I am now hospitalized, and my ego may be forever crippled. They had to give me back a spine and take out my lily livers. In order to write this, I had a computer moved into my hospital room, so I can type this out, but they keep having to sedate me as I have convulsions whenever a piece of paper or a pen enters my sight.
That being said, let's talk about the dreaded peer review, yeah?
Here are some DO's AND DON'T's TO PEER REVIEW from both an author's point of view and a critic's point of view:
1.) Do - give review thoroughly.
There's no such thing as a short peer review. No such thing. If you give something to someone and they say, "That's good; I like it," they have NOT given you peer review. They have given you encouragement (which is never a bad thing).
2.) Do not - try to separate good from bad.
I think one of the reasons why the peer review I got yesterday hurt so bad was because it was all negative feedback, and I had neither
a.) any positive feedback or
b.) a warni---hkahUWFAGSKEFisayspeelikejermaNOOOOOOOIT'SMYWRITINGjakossFOOSROHDAHHH---
...
a few hours later...
...
*groggily reaches for keyboard and bats away nurse with morphine shot*
Leave me alooon---
Er, sorry, guys.
What was I saying? Ah, yes, a warning. I think negative feedback sinks in much more nicely if it's dunked and fried in a load of, "I was really rough here, so don't be scared," and, "These are just my opinions, so don't feel like you have to use them all or even any of them," and, "Please don't freak out when you see all of the things I wrote because I was pretty hard." That sort of talk allows the author time to set his/her teeth before diving in; no warning is a slap in the face.
It hurts.
On the note of a positive feedback...well...GIVE IT. Negative feedback could be hidden in layers of, "Oh, I absolutely loved so-and-so," or, "Your story sooo reminded me of ___," and most mature authors will embrace both positive and negative with open arms.
As with any feedback, encase it in a capsule of love.
3.) Do - give grammatical feedback.
But...
4.) Do not - enforce your grammar rules on others.
Grammar is subject to change. Make sure to NOTE run-on's and dependent phrases, but don't scratch them out or rage about them.
Who knows? The author may have put them in on purpose.
5.) Do - edit twice.
Edit once from a recreational standpoint so you understand the story, then again, from a critic's standpoint so you can analyze the story.
6.) Do - feel free to spaz out.
I think every author loves a little fandom concerning certain characters and scenes. Smiley faces - :) XD x) ;P ;) - also help to deaden the sting of review.
7.) Do not - hospitalize anyone.
*glances warily at nurse coming in with clipboard*
Eh...I should probably sign off now.
Write oHYUHNONONONONONOOO!!!
Clove
P.S. Anyone catch the "I say 'spee' like Jerma"?
P.P.S. Then did you catch the Skyrim reference? I'm expecting to hear from you, Aaron. x)
I understood that.
ReplyDeleteI understood that reference.
x) It was a miracle I made it to school today. The hospital let me out, but now the asylum wants me in. :P
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