The majority of writers who rewrite based on their YouWriteOn feedback are higher rated by their readers as a result.

The Guide to Constructive Reviewing takes a couple of minutes to read and is designed to make sure that you get the most from reviewing and your reviews on YouWriteOn to help you develop your writing. 



Introduction - What is Constructive Reviewing? 

Constructive is described as ‘seeking to develop or improve’.

Members have commented reviewing others helps them develop their writing as much as getting reviews from others. This is through thinking about what makes good writing and thinking about writing that needs development in other members stories.

Members will naturally at first have a focus on what their reviews will be, but you will benefit much more and develop your writing by reviewing others constructively as well.

One member has put it very succinctly:

‘The feedback is helping me enormously. When more than one reader hits on the same weakness, bingo - do something. Reviewing the work of others is a lesson in itself. Somebody writes an atmospheric description and you wonder why you can't do as well yourself. Somebody else misses a plot opportunity and you realise you have done that too.’

The brief guide below is designed to make sure that you and other members get the most from reviewing and reviews on YouWriteOn. 

What makes Constructive Reviewing? 

We've listed three of the most important parts to constructive reviewing that are useful to apply to your reviewing:

Step 1 - Say why you think something may work or need development and give examples.

One of the most important part of constructive reviewing is to say why something works or why something may need development in a fellow writer’s story and to give examples. This helps the writer and yourself develop writing.

Imagine the following statement applied to your writing of a fantasy story as an example:

'Your story particularly the action scenes didn’t work for me.’

You probably wouldn’t be impressed by this review comment. This is because the information does not give any helpful opinion on why the reviewer considers action scenes do not work, and does not give examples to help the writer develop their action scenes. Compare this with the following:  

‘Your Action Scenes: I thought your action scenes could be improved for the following reasons, when your character sees the creatures, keep the sentences shorter to increase the pace. It’s an exciting, dramatic action scene. How fearful is your character? Perhaps extend the scene a little to increase the drama. For example, he could nearly fall to his death, losing his grasp of the tree and catching hold again just in time.  If he is doing this mission despite his deep underlying fears (perhaps of heights) again he will be a more sympathetic character. Concentrate on your main character as much as you do on the creature characters.’ 

This example, because it says why the reviewer believes the action scenes could be improved, and gives examples, may be of real value to helping the writer develop their writing. Particularly if other reviews make similar points. The above reviewer also makes observations which they can apply to develop their own writing. 

Summary: It is useful to say why you think something may work or need development, and give examples to help develop the writing of another writer and your own writing.  



Step 2 - Keep it Positive – Review  as you would have yourself Reviewed

It is good practice not to use words or phrases that are too negative or may be taken too personally in reviews.

If words or phrases are used which are too harsh or emotive sounding, then a writer may inevitably view the review as being destructive instead of constructive.

Example: imagine any of the following phrases applied to your own work - “boring, dull, pathetic.”  This would immediately set most writers on edge, particularly if not qualified with any reasons why, and probably any other constructive comments that the reviewer may give will be wasted through the ‘red mist’ which the writer sees this phrasing.

It is useful to bear in mind that the vast majority of writers learn and improve on the site through constructive feedback, and are higher rated as a result, so avoid dispiriting reviews which will have the opposite effect.

Constructive and honest criticism to help writers develop is most firmly welcome on YouWriteOn, and do not be afraid of voicing your opinion. For example, if you consider a story really needs work. Anodyne reviews which say nothing, contribute nothing to developing anyone’s writing, whereas forthright and constructive reviews e.g. ones which give a constructive example or two as to why a character, story, etc, may not work, or how they may possibly be improved, can be very beneficial. YouWriteOn's literary professionals, who include published novelists, comment that novels which are 80% there will not make it these days, so honest critical feedback to help writers make the next step is firmly welcome.

Summary: Avoid negative, anodyne, or dispiriting reviewing. Make constructive criticism.  

           

Step 3 – Rating a Book

As with constructively reviewing a story, members should also constructively rate a story. The site gives guidance when you rate a story so think carefully about how your review relates to the marks you will give a story.

It is very useful if you feel a part of a book needs considerable development - for example, characters, or setting - that you give extra attention to your marking in your typed review. 

For example, imagine your characters are rated low, but there is no indication or examples in the review as to why you have been rated as you have. If an area is rated low, you will be keen to get an opinion, an example, or a reason why to help you develop in that area.

Summary: Rate and review constructively. Give examples to help the writer develop for areas you feel need specific development. 



Step 4 - Style of Reviewing

You can choose to ‘free form’ review e.g. address the points which you think important in your review, or review according to each different facet that you rate on e.g. address areas such as story, character, setting, etc, individually.

Members have commented that each style has its advantages. Some members find it useful to address story facets such as character, story, individually. Others find it useful to ‘free form’ review, e.g. to concentrate on aspects of the story that they thought worked well or needed development.