read and notice how it makes you feel, if you can connect to your gut feelings. Start typing those word bubbles for thoughts in the dialogue box. Look again at the item you've read, scan through, focus on a few favorite parts. You'll find more thoughts bubble up. And, the more you pay attention and review, the more phrases you can turn in those reviews.

Have you read any good reviewers lately? There are writers with good comments that are universal knowledge that you can tap into for whatever you like to review.

Just think of it from the other end. How are these writers going to see that review (how are they supposed to react? with your recollections of your summer abroad or the 1984 trip to Grandma's house in Kentucky?

I think this is a fair criticism. I'm not trying to put anyone down. It's common decency to writers who take pride in their effort.