 Mystery: July 09, 2025 Issue [#13229] |
This week: July, 2025 How Far Have You Come? Edited by: Carol St.Ann 👓  
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Hello. I joined WDC in September of 2006. My name is Carol St.Ann, and and I write for this newsletter once a month. This year, 2025, I plan to focus on the craft with a focus toward publication. Please feel free to hit me up with any issues you’d like to see addressed, and I’ll do my best to research it for you.
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Greetings everyone I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July, Independence Day!
How far have you come?
Have you been honing your craft?
Or do you just write and write and write and submit and post and go onto the next one? How often do you edit your piece or chapter or poem after you receive reviews?
For example, when you receive a review that points out a misspelling, a typo, incorrect grammar, how often do you go to your piece and edit it to reflect the correction? How often do you ponder writing suggestions from other writers?
Which leads me to the reason for this newsletter: how far have you come? Have you grown as a writer, as a crafter of the written word since you’ve been visiting writing.com?
If you’re not growing, I would suggest you ponder the reasoning behind that. If you’re just a recreational writer, and you do it merely for your own edification and fun, that is perfectly fine and there is nothing wrong with that. But might you then consider advising possible reviewers not to bother with crafting elements and grammar in favor of simple comments on your story?
I would suggest a disclaimer at the top of a piece, stating review if you want, but I don’t edit (translation: I intend to do nothing about anything you point out or suggest.)
To be fair, I’ve seen many story writers ask for certain types of reviews. Why not specifying what one doesn’t want or need as well?
I don’t mean to come off as a meddling busy-body, but most quality reviewers on writing.com (and I dare say most reviewers on writing.com are very high quality reviewers) invest serious interest and effort and no small amount of time to prepare meaningful reviews.
The best writers take those reviews seriously. They also often open up conversational dialogue on the craft, or I should say the issue in question, and both parties not only learn from each other, but they frequently end up great friends and supporters of each other‘s work. Both writers become better with every exchange.
I’ve noticed in recent years a real decline in quality writing on this site. I can blame it on a number of things, but the one that springs to mind for me is the mad-dash contest entries people write up just to say they did.
There. I’ve said it.
Sorry, not sorry.
So yeah, if you’re one of them, I’m asking for you to do a little soul-searching. If you’re writing six contest entries a day just to dash them off and add another notch in your writing belt, good for you, but if you’re here to learn and hone your craft, to really make it something special, to develop your writing voice - you’re very own distinct writing voice - give a little more thought to the reviewers.
. . . and while I’m at it, I may as well address the equally cranked out for the count reviews. dashed off reviews. You’ve all seen them. They go a little something like this:
I really like your story. It brightened up my day and made me happy. I see your port has a lot of stories that I might like. So I will come back to your port and give you another review (that says nothing about anything and allows no indication that I even skimmed over your piece let alone read it.) Have a nice day.
So the mystery in this here mystery newsletter for July 2025 is why are you here? What do you hope to achieve?
The really quality reviewers offer thought, insight, help, advice, suggestion, and care. On a site like Writing.com, these reviewers are the very best resource any true wannabe writer could ever have.
Now, let’s be clear. If you’re here to play, that’s great! We all want to have fun. Everyone wants camaraderie and good times. There’s nothing wrong with that, whatsoever. So if you’re here to play, by all means, play!
If you are here to learn and grow and hone your craft, great! As I stated above, you have the best resources possible right here anxiously waiting to assist and, in so doing, become a significant part of your writing journey. So if you’re here to grow, by all means grow like a beanstalk!
But whatever you do, be honest about it. To yourself. And to your fellow members of the best writing site any of us will ever find.
See you next month.
Carol St.Ann 
Remember to nominate great Mysteries
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Flesh out your mystery story here:
Some great Shown Tales I found along the way!
| | Buckle Up! (13+)
"Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations." —Zig Ziglar
#2341752 by Jeremy  |
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
| Write to me about the best and the worst reviews you’ve ever had. I’d like to know how each of these affected your writing journey, including how you review and whether or not you edit after reviews. If you care to share some reviews, you’re proud of I’ll give them a look and reward them as a thank you for sharing.. |
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