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Young Writers Society


Reviewing



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36 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 381
Reviews: 36
Sun Jul 25, 2021 1:40 am
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SalemReine says...



Hi, I would appreciate some help!
I am very bad at reviewing works, every time I go to the Green Room and pick something I just stare at the screen.
I've read the articles by YWS in the forums and I've gone to Google but no luck, I just can't seem to think of anything to say!
What do I do?
Thanks!
Was WrenZorya

If I perish, I perish~ Esther, a long long time ago
  





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1227 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 147270
Reviews: 1227
Sun Jul 25, 2021 3:26 am
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alliyah says...



Hey Wren! Reviewing can definitely be tricky when you start out! One strategy I sometimes try if I can't think of anything that I think would be helpful to critique is try to 1) Interpret the work (ie. try to repeat what you think the author is trying to do, or describe what you think is happening in your own words, or the meaning of the piece) - there's really no way you can get a personal interpretation wrong, and this usually does help the author figure out if their writing is coming across how they want it to. And then 2) I usually try to say what stood out as the best aspect of the piece! (Not just my favorite lines, but a technique that I saw the author doing - like plot development, metaphor, symbolism, sound-devices, characterization etc).

Also don't be afraid to critique even if you're just a beginner at reviewing! If something looks / sounds off, there's always room for improvement. Hope that gives you some ideas of places to start! :) Best of luck!

Spoiler! :

For poems here's the template for reviews I do when I'm stuck:

First Impressions & Interpretation
>I thought this poem meant ...

Structure
> The structure (grammar / line breaks / stanzas) of the poem helped / hurt the piece overall.

Technique Highlight
> I want to highlight one aspect I thought you did great on (word choice, metaphor, continuity, sound devices)

Suggestion for Improvement
> Here's where I had difficulty with the poem.

Overall Impressions
> My overall impression of the poem was ...
you should know i am a time traveler &
there is no season as achingly temporary as now
but i have promised to return
  








When you cut pieces out of the truth to avoid looking like a fool, you end up looking like a moron instead.
— Robin Hobb