The Review Game
Mar 20, 2018 22:58:44 GMT
Post by Firebrand on Mar 20, 2018 22:58:44 GMT
Please read this entire post before participating. Reviewers having a clear understanding of the guidelines and expectations of the Review Game before jumping in makes my life easier, and in the long run, yours too.
Welcome to the Review Game! Are you starved for reviews? Do you feel like your work doesn't get the recognition it deserves? Do you want a fresh perspective on your fic? Then this is the place for you!
The Review Game is a review exchange focusing on in-depth reviews. It works a little like this:
Person 1 says: I reviewed "Electric Sheep"! Please review "The Halvarsaga"!
Person 2 says: Ok, I reviewed "The Halvarsaga", ch 1 . So can the next person please review "Selfish Perceptions" or "Ghost Town"?
Person 3 says: Done (I did "Ghost Town", chapter 4), so can the next person review "Foul Play"? Thanks.
Basically, you give a review, you get a review, and everyone goes home happy.
NOTE: Before you post here asking for a review, you must first write/post the review for the story ahead of you. You can't "claim" a spot. Go, write the review, and then post here saying you did it, and you will become next in line.
Like I mentioned above, the focus of the Review Game is on in-depth reviews, so the idea is that you dig into your recipient's fic and really pull out some things to comment on. A good rule of thumb is to mention four things in a review, either things you liked or that you didn't, and say two to three sentences about each thing at a minimum. Comments like "That was totally cool, please update soon!" or "I want to read more" or even "I love this fic so much!" don't really say anything about the story itself, and as such, they don't really constitute as a sentence that is could be counted, in this case. This doesn't mean you can't put it in the review, just don't count it as one of the points in your review.
Below are a few prompts for things you could conceivably talk about in your reviews. Note that it doesn't have to come from this list, but these are a few ideas to help you get started in the right direction:
- Opening (were you gripped from the first sentence? Did it lack a hook? How so?)
- Ending (did the chapter ending leave you scrambling for more? If it's a one shot, did you feel a good sense of closure?)
- Scene (was there one scene in particular that stood out to you? In a good way or a bad way? How so?)
- Dialogue (how did it flow? Awkward? Didn't fit the age group that were speaking? Forced? Stilted or unnatural? OOC? How so?)
- Characters (too empty? Feel sympathetic? Gripping and real? Are their interactions believable or not? How so?)
- Writing style (too flowery? Too many adverbs? Too oldfashioned for a high-school drama romance? Perfect match? How so?)
- Spelling/Grammar/Syntax (anything that stuck out and needed to be corrected? Any particularly awkward passages? Bad habits that need to be addressed?) Note: Pointing out an absence of flaws does not count.
- Enjoyment (how did you feel from reading this and WHY? Were you dozing off? On your seat with suspense? How so?)
- Plot (clichéd but well done? Interesting idea but poor execution? Suggestions on how to thicken it? Got no idea where it's heading, but interesting anyhow? Swept up along? How so?)
- Pace (are things progressing too slowly? Are you unable to keep up?)
- Technique (POV, format, genre awareness, general voice, or any other tricks and things you feel the author is using or misusing in the story)
REVIEW TEMPLATE
Here is a suggested way to format your review in order make sure it fits the qualifications. Again, doesn't really have to be this way, but it helps keep thoughts in order.
[Area 1 from above] = Two or three sentences about this
[Area 2 from above] = Two or three sentences about this
[Area 3 from above] = Two or three sentences about this
[Area 4 from above] = Two or three sentences about this
TIP: A good way to implement this is to identify the thing you want to comment on, talk briefly about it in the general sense of the fic, and then point to one or two specific instances and how it's working (or not)
Please remember that you do not need to make your review in this structure. It can be one flowing text, if that's how you usually review, and after writing what you had to say, compare with the requirements and see if you fulfilled them. Then, you just have to add what is "missing". No need to be so formal and structured if you feel like that's going to get in the way of your process, so long as you cover all your bases. And remember that critique is fine, so long as it's constructive. The forum rules about flaming and harassment obviously apply here.
Please keep in mind that to qualify for the Review Game, you need only read and review one chapter. As a reviewer, you are only obligated to read a single chapter of a given work, and when requesting, you are only allowed to request one chapter at a time. Please do not request multiple chapters. If your reviewer wants to go above and beyond and read more than one, they are welcome to do so, but they need only read one to fulfill their requirements.
That being said, for writers of multi-chaptered fics, keep in mind that if you want a review on a later chapter in your fic, your reviewer may not be completely familiar with the story up to that point, and their review will reflect that.
A few more items...
1. All reviews for the Review Game also count for the Review Relay! Feel free to kill two Pidgey with one Rock Throw, but also keep in mind that unlike the Relay, there are no prizes in the Review Game for going above and beyond. We're just trying to swap reviews here, so while your altruism and competitive spirit are appreciated, don't think it will win you any special perks.
2. I will do my best to arbitrate the reviews that are posted via the game, and if a review does not meet the requirements, I will notify that reviewer in this thread and give them 24 hours to get their review up to snuff. If they do not do that in 24 hours, the review is considered void, and the previous poster is up once again.
3. If possible, please link your review in your post on this thread. It saves me the trouble of hunting it down on the board. It's not the end of the world if you don't, but I would appreciate it.
4. Because I'm not omnipotent, sometimes things slip through the cracks. If you receive a review that you don't think fulfills the review requirements, and you don't think I've seen it yet, please feel free to reach out to me either via PM here or on the Discord, and I'll take a look.
4. If two people review the same fic at the same time and both post in the Review Game on top of each other, I will review this on a case-by-case basis.
If other issues come up, I'll update this post to clarify.
