The point about sending a personal message for misspellings etc may take a little more time but is certainly more appreciated.  

Great! This is really to the point, especially #4

First, Trebs, ta stax for posting comicfan's blog article. Much appreciated.

Second, comicfan, You are SO right regarding all of what you've said. I for one am in total agreement with what you've shared - but then again, let me congratulate myself I don't think I'm guilty

Wayne, very nicely put.  I hope it sparks so more reviews with more detailed information.  I know I have been guilty of just saying 'I enjoyed the story,' but now I will try to include specifics as to why I liked it. 

Very true Wayne.

Though I think that points 2 and 3 don't just apply to leaving reviews, they are also very true of comments when editing and beta-reading.

personally i think Daithi leaves great reviews....

i agree with every point comicfan makes, but i'll say one thing, even the worst reviews here are so much better than anonymous reviews other places. those just suck.

I read this article on his blog and thought it was a good checkpoint into reviews and comments. I think it's a great idea to place it here on the Wednesday site article so even more people can see it. Hopefully it will encourage even more people to review and how to go about it in a way that benefits all of us. Good reviews and constructive criticism is how we write better stories and improve the experience across the board.

I agree 100% with Sasha about how other sites' anonymous reviews are awful. It's a big part of why I came here rather than start elsewhere. Being here is more of being part of a community.

I agree so much with this post!

Other than the blurbs the author creates, your reviews can serve as an excellent source for people who are unsure they want to get into the uberlong, more epic stories here or to get a little more information on what the author's material is like before reading it. When your words don't add much of anything more than clicking the Like This button does, or just contain typo information that may not be accurate anymore, it isn't helpful to all us normal folk who are reading the reviews to get a concensus of what people thought.

I might also add, that when a work is known to have a potentially divisive story element, reviews are helpful to people like me who want to know if the writer does a good job with it. I know GA tries to keep out the purely puerile stories in a thrust for quality, but all of us have different limits and tastes, and reviews are an excellent way of spreading the word on how stories can appeal to different kinds of people -- but only if you are specific!

I understand that there isn't a specific mechanism for normal readers to show their appreciation for other reviewers on the page itself (you could always PM them though!) because it is apparently a limitation of the software used, and that's fine. At the same time, I'd like to extend my gratitude to all the reviews that have helped me find great stories, recommended other good, similar authors and assured me to keep reading when I was skeptical the story would turn out well.

Glad this seems to help. Only one thing I'd like to comment on - Trebs - What puppy? I could have gotten a puppy? No fair!

Wut - you mean, someone actually READS my intro's?   ;-)

 I admit - I have left  comments in my review if I found an error in the story but I don't do it anymore I send a PM  

Bad Teddy !

A very good blog, Wayne ! I love to leave reviews, and I really appreciate when the author takes time to answer my review !!

Wut - you mean, someone actually READS my intro's?   ;-)

Yes, we actually read your intro's. Your comments too!

I love to review.  If I can't be positive, I try to be constructive, leaning positive.  If I can't be that, I keep my thoughts to myself.  I want writers to keep going.  Practice is the way to go.  Don't hesitate to ask for a little coaching tho.  A team does a lot better than a solitary player that thinks he knows all the answers, and the crowd will cheer regardless.  Doesn't happen.  I love to see a good author reach out for help.  That tells me that he or she wants to be a great author.  But, I love to see a new writer say, "I'd love to have a beta and editor.  Can you help?"  Then they become a good author, still striving to be better. 

It does chap me sometimes when I review chapter after chapter of a story, and no response from the author, but if they deserve a review, I still do it.  I want them to keep writing.  "I'm done." 

I love receiving reviews.... It's an ego boost of course.

But at the same time, it really helps to separate my own emotions from my work and see what really didn't fit so well in the story. Or how the readers liked my tinkering with imagery: if it sat well with them and the tone of the writing or if it seemed awkward and out of place.

Also, it helps me to see if I left out too much details because I'm often stuck in my own head. 

So reviews are awesome.

I get few reviews and appreciate them all.

The way I've been taught to review, especially if you don't like something is to find something positive, even if it's only 'thank you for posting such an interesting piece'

Then go on to say explain what you didn't like -  'unfortunately, I wasn't able to get into it because I couldn't quite make out what they were doing to the sheep and why. The dialogue was pretty wooden, especially from the sheep, and I thought you could have given more explanation as to what the guy with blue hair was doing in a hole half way up the mountain'. 

Then end with a positive - 'The sheep made me think of someone I used to know at school and I haven't had such a good laugh in ages. Thanks for making my day.'

 

I agree with all points made in Wayne's blog and in the comments here.  I think the thing about it is, there has to be a level of respect.  you don't have to like what someone's written, its okay, but at least respect the time they put into it, and the fact that it takes guts to share their work etc.   I love comments I think they are a great fuel for a writer and I love leaving them too.  constructive feedback is the best, but no one wants to hear you shouldn't be writing or maybe you should find a better editor.  That's just rudeness