TONFA- Naruto Fanfiction Forums

Bushtuckapenguin · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 12:30 am Post subject: The Holy Grail - Reviews!

The Holy Grail - Reviews!

If I haven't made it clear by now, everyone knows how much I value the review and a good reviewer, not just for myself but for others. It's the best way to improve, both giving and recieving, it makes friends and may earn reviews on your own fic.

How many reviews have you given? What is the average length? Are you a constant reviewer or a one hit wonder? How do you react to negative critisism? Do you know the difference between fluff, flames and a critique? What is it do you look for in a review? Who's your favourite reviewer?

Well, I haven't given too many since I returned from the field but I try to make up for it by quality over quantity. My aim is to do many more and start being a constant reviewer again. I think I'm averaging about 50-100 words, but most of that has been on illustrating things like proper punctuation or paragraphing so it doesn't really count. My aim is to do many more and start being a constant reviewer again as I'm a shocker for that. I review the first and second chapter but then lose the fic again and never get around to it. Also I prefer to review a chapter then actually see if they appreciated. I often put a good part of thought and effort into a review, you should if you like a fic, so there's nothing I hate more than someone who says R&R (read and review) and then completely ignores it or blows up in your face for the least negative comment no matter how nicely or politely you phase it. I believe every fic, no matter how new or inexpirienced has something redeeming, and credit given where credit due.

Me, I love negative crit. I'd rather know what I'm doing wrong than what I'm doing right so I can improve post haste. I haven't had a good critique in a while, but only cos I haven't posted in a while, so there you go. I like it when people point out any typos and grammar mistakes, because there's nothing worse than posting, and then coming back to find the misspelling has completely altered the tone of a sentence. Once, when posting in a hurry I had written in an intense, plot driver I had written, "Suddenly Maree smelled something up ahead." Although if you read that it says, "Suddenly Maree smelled," like she farted or something! Ahhhh! Most spellcheckers can be useless, especially when it comes to names. I have a habit of writing Akimaru instead of Akamaru.

Mostly I like opinions, something you feel but can't quite articulate. These are the ones that tell me if what I wanted people to feel worked. I dislike vague advice, "Describe more." or "There are some mistakes." Where? What? The more specific the better for me!

I do know how many people react but most of the writers here are so gracious! I've only had one abusive reply, in the cowardly form of a PM, but to the rest, it's much appreciated guys, keep it up!

"I luv yr fic!" and "Yr fic sux!" have exactly the same amount of information but they are recieved completely differently. To me these are what make a fluff and a flame. If someone can give a reason why the fic 'sux', then its a review, a highly insulting and tactless one, but a review. To me, fluff is just as damaging to a writer as a flame because it makes a writer lax, lazy and to content with their work, rather an always aspiring higher. It makes them more closed minded to the one person who points out the negative points of a fic.

Fluff is random spasms of the hand 'I luv yr fic!' and don't prove you've read a fic at all. I could copy and paste that on every fic on the front page and you wouldn't know the difference. If you read a fic and thought it worthy of a review, at least give it more than twenty seconds of your time. What did you like? What didn't you? Did you like the language used? what did it make you feel? These are the things that can be addressed in a review! If you get a review more than two lines, love it and appreciate it, these are the people that care! Flames are the same but at the opposite end of the scale, any review without any information. "I luv yr fic!" and "Yr fic sux!" have exactly the same amount of information but they are recieved completely differently.
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Silent Witness · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:56 am Post subject:

I feel where you're coming from. It's hard to get good substantive criticism. I try to give constructive criticism when I review, but I unfortunately do more writing then I do reading of fanfiction. Hopefully we can get more people to give constructive criticism.

Sakuranzu · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject:

*feels guilty* xD
I've given a couple of "I'm really liking your story, please continue"
I know it's generic and all, but sometimes its hard to think of anything. I don't know if authors want us to point out every little spelling mistake or what. I give more input if I find something totally wierd or didn't make sense. Or if something was really funny/hot/cute I comment on it. I try I swear xD
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Dancerofshadows · Anbu Joined: 24 Jan 2008 Posts: 136 Location: Cyrodiil

Sakuranzu · Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:30 pm Post subject:

Bushtuckapenguin · Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:46 am Post subject:

I kind of have a list I tick through, although I'd sieve the information gradually through all the chapter because having a huge chunk of information is often depressing and overwhelming. Here are always some good things to start with:

Title:Do you like the title, does it suit the story or is it too generic, eg "The New Kid" Is it spelled and capitalized correctly? What drew you to click on it.

Summary: What do you think of the summary? Does it give enough information, too much? Is it boring? Is it well spelled, paragraphed and punctuated? Has the author highlighted the right categories and characters? Have they highlighted too many categories and characters. What drew you to into the main story?

