Writing.Com General Discussion

Here's the thing that no one mentions about reviewing: it's the opposite of free advice, or empty kudos. A review requires one to get down in the mud with the writer, to participate in the same process, to examine themselves as well as the writing and to be honest about themselves, what they know, what they don't know and the struggle to learn. A good review teaches the reviewer as well as the writer, and it is that willingness to speak from ones own struggles with the craft that will offer something useful to others.

OMG This. So this. I don't know how many times I spent an hour reviewing a piece that took me 30 minutes to read. Good reviewing takes time, and yes, it causes the reviewer to question their own craft, their own skill so that they can develop alongside the work that's being reviewed.

You can be positive and leave a one-star or two-star review. You simply have to point out what the writer did wrong and how they can make it better in a helpful and constructive matter. Point out what they did well at the same time.

Also, here's some advice one of my professors gave me years ago. Once you finish a piece of writing and send it out into the world, it no longer belongs to you anymore. It's no longer about you. In fact it never was. It's about the writing. All responses and reviews are about the writing. So you have to learn not to take them personally. I think this goes for reviewers as well. When I'm giving someone a review that is less than praise and a whole lot of "this needs improvement" I feel bad because I know what that's like. But, then I remember it's not about them or me. It's about improving. If you're just going to give someone praise, you're not reviewing you're reading. Which is fine. I'm happy to have people read my stories and say "That was cool, good job. There's a typo in paragraph three." but call it what it is.

Edgework, I love it when you review my stories. Half the time I don't agree with anything you say, but you always give me something to think about and a different perspective on how my work would be viewed to a broad audience.