In order to coax a bit of you out of your reviewing shells and make 2011 a fabulous year for fiction feedback, I decided it might be a good idea to talk about reviewing in a general sense. I don't think we've ever really had a thread that had tips and tricks for reviewing, at least one that was interactive. Hopefully this thread will help ease your mind if you're trying to get in the game.
So to our experienced reviewers, or our reviewers wanting to start out, or anyone, really, feel free to drop in advice or tricks that help you review. Feel free to ask questions about any aspect of reviewing. Tell us about your history as a reviewer. Was it good? Bad? Did you learn anything from it? Perhaps you were confused by reviewing terminology. Perhaps you need some clarification on a review someone else gave you (though perhaps you should ask that reviewer first before you ask people here ;P). Perhaps you need a push in the right direction. Maybe you don't even know what to say. Maybe you have no idea how to respond to a review from someone else. Ask (or tell) anything ... well, so long as it pertains to reviewing.
I would rather keep this thread free from the infamous, "How do I get reviews?" question. That being said, if you MUST ask it because you are seriously confused about why you're not getting reviews, feel free, but let's try not to derail the thread into that discussion. To throw in one answer to this possible question, sometimes the forum is inactive; people may be busy with school, or vacations, or whatever. It doesn't necessarily mean your story is uninteresting.
To kick us off, I'll throw in some tips.
Reviewing is a skill that takes time to build, much like how we develop as writers. It's definitely a skill that you need to work on by doing over and over and by reading other examples from other reviewers. And much like how authors write in a certain style, reviewers often pick up their own "reviewing style." One reviewer may like to point out grammatical errors. Another reviewer may be more skilled in helping an author flesh out their characters. Another may focus on scenery description. Some try to be more general. Others may just like quoting parts they like and how they reacted to it. No review style is better than another ... well not unless the only thing you're contributing is "LOL WRITE MORE."
Also, there is always something to say about a story, even if you think previous reviewers got everything. It doesn't necessarily have to be critique. Saying something positive, like how you may have enjoyed the author's characters, is just as helpful because it tells the author what they're doing right. It helps them build up on that skill and refine their technique.
So, in short, give us your reviewing tips! Tell us your stories (as a reviewer or receiver of reviews)!
So to our experienced reviewers, or our reviewers wanting to start out, or anyone, really, feel free to drop in advice or tricks that help you review. Feel free to ask questions about any aspect of reviewing. Tell us about your history as a reviewer. Was it good? Bad? Did you learn anything from it? Perhaps you were confused by reviewing terminology. Perhaps you need some clarification on a review someone else gave you (though perhaps you should ask that reviewer first before you ask people here ;P). Perhaps you need a push in the right direction. Maybe you don't even know what to say. Maybe you have no idea how to respond to a review from someone else. Ask (or tell) anything ... well, so long as it pertains to reviewing.
I would rather keep this thread free from the infamous, "How do I get reviews?" question. That being said, if you MUST ask it because you are seriously confused about why you're not getting reviews, feel free, but let's try not to derail the thread into that discussion. To throw in one answer to this possible question, sometimes the forum is inactive; people may be busy with school, or vacations, or whatever. It doesn't necessarily mean your story is uninteresting.
To kick us off, I'll throw in some tips.
Reviewing is a skill that takes time to build, much like how we develop as writers. It's definitely a skill that you need to work on by doing over and over and by reading other examples from other reviewers. And much like how authors write in a certain style, reviewers often pick up their own "reviewing style." One reviewer may like to point out grammatical errors. Another reviewer may be more skilled in helping an author flesh out their characters. Another may focus on scenery description. Some try to be more general. Others may just like quoting parts they like and how they reacted to it. No review style is better than another ... well not unless the only thing you're contributing is "LOL WRITE MORE."
Also, there is always something to say about a story, even if you think previous reviewers got everything. It doesn't necessarily have to be critique. Saying something positive, like how you may have enjoyed the author's characters, is just as helpful because it tells the author what they're doing right. It helps them build up on that skill and refine their technique.
So, in short, give us your reviewing tips! Tell us your stories (as a reviewer or receiver of reviews)!