Appearance: Now that you're inside the main story, at a glance what are your impressions. Is it tidy and well paragraphed? Are their large blocks of white or is it dialogue intensive? Is there one great big whopping picture that goes of the page and nothing else? At a glance does it abide by the rules?

Art: Is there a banner or illustrations accompanying the story? Do they suit the story, are they cluttered around the text? Are they useful or do they distract your eye too much from the story? Are they too big or too small? Are there too many?

Spelling: Are their spelling mistakes in the first paragraph? How many spelling mistakes and typos are their through out the fic? Does their appear to be proofread or 'Hot off the press'. What does this suggest about the author (in a kind way). Does this make reading and immersing yourself in the story difficult.

Punctuation: Is punctuation correct? If not advise them as best you can using examples from their own fic. Do the mistakes seem that they genuinely don't know because they're new or because they can't be bothered? Remember each school may teach punctuation differently.

Paragraphing: Does the author appear to understand paragraphing? Do they start a new line with each new speaker? Do they start a new line with each new topic? Do they use double paragraphing? Is their paragraphing organised making it easy to read? If not, advise them as best you can using examples from their own work.

I believe in credit given where credit due, so always mention what they do right along with mistakes that can be smoothed away with practice. I'll probably post more later.
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Dancerofshadows · Anbu Joined: 24 Jan 2008 Posts: 136 Location: Cyrodiil

Woah, that list will be helpful for my next reviews. I haven't thought about listing that stuff before.
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Ndasuunye · Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 4:07 am Post subject:

Thank you. Some people understand the importance of a good review. I have been telling my friends on this other fanfiction site that in order to give a good review don't just say, I love it keep it up or something similar along thoses lines. Now I just need to get people to say more than just point out grammer errors, although they are helpful as well. I always have a tendancy of giving my reasons of why this is good. I won't lie though, when I find a particular chapter flawless, I tend to say stuff like "Hmm this is getting very interesting. I can't wait to read more.". Still it's hard to get people to give a good review when most of them don't really care if others improve or not.
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Priest · Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:25 am Post subject:

Honestly, I tend to only review when I have invested more than three hours into reading either a specific story, or a specific author, and I always use the same format:

I actually despise getting reviews that only say "This is good!"; to me, that's an insult. If it's good, favorite it, put it on a list of stories you want to be emailed to you when it updates, but for the love of god don't give me that sort of tripe. It doesn't help, and quite frankly it doesn't tell me that you've actually read the entire story. Hands up anyone who's skipped over paragraphs or chapters of a story because they are a) rehashes of something in canon or b) exceedingly dull descriptions of a training session.

While I enjoy getting good reviews I actually like getting notices that my stories are on person-x-y-z's favorites lists more. To me, that's always meant more than getting a review, because it means that a person likes my writing enough to recommend it to anyone who comes to visit their profiles. It's all about the exposure to me.

Which, when you consider it that way, explains why I don't review very often.
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sacryde · Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:48 pm Post subject:

I have a rather bad habit of not reviewing many stories, but that's mostly because I don't read many. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to characterization, and if the characters are way too out of character, or they have no depth at all, I'll stop reading immediately and move on to something else. But for the stories that I do finish and review, I tend to leave at least a few sentances. At first, I only left maybe one or two because I felt almost awkward about it, but if I get into the story, I'll leave something longer. I don't think I've ever left a review that simply said "This is good, keep writing" because that's far too...simple. I like to point out what I liked, even if it's vague. And if the author got the characters down, I'll definitely point that out.
Though, sometimes I leave a bit of critique surrounded by a bit of fluff. Like, "I enjoyed this, but to me, Neji seemed wayyy out of character" or something like that. So yeah.

As for receiving reviews....I love every single person that leaves me a review, seriously. Because I mean, I spend hours working on a single chapter, and to know that my work paid off and people enjoyed it is just the best thing in the world. So far, I haven't gotten a review where someone said they didn't like my work, and I haven't gotten a flame or anything. But I'm hoping for one, one day. It'll be funny.
I haven't received much criticism either, which I find odd, but when I do, even if it's said jokingly, I take it to heart and try to work on it to the best of my ability. I'll go back and edit the story a few times until the problem is gone, or make up for it in the next chapter, depending on whether it's a one-shot or not.
And I do have a few favorite reviewers because I love it when someone leaves a review that kind of lets me in on their personality a bit. After a while, I feel like I'm actually friends with them, and that's just the best thing in the world.

Ndasuunye · Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:23 pm Post subject:

Yes I know what you mean. It is nice to get a review. Honestly I don't care what the review says anymore. I am just happy I got since I usually never get one. That doesn't mean I'm telling you to go and give a simple a** review. Please don't do that. Anyway, it also makes me even more excited that people add me to favorites. I just get that tingly feeling. Yet although I like it when people add me as an author favorite, I much rather perfer you add story in particular. I am also not saying just to do that either. But it shows that you actually like my story and won't give it a quikie or a one hitter quitter type of thing. So yeah.
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