Hi Altamont 🏳️‍🌈 ,
I am reviewing your story as a judge for "Dear Me: Official WDC Contest" . Thanks for entering!


GENERAL:
I found your Dear Me letter very relatable. Let's not start comparing reading 'to do' lists! Like you, I find I add to my list much faster than I take books off it. In fact, although I read a lot (and hit a PB in 2020), few of my books seem to be from my 'to do' list. And I'm not even going to go near the topic of lockdown weight.

You touched on the fiasco that was 2020, but I liked that you didn't dwell on it too much or allow it to bring down the mood of your letter. Overall, I thought your letter had a lighthearted, chatty tone. I loved the term 'doomscrolling' which was particularly relevant to social media in 2020.


CONVENTION:
I liked the use of 'conversation fillers' like 'What else is there?' People use phrases like this when they're talking aloud, and it really makes your letter feel more casual. I write my snail mail letters in that conversational style, so I appreciated this.


GRAMMAR/SPELLING:
Overall, your spelling and grammar was very good, and I didn't notice any typos or misspellings, but I did think there were a few commas missing. Your first sentence seems to be missing one after 'well' and another after 'write-off', and because it was right at the beginning of your letter, it became something I watched for. Commas are tricky wee things though, and I don't claim to be an expert in them, so perhaps ask someone who is more knowledgeable in this area than I am to review the punctuation. That is, if you want to polish this up. I know it was a contest entry, and furthermore is a letter to yourself, so you may not choose to do further editing - that's entirely up to you. It might be something to look out for in other works though.


SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
Your goals were quite vague. That always makes it much harder for you to achieve them. You said your first goal was to stop 'doomscrolling' through social media. Or to cut it down. Well, which is it? I think the letter (and the goal) would be much stronger if you were more decisive with this. Then you write 'Or if not that, maybe', and it becomes even more wishywashy. A specific goal like 'No more than 30 minutes of social media per day' or 'At least 15 minutes of writing each day' is more likely to be something you stick to. At the moment, there's nothing holding you accountable. If you don't do any writing, or if you spend all day on social media, there's no need to feel like you haven't achieved your goal because your goal was so vague. That's my two cents.


FAVOURITE LINES:
I really liked the way you finished your letter with reminding yourself about being kind to yourself, enjoying treats in moderation and looking after your mental health. That sounds like something we could all do with working on in 2021.


FINAL NOTE:
Thank you for sharing your Dear Me letter. I enjoyed reading it. I wish you all the best with your goals of reducing your time on social media, increasing your writing and reading, and going for more walks. Best of luck for 2021.
Elle



My review has been submitted for consideration in "Good Deeds Get CASH!" .