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FLEB
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I really try to take each review I get into account, however this proves difficult when a reviewer hasn't had the decency to read the entire piece I have uploaded. If you have issues on reading people's work that needs revision, why are you on a site specifically made for that? The whole point of reviews is to be helpful; however your review is on one side helpful on one point, but on the other hand is frankly cruel, unbelievably short and pointless. By confessing that you had only read 200 words, or the first page, I can hardly take into account an overall look at my work. Because there is none. I know I have issues with grammar, I am trying to work on them, however its better to teach that scorn. If you weren't able to comment on the storyline, there is no need to mention it, and if you can't comment on the storyline you clearly didn't read it. Furthermore if you haven't read it, why bother giving a review?
I don't offend easily however when someone has blatantly not been bothered enough to read my work and still feel able to mark it I can't help but be a little peeved. I hope you don't do this often. I have read a few pieces on this site that were a little cringeworthy, however I carried on reading and gave the writer the help they clearly wanted. I am here to learn, however do not appreciate people being down right harsh when not even bothering to read my piece properly. If having a bad day, don't do a review. Thank you for not taking the time to read my work, and thank you for giving me a ridiculously short review.
I will have a look at your work and hope to be enlightened.
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carola
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Fleb, our paths haven't crossed as yet - I hope they do because you are clearly a resourceful and talented young writer. Well done you, for standing up for yourself. When you get a review like that, swallow hard, and console yourself that it will be an outlier. It happens to all of us. Keep writing girl!  Carola
'He who learns from one who is learning, drinks from a flowing river.' Proverb.
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Honestyanyway
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Hi Fleb, just took a peek at the review and I feel disappointed for you. Some work can be more difficult to read than others, but most people put the effort in and push through it. We have four days to do it after all and the option is there if you feel you cannot continue after 200 words to remove it as your assignment, so that it can go to someone who can work with it. I should think that not reading more than 200 words and marking accordingly gives you grounds to contact Ted and ask for its removal and for your reading credit to be given back to you. This is something he will do if the review goes against the ethos of the site; he is very good like that. Hopefully you will have a new review soon that is helpful to you. Sometimes if you put out a request on the board for a FW exchange you can get some wonderful insight back for your work. I will try and do one for you this week if it helps? Best wishes. Donna
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FLEB
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Thank you both of you for your replies, I'm glad my response didn't come across as whiny etc. as it isn't what I intended, I simply don't think someone should get away with that without a response. Thank you very much honestyanyway I'll try to get into contact with Ted... how do I do that exactly? :S never had to before! Also Carola thanks, I know, reviews can hit you so hard can't they? But I've gotten pretty good and getting through and taking what I can from everything I recieve. Thanks again for the responses; though I hope soto also sees it and has a chance to perhaps rethink his reviewing style. I see this as a site for learning, not scorning.
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Andrew A
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Not known for my meek acceptance of the bum review, I’ve learned not to take it personally. I’ve read Mr Paulson’s posting and I don’t think he can be harsh on anyone else. If he could not be bothered to read your work, then that’s his lose. He did fulfil the criteria of a minimum of 100 words in his review and others have spent a lot of time on your piece, so bite the bullet. 
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FLEB
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Oh I don't take it personally, I just think it rude frankly. Indeed he did meet the 100 word criteria - mainly by complaining about having to read my work at all. I hardly think this meets the criteria. I know others have taken the time as I have with my own reviews, I simply don't appreciate a review that was clearly only done so they could receive a credit for their own work. Oh I bit the bullet hard when I first read it almost broke a tooth. But thanks for the comments anyway!
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PERRY
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Well one constructive thing to take away is that a few reviewers find your writing difficult to get into. The last two certainly haven't been industrious. Maybe add a bit of yeast to the recipe?
Remember (I know - it's hard) that the criticism is of the writing, nothing else and good luck.
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Malcolm
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Quote: I found reading your pages difficult. It was not the storyline that disappointed me becauseI had no idea about storyline after having read only 200 words. The problem for me was that I really did not want to go on reading the work and become even more dejected by the wrong use of punctuation and the frequently truncated narrative. I think that the best thing I can do is to highlight the errors that I found, only on the first page. This might help you because if others find the read so difficult, right from the outset, the outlook for your novel is not great. Some early examples are:- Tainted with a kind of poison that only pain caused; a cynical stain of timeless wisdom that would forever bruise. This sentence, standing alone, is meaningless, This sentence, ‘Pity welled to accompany the anxiety.’ does not directly relate to the immediately preceding narrative. A leather boot hit the cobbles as she stepped into the street with her feline like elegance; a sense of dignity about her stance. I do not see how you can describe ‘her stance’ when she was moving, not standing. I wish you success with the revision work. I think Soto DOES deserve a reading credit for this, and I applaud his honesty. I had this as an assignment about a week ago, and I rejected it after the first paragraph, for exactly the same reasons Soto stopped reading. Of the two of us, clearly Soto put more time and effort into your story and offered more helpful feedback.
No stars. No charts. Just crits.
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notleyab
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Without seeking to over-stir the pot, it's good to get an honest opinion.
Some people run away at the first sight of a 'complicated' review, and if too many do so you may well end up with a very distorted selection of reviews of your excerpt.
I think it was daibach - a whilebach - who pointed out that if a carpenter didn't follow the basics he would end up with a table, but if it's going to wobble & lean (or something to that effect) it's not one to be proud of.
I haven't looked at yr piece.
But if you've got punctuation probs, use inappropriate words from square one, you can't expect everybody to bite their lip & fight their way thru to the end.
You also have an obligation, to put on as good a presentation as you can.
If you don't, expect a few boos along the way.
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Honestyanyway
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Quote: Malcolm, Monday, 9 Apr 2012 22:31Quote: I found reading your pages difficult. It was not the storyline that disappointed me becauseI had no idea about storyline after having read only 200 words. The problem for me was that I really did not want to go on reading the work and become even more dejected by the wrong use of punctuation and the frequently truncated narrative. I think that the best thing I can do is to highlight the errors that I found, only on the first page. This might help you because if others find the read so difficult, right from the outset, the outlook for your novel is not great. Some early examples are:- Tainted with a kind of poison that only pain caused; a cynical stain of timeless wisdom that would forever bruise. This sentence, standing alone, is meaningless, This sentence, ‘Pity welled to accompany the anxiety.’ does not directly relate to the immediately preceding narrative. A leather boot hit the cobbles as she stepped into the street with her feline like elegance; a sense of dignity about her stance. I do not see how you can describe ‘her stance’ when she was moving, not standing. I wish you success with the revision work. I think Soto DOES deserve a reading credit for this, and I applaud his honesty. I had this as an assignment about a week ago, and I rejected it after the first paragraph, for exactly the same reasons Soto stopped reading. Of the two of us, clearly Soto put more time and effort into your story and offered more helpful feedback. Well I gave her a free will yesterday and didn't have a problem doing it? I think the issue is that soto openly admits that he/she has not read more than 200 words and presumably had to blag the reader test questions using word search. Does he warrant a credit for it? I believe not, he should have passed on it like you did. A lot depends on if a reviewer has an interest in helping other people with their work or if they are really here for themselves alone. If they are the latter, then I guess they would have an urgency for credits that will stop them from tackling a more complicated assignment. There is no right or wrong on passing, but I do believe there is if you are taking a credit and offering next to nothing in return.
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Soto
08 Apr 2012, 16:41
