Your Guide To Reviews

saltycaramel1394:

longlivefeedback:

tsunderesasuke:

The Problem

Fic writers wonder why people don’t review. They honestly can’t understand the silence. Writers assume that readers:

• usually have something to add/criticize/say
• know how to articulate their own thoughts/feelings
• withhold feedback because they’re lazy or apathetic
• don’t appreciate how much time/effort/energy goes into writing

On the flip-side, readers assume that:

• the writer already knows how ‘good’ their work is
• someone else will review because this fic is ‘obviously’ awesome
• if a fic is already ‘popular,’ their feedback won’t matter
• if they comment, they ‘must’ leave an awesome, insightful, detailed comment that 100% reflects their love for a fic
• since words aren’t adequate, it’s better to stfu and just click the kudos button/favotite/bookmark

None of these assumptions are accurate.

The reality is that:

• there is no reason for a writer to post their work except to get feedback that validates their vision, helps them improve and/or gives them an outsider perspective/interpretation of their work (which can be absolutely mind-blowing)
• like, you can and should write for yourself, but if that’s 100% the case, every good fic would be wasting away in a private word document
• ‘readers’ are not always ‘writers’
• ‘writers’ can naturally put their ideas and emotions into words
• ‘readers’ usually don’t know what to say, which words to use to express themselves, and belittle the importance of their perspective
• many ‘readers’ don’t write, so they can’t empathize with the struggle of writing a fic for a silent but attentive audience

Basically, readers don’t understand writers and vice-versa. Both parties are wired differently. Readers who also write are more likely to review because they empathize with both sides of the equation.

The Solution

Writers

• Be patient, understanding, and persistent
• Appreciate those who do review
• Don’t get bitter, discontinue a beloved story, or assume the worst of your readers
• Realize that everyone is really trying their best

Readers

• Be patient, supportive, honest, and empathetic
• Realize that there’s no minimum! Even two words (like ‘good work!’) can have a huge impact

Review Templates

Things to say when you’re tongue-tied:

Verbs

• I liked the part where/when…
• I wonder why…
• I smiled/laughed when…
• I was confused when…
• I think that…
• I predict…
• I was sad/happy/angry/[other emotion] when…

Nouns

• [character] did/said/felt/will do [this thing]
• because… (if applicable)
• [insert plot point/event]

Example: I think that [this guy] ran away from [his friend] because he was trying to protect him.

And that’s it. You don’t have to say anything else. One sentence is more than enough, but you’ll notice that once you get started, you’ll have a lot to say- so say it!

Author’s style

Your writing is:

• Detailed/descriptive
• Vivid
• Concise (to the point)
• Funny
• Serious
• Surreal
• Unique
• Compelling
• Provocative
• Leaves me wondering about a lot of things, and I’m curious about what happens next
• Confused me a little at times (talk about what confused you! The author will be more than happy to clear things up!)

Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t

• Worry about grammar/typos in your review
• Suggest a direction for the story (most writers know what they’re doing and you just gotta trust them)
• Think that clicking the kudos button is all you can do! Your opinion is important!
• Tell the author to do more of [this] and less of [that]
• Ask them to update without leaving any other feedback

Do

• Leave short comments if you can’t think of anything else to say (“I like this” is more than acceptable, seriously)
• Inform the author of typos (be specific)- many fics are un-beta’d. The writer will appreciate your attention to detail.
• Express your own perspective even if it isn’t ‘correct-’ I think [character] did this because she was jealous, which explains why…
• Understand that your unique interpretation of motives/symbolism/foreshadowing/anything is extremely valuable
• Be honest, but diplomatic 
• Bookmark/rec works if you enjoy them, esp to help lesser-known writers 

You can copy/paste from this post into your reviews. It’s hard to find the right words sometimes, but for writers, anything is better than silence.

This is great! I have a few things to add. 

Writers

• Be patient with your readers, yes. Commenting is a skill, and even when it seems like something easy, it isn’t – not for everyone, at every time. However. It is okay to be disappointed that a story didn’t get much of a response. This is normal, and it doesn’t make you entitled or ungrateful. It makes you a person. 
• If a fic isn’t getting much feedback, and you decide to discontinue it for that reason – that’s okay too. No matter how much you want to tell a story, the motivation to put in so, so much effort and make it happen comes from a lot of sources, and comments can be a vital component. 
• Post on multiple sites (ao3, FFN, wattpad, tumblr, etc). You want that audience? Go get ‘em!! 

Readers

• Don’t get mad at an author for requesting feedback, or discontinuing a story due to lack of it. It’s easy to feel guilty, and it’s often more pleasant to turn guilt into anger and push it outwards, but it’s unfair. The author’s statement isn’t targeting you and only you, and the vast majority of the time, they’re not angry either – they’re scared that they’re pouring their energy into something that no one else cares about. 
• You don’t have to go from never commenting, or commenting very rarely, to commenting on every single thing you read. You don’t have to comment at all. But, if you want to comment more, don’t, start out with the goal of going from 0 to 100. Instead, tell yourself “I’m going to comment on at least one fic today,” or “The next time I bookmark a fic, I’m going to tag it with a description of how it made me feel.” 
• Using a template isn’t cheating!! “It’s not completely original,” well, who cares. Most of what we say has been said countless times before, but that doesn’t make it meaningless – it’s been said so many times because it’s been meant. 
• If you’re worried about commenting because you’re not a native speaker, it’s okay! However, when authors get a comment from someone who says that they’re reading this in a second language, that you’re still learning, we go “oh my god Dedication I love you so much.” 
• To those readers who are also writers – commenting is different than writing. They might as well be different languages (and depending on what languages you read/write in, they might actually be different languages). The fact that you write stories might not make commenting any easier, and that, again, is normal. I’ve said several times that “I can only say what I mean when I can put the words into a character’s mouth.” 
• If you don’t want to leave a short comment but you don’t know what to say? Talk to a friend about the story while you’re reading, if you have fandom friends. Make them read it too. When you’re done, copy the best parts of the chat log (including keyboard smashes) into the comment box and post it. Authors love that. 

– Mod Rose

Saving these because leaving comments is hard, I struggle with it at times and these templates seem useful