Review Reminders-2

Showering Acts of Joy has a certain standard of quality associated with our name. We are one of the oldest "Package" groups. When someone pays for a shower to be gifted, either to himself or to someone else, what he wants more than anything else in the package is quality reviews. So, what is a quality review? There are numerous ways to give a quality review, depending on each individual's style of reviewing. However, there are some basic elements of a quality review that are essential. You are free to build as much as you want on these basic principles; just please be sure you meet these in your reviews.

1. Begin with a friendly, warm, or even humorous introduction of who you are and why you chose this item to review. Be sure to tell them the review is part of their shower from Showering Acts of Joy.

SPECIAL NOTE: You will make it so much easier for the person crediting your reviews if you will take a moment to add the user name of the person you are reviewing. Otherwise, we have to click on the item reviewed and pop into his port to find out who the review is for. Thanks SO much for that little extra effort.

2. Your overall impression of the piece should include how it made you feel, or perhaps, that it made you look at something in a different way. You should mention specific lines that drew you in and made you want to read more. This is also where you would comment in a more general way about the overall effectiveness of his writing. This area is typically more focused on the writer's strengths, but may also include comments on general areas that need improvement.

3. Every review should contain specific examples to show what you mean. Whether you are praising an author for using great dialog, or pointing out some weakness they need to work on, the review should include detailed reasons or specific lines that show the author what you mean. We not only learn from what needs improving, but from what the reader liked about our piece.

4. You may set aside a section for your suggestions, or sprinkle them throughout the review. Breaking your review into paragraphs or sections make it more readable, and thus more helpful to the author. Keep it ever present in your mind that a good reviewer is an humble reviewer. We can only offer our personal opinions about how the writer might make his piece better. Look for specific reasons you weren't completely thrilled with the piece. What distracted you, or lost you, or bored you? Where did you find yourself losing interest or feeling disappointed or confused? Take time to figure out for yourself why it failed to completely satisfy you. Then find a courteous and thoughtful way to show those places to the author and offer suggestions for ways to make it more effective.

5. A good review should include a section for spelling, punctuation, and grammar (often referred to as SPAG. However, if this is an area you feel inadequate to evaluate, simply be truthful. Let the author know that you are not strong in this area and would feel more comfortable leaving that aspect to those reviewers who are more qualified. He'll appreciate your honesty. Please remember that you do NOT have to point out every single error. Show some examples of different rules that were broken and how they might be corrected; then leave the real work for the writer to do. It is his story, after all. You can always offer to review again once he has made the corrections.

*****Special Poetry Note: Though punctuation is somewhat optional in poetry, the general rule of thumb is that if the author has used punctuation in some places, he should apply the appropriate rules throughout the poem. This means each SENTENCE (((not line))) should be punctuated the way any sentence is punctuated. See? Reviewing poetry isn't so scary after all.

6. Make every effort to end on a positive note. I often end with a section called "What I Like" where I might quote a few lines that were especially effective, or employed great imagery. Maybe it was effective in revealing something the reader needed to know about a character. You know what lines popped out at you when you first read the item. Take a moment to let the author know about them.

7. FINALLY: Make your rating match your review. If it deserves a 3.0 rating, be sure to spend time with the piece, so that you can offer the author some concrete suggestions for improving the piece. By the same token if it deserves a 5.0 rating, tell the author WHY it does. What were the elements that brought the piece to life for you?

*****Special Note on Reviewing Poetry*****

Poetry is not so scary to review. You start where you are in your reviewing skills and grow as you learn, just as with any type of review. Certainly, it is nice to be able to tell the author the technical parts of his poem that were effective. However, this is NOT necessary. Few of us are well-educated in writing poetry. If we focus on writing a helpful review, then everyone, from beginners to seasoned reviewers, can write reviews that really count.

Before you start your poetry review, be sure to read the poem out loud. Yes, out loud. Poetry is all about flow and rhythm, sound and senses. Let yourself experience the full effect of the poem.

Then share your reactions with the poet. Which lines stirred your emotions? Which of the five senses did the poem evoke? Did the poet choose words that heightened the experience for the reader?

If it is a structured or form poem, give the author credit for the added task of making the poem fit the rules of the form, while creating a meaningful message. I always mention my appreciation when he takes the extra time to provide the rules of the poetry form at the bottom of his poem. If he fails to provide this information, I respectfully encourage him to do so in the future, letting him know that it is helpful for me to understand the form so that I might give the poem a more helpful review, and that it is educational for me as I gradually become more familiar with different forms.

Please make every effort to avoid these common pitfalls:

1. Allowing your personal opinion about the content to overshadow the observations about the effectiveness of the writing. If you cannot review a piece on the merits of its writing, then select a different item. The review box is not the place for debates or imposing your pet peeves upon the writer.

2. Assigning a low rating without backing it up with specific suggestions for making it better. It is equally unacceptable to assign a high rating without providing detailed reasons or examples that anchor the rating.

3. Forgetting your manners. Didn't your mama teach you good manners? She'll be proud to know you use them in crafting your reviews!

A quality review should, above all, be HELPFUL. If you keep that as your focus, you will naturally show respect, give honest suggestions for improvement, and offer encouraging remarks throughout the review. You will also add a fourth dimension to your review. You will take into account the age and experience of the writer, the language he speaks, and other important details which make your review unique to each person whose port you visit.