Review writing is thriving and now there are so many online writers who are engaged in various types of review writings. Writing short story review is just like a droplet of water in the huge ocean and you always do not get ready writers. It’s best that you learn how to write a short story review. Reading is a very good habit; it helps you to grow richer in terms of knowledge and vocabulary.
There are so many people who enjoy reading but they feel shy to pen down a review. Review is an expression of your mind, something that is natural and flows spontaneously right from your heart. It’s an output about how you feel reading the story but not divulging everything about it. You can be a bit tactical so that readers do not lose interest in reading the piece.
If you wish to learn review writing, here are a few things you must know:
Read the story well
There is no substitute to reading and anyone who does not like reading will never take interest in writing reviews. Reading helps to get the real feel of the piece and you can not quite a few things mentally. Anything you come across that stands out, it may be some paragraph you can’t understand or it can be anything. Have a pen and paper ready beside you so that you can take necessary notes if and only required.
A few things to consider
- Is the beginning of the story interesting, did you feel the urge to carry on with the piece?
- Did it arouse any sort of emotions in you?
- What do you have to say about the characters? Are they relatable or imaginary?
- Does the story flow well? Make sure you note any abruptness
- Is the story attention grabbing?
Review writing is an art, it’s an interest therefore it’s not mandatory that experienced readers are capable of it. You can always start with it if you have an interest in reading. Incase you are a review writer from a completely different genre but wish to try your hands in short story review writing, well go ahead.
The impression
The impression matters to a great extent so start writing how you feel about the story once you finish reading. It can be a few lines or you can write in-depth about your expression. Your review can contain details that you can add later on.
The essentials
When you are the reader, your suggestions matter to other readers as well. Take a look at the grammar, sentence structure and whether it has any room for improvement. This takes time but a lot of authors really appreciate it.
How much time you review can take
When you learn how to write a short story review, try to devote time. An expert can write within 30 minutes or say 45 minutes. But it can take much more if you are not experienced and it also depends on the length of the story. Keep the length optimum so that readers do not feel it’s clumsy.
Pointing out the suggestions
There is always a best way of doing everything. Here showing respect is very essential. Instead of writing in a negative tone, be encouraging. You must not copy anything but frame it on your own. Have respect for the author in your mind. You can write a part of any sentence and the author can locate them.
The characters and plot
The characters are crucial because no story is a story without characters. Write about how much you could relate and why. Write about how strong the characters are to get the story going. Are the characters consistent and how much you like about the character or any specific one? You can also put your suggestions about the characters. Write about the plot, how interesting it is and how clear it is or does it have a lot of suspense.
Vocabulary and Layout
How well did the author use words, how nicely did he/she play with words to create an interesting read. Good wording is equivalent to a perfect piece. The layout is also very crucial and you can comment on it. Layout is all about how lucid the text is, how much easy to understand it is.
Finally
Its time for you to rate the short story and this will actually reflect you review and opinion. Here you must be very honest. Reviewing is fun; it’s a nice habit you can cultivate. Too much criticizing and negativity is not a part of good review, keep this in mind.
