This week: Useful, Lengthy, Concise Edited by: Annette  
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| "Reviewing is a writing exercise and writing a detailed review is time well spent. Creating detailed feedback for a fellow writer is one of the best tools available for improving your own writing." ~ "Guidelines To Great Reviewing" |
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Useful, Lengthy, Concise
With all of its fun games and social aspect, Writing.Com is first and foremost a place for writers to post their precious words to find readers who are willing to leave a comment, aka a review.
There are many members who spend hours reading the works of others and leaving detailed and helpful feedback in reviews. Some of them do it just for the fun of it, others do it as part of a reviewing group. Whatever your reasons for sending reviews, remember that every review you send is also a reflection on you as a writer.
Before this last sentence scares you off: Yes, you are qualified to give a review. Like walking, talking, writing, and eating with a fork is a learned skill, so is reviewing. Your first couple of reviews might feel strange. Why are you commenting on this? Will the writer even care? Will the writer agree with your comments?
As you read over a novel chapter, short story, poetry, or micro fiction, there will be something going on in your mind. Often, these thoughts are a great place to start when writing a review. These thoughts and feelings you have while reading a text are unique to you. Sharing those impressions with a writer is a great way to let them know whether their story has resonated with you.
Don't be afraid to use some help to overcome those first review sending jitters. Start by "Creating Review Templates" . That will give you something to work off of. Careful though! Your reviews should always focus on the piece that you read. If you create a massive template that explains at length who you are and why you review while only leaving a couple of sentences that give a hint that you maybe skimmed a piece of creative writing, you are no longer reviewing. You're sending greeting cards. Those are nice too! But they aren't reviews.
Keep the item that you're commenting on at the center of your reason for sending reviews.
Why do you review? Do you review to help other writers? Do you read & review for personal entertainment? |
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Replies to my last For Authors newsletter "Feel Bound By Rules? Break Them!" that asked Which common writing rule rubs you the wrong way? Have you or will you break it?
StephBee  wrote: One common rule is stay away from prologues, but honestly, if it's necessary in my stories, I will use one.
I agree that prologues are a strange writing tool. The vast majority of prologues should simply be the first chapter. Outside of High Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and maybe extreme Sci-Fi, I don't see much use for a prologue.
Anna Marie Carlson  wrote: Hello and Good evening to you!
I enjoyed reading your newsletter; it has some very valid points. The thinking behind it is right on the mark to the way I think. There are times when I begin to write, it's hard to know when to stop. I can spend hours working on a story when I have to think about how I want the story to end. Keeping a schedule is hard to do; this is when I write in increments before putting all the pieces together. Whenever I write a story, I do a lot of editing; I keep doing this until I am satisfied with what I've written. This can take a long time but that is just me.
I hope you are blessed with friendships, good health, and happiness. Keep writing; this was a good newsletter.
Anna Marie Carlson
Preferred Author
Thank you for this detailed reply and your friendly words. 
s  wrote: Which common writing rule rubs you the wrong way? Have you or will you break it? Well, of the ones listed, I ignore the adverbs rule. I will use adverbs when and how I like. I also constantly edit as I write. I spoke about "write what you know" in my Writing Blog No.2, because things you don't know are only things you don't know "yet". I have never heard the rule "write like the authors you admire." That is insane. As someone who only goes traditional publishing routes, that will lead to you being rejected for writing pastiches. The other rule I break is "plan your story." I am a pantser. I don't pre-plan. And yet 90% of authors say planning is vital.
I wonder if, even if you don't specifically pre-plan, whether you have some internal dialogue before you start writing or if you just sit down to write and go from there. |
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For Authors: May 15, 2024 Issue [#12547]
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