Now I read the rules about doing 2 reviews first before submitting your own work to be reviewed. One problem about this... I don't really know how to review. Hell, I can speak my own opinion (anybody can) but reviewing is something I dislike doing. The only thing I reviewed is uh... (thinks for twenty minutes) ... oh yeah my strategies of annihilating my enemies on RTS (Real Time Strategy) games. Other than that, I really haven't reviewed much in my life, even in school I avoided reviewing work. I'll read the stuff that people post up in here, but I am afraid that I most likely will not give a review about it though. I guess a rules a rule, only meant for breaking until someone stops you.. but I don't think I will break it, nor will succumb to this particular rule so easily. It's a dilemma... one that may impede any submission of mine. Well, I better think of something...
"Fear what you learn to love; Ironically, fear is what you learn to love"
"Damn her purple eyes," I thought peering into her saddened soul as the tears streaked down her face.
Sinisterly Perceiving the Unperceivable to those who can't see and revealing it to them since 2000.
You seem to be divided between not wanting to review and not knowing how. Reviewing really isn't as difficult as you would think; often it can involve just saying why you thought something was really great, or why you thought it didn't work out. As a site, what we aim for is improving our writing, our skill, how we do that is not only through practice, but also through constructive criticism. So what we're looking for isn't people just ripping work apart, but telling the writer how they think some issues can be fixed. Some people focus only on grammar and spelling, others go deeper into meaning and development. In the end, reviewing really isn't as difficult or as time consuming as you would think, and asking for two reviews per one work isn't particularly unfair.
You don't necessarily have to follow the rule, but for the good of the writers you're reading, it would be preferred if you could give your opinion. After all, how long does one post really take? You're thinking the ideas anyway, why not put them down on screen? ^^
Your opinions make the review what it is.
*Hearts* Le Penguin.
I like you as an enemy, but I love you as a friend.
Speaking your own opinion is a good start and well, the only thing that differs between that in a review is the follow through of why you think that and what they could do about it. Like:
Opinion: I don't like the first sentence and I hate your character Billy.
Why: The first sentence is too long and you have too much description of the flowers. I don't like Billy because he's flat and doesn't talk realistically.
How to improve: Split the first sentence into two and remove some of the flower description. Listen to real people talking and give Billy a unique characterization, maybe give him a phobia.
Uh... yeah, that's sort of what I mean XD So maybe just give it a try?
You can also ask an Instructor (purple name) for help on how to review, check out the articles in the Knowledge Base, or just read some of the reviews around the site. Remember, a review can be as short as three lines to count.
And, Nate has informed us that some writing sites have a 10:1 review to ratio policy.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo
Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