Now, as a special reward for the person who has consistently topped our leaderboard, the inaugural review of the Review Game is to go to eldestoyster! To the first poster here, please review any one chapter of eldestoyster's fics to kick the game off, and then you'll be able to request a review of your own.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
Welcome to the Review Game! Are you starved for reviews? Do you feel like your work doesn't get the recognition it deserves? Do you want a fresh perspective on your fic? Then this is the place for you!
The Review Game is a review exchange focusing on in-depth reviews. It works a little like this:
Person 1 says: I reviewed "Electric Sheep"! Please review "The Halvarsaga"!
Person 2 says: Ok, I reviewed "The Halvarsaga", ch 1 . So can the next person please review "Selfish Perceptions" or "Ghost Town"?
Person 3 says: Done (I did "Ghost Town", chapter 4), so can the next person review "Foul Play"? Thanks.
Basically, you give a review, you get a review, and everyone goes home happy.
NOTE: Before you post here asking for a review, you must first write/post the review for the story ahead of you. You can't "claim" a spot. Go, write the review, and then post here saying you did it, and you will become next in line.
Like I mentioned above, the focus of the Review Game is on in-depth reviews, so the idea is that you dig into your recipient's fic and really pull out some things to comment on. A good rule of thumb is to mention four things in a review, either things you liked or that you didn't, and say two to three sentences about each thing at a minimum. Comments like "That was totally cool, please update soon!" or "I want to read more" or even "I love this fic so much!" don't really say anything about the story itself, and as such, they don't really constitute as a sentence that is could be counted, in this case. This doesn't mean you can't put it in the review, just don't count it as one of the points in your review.
Below are a few prompts for things you could conceivably talk about in your reviews. Note that it doesn't have to come from this list, but these are a few ideas to help you get started in the right direction:
- Opening (were you gripped from the first sentence? Did it lack a hook? How so?)
- Ending (did the chapter ending leave you scrambling for more? If it's a one shot, did you feel a good sense of closure?)
- Scene (was there one scene in particular that stood out to you? In a good way or a bad way? How so?)
- Dialogue (how did it flow? Awkward? Didn't fit the age group that were speaking? Forced? Stilted or unnatural? OOC? How so?)
- Characters (too empty? Feel sympathetic? Gripping and real? Are their interactions believable or not? How so?)
- Writing style (too flowery? Too many adverbs? Too oldfashioned for a high-school drama romance? Perfect match? How so?)
- Spelling/Grammar/Syntax (anything that stuck out and needed to be corrected? Any particularly awkward passages? Bad habits that need to be addressed?) Note: Pointing out an absence of flaws does not count.
- Enjoyment (how did you feel from reading this and WHY? Were you dozing off? On your seat with suspense? How so?)
- Plot (clichéd but well done? Interesting idea but poor execution? Suggestions on how to thicken it? Got no idea where it's heading, but interesting anyhow? Swept up along? How so?)
- Pace (are things progressing too slowly? Are you unable to keep up?)
- Technique (POV, format, genre awareness, general voice, or any other tricks and things you feel the author is using or misusing in the story)
REVIEW TEMPLATE
Here is a suggested way to format your review in order make sure it fits the qualifications. Again, doesn't really have to be this way, but it helps keep thoughts in order.
[Area 1 from above] = Two or three sentences about this
[Area 2 from above] = Two or three sentences about this
[Area 3 from above] = Two or three sentences about this
[Area 4 from above] = Two or three sentences about this
TIP: A good way to implement this is to identify the thing you want to comment on, talk briefly about it in the general sense of the fic, and then point to one or two specific instances and how it's working (or not)
Please remember that you do not need to make your review in this structure. It can be one flowing text, if that's how you usually review, and after writing what you had to say, compare with the requirements and see if you fulfilled them. Then, you just have to add what is "missing". No need to be so formal and structured if you feel like that's going to get in the way of your process, so long as you cover all your bases. And remember that critique is fine, so long as it's constructive. The forum rules about flaming and harassment obviously apply here.
Please keep in mind that to qualify for the Review Game, you need only read and review one chapter. As a reviewer, you are only obligated to read a single chapter of a given work, and when requesting, you are only allowed to request one chapter at a time. Please do not request multiple chapters. If your reviewer wants to go above and beyond and read more than one, they are welcome to do so, but they need only read one to fulfill their requirements.
That being said, for writers of multi-chaptered fics, keep in mind that if you want a review on a later chapter in your fic, your reviewer may not be completely familiar with the story up to that point, and their review will reflect that.
A few more items...
1. All reviews for the Review Game also count for the Review Relay! Feel free to kill two Pidgey with one Rock Throw, but also keep in mind that unlike the Relay, there are no prizes in the Review Game for going above and beyond. We're just trying to swap reviews here, so while your altruism and competitive spirit are appreciated, don't think it will win you any special perks.
2. I will do my best to arbitrate the reviews that are posted via the game, and if a review does not meet the requirements, I will notify that reviewer in this thread and give them 24 hours to get their review up to snuff. If they do not do that in 24 hours, the review is considered void, and the previous poster is up once again.
3. If possible, please link your review in your post on this thread. It saves me the trouble of hunting it down on the board. It's not the end of the world if you don't, but I would appreciate it.
4. Because I'm not omnipotent, sometimes things slip through the cracks. If you receive a review that you don't think fulfills the review requirements, and you don't think I've seen it yet, please feel free to reach out to me either via PM here or on the Discord, and I'll take a look.
4. If two people review the same fic at the same time and both post in the Review Game on top of each other, I will review this on a case-by-case basis.
If other issues come up, I'll update this post to clarify.
Now, as a special reward for the person who has consistently topped our leaderboard, the inaugural review of the Review Game is to go to eldestoyster! To the first poster here, please review any one chapter of eldestoyster's fics to kick the game off, and then you'll be able to request a review of your own.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!