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i HATE the feel good reviews because they dont tell you anything of use, I want to know what someone liked about my story, why they liked it and what they did not like, and maybe that they caught something here or there too. i want a real review from someone with half a brain while not being a royal jack ass about it.

When I review, I try to leave an honest, in-depth collection of compliments, critique and suggestions on how to improve. Generally, I start out with how I felt about the story as a whole, and if I don't have anything positive to say, I don't review. (That whole, "Not all authors have thick skin" thing.) I tell the author if I liked it, if I felt it had potential, if it intrigued me, if it made me laugh. Next, I note what spelling or grammatical errors I remember seeing, what they should have been and why, AND that it's not a big deal, just something they might want to get a beta for because spell/grammar checks often make mistakes that a human eye can catch. Then I move on to a scene by scene cover of the chapter/story. I comment on how in character people were if the story is fan fiction, and if they're not in character, I share my thoughts on how acceptable the reasoning for that is. I cover the realism of the emotions felt by the characters, because I'm big on psychological cause and effect. Also because I think it helps the reader connect with the story when the emotions are realistic, whether or not people are in character. If there's action, I'll cover how the fight scene seemed to me and how it might be improved (if I think of that; sometimes I miss that one). In telling the author what I liked or disliked in each scene and how it might be improved if needed, I also like to throw in what I thought of the interactions between the characters, the way the thoughts came across, and how much attention to detail there was. Some writers are great at dialogue but suck at background details, such as scenery/surroundings. These are also important details, if mostly noted briefly and in passing, and they help a reader grasp the world the author is writing in. For fan fiction, not so much background detail is necessary, but it's still nice to read. As I'm bringing my review to a close, I usually cover the details that really got to me (good or bad) again, restating why I had the reactions I did and why I felt it was or was not appropriate--and, if not, what suggestions I had to make it more appealing to readers. Then I enthuse a bit more over the story, bringing it to a close on a high note, and end it with my signature phrase and my username, which are as follows: May the words just flow, Cuzosu (I find that "May the words just flow" and similar phrases of writing encouragement often seem to help others get past writer's block, so I try very hard not to leave it out. Encouraging another person to write more is a wonderful way of helping them learn to accept concrit and hopefully getting them to the point of figuring out how to correct some of their own mistakes. It may not always work, but I think it's worth the effort.)

Whenever I receive a review (good or bad) I look at it as if I'm opening a present. Honestly, I see them as gifts! Whether it's a one-line "Hey this is awesome" or a more in-depth analysis of the reader's likes or dislikes. For my main story Dragon Drive, I have received so many awesome reviews and, of course, my favorites are the ones who explain what they like. This topic has a LOT of really awesome points, and I don't think I'd argue with anything put here. Even though I know this thread is called "What do you look for in an ideal review" I think that there has been a lot of great things posted here. I actually want to point out what I don't like in a review (now that's not to say I don't like the review). I have seen a few people try to be really nice, post something awesome, but sometimes what they write can be taken as a little offputting or cynical, something that an author might not appreciate: First and foremost: DON'T ASSUME! You know what they say, "Assuming makes an ass out of u and me." One of the most irritating things that I can see in any review is to make a cynical or resolute decision about where a story is headed. For instance someone saying "Well, it's obvious that xxxx is going to happen" or "It's a shame that your story is going to turn out xxxx way." Remember that the only person who actually knows 100% what is going to happen in a story is the author. Feel free to make a prediction, but let the author tell the story because sometimes they can and will surprise you (we're sneaky like that!). If you don't like a topic, don't read about it. I enjoy writing in topics that some people don't like or don't consider and I make sure to warn everyone in the summary about things that others might find distasteful. One of the rudest things that someone can do is read a story they know they aren't going to like, just so that they can write a critical or cruel review. Remember the compliment sandwich. If you are going to write a criticizing or analytically oriented review, realize that not all authors have thick skin. The compliment sandwich is a way to let an author know that, even though you have your complaints, you still like their work and that their effort is appreciated. It basically goes like this: Start with a compliment, tell them something you like about the story or something you think they did well. Transition into a critique of what you didn't like and remember that most of the time this is personal preference! Just because you don't like it doesn't mean someone else doesn't. The only real non-personal critiques are in terms of technical errors such as grammar, spelling or punctuation. Offer up your own thoughts on how you might fix this, but don't go too deep. Remember that it isn't your story to write. End with another compliment, generally a good one I like to go with is, "Regardless of a few problems here and there, I love this story and honestly thank you for taking the time to write it. Keep up the awesome work!" Don't write what you wouldn't like to receive. Think of your own work for a moment, be it writing, drawing, working on a car, anything! Take the review you want to write and think to yourself in the context of your own hobbies, "Is this something that I would appreciate getting?" If not, you may want to consider rewriting or revising your review.

I wrote this for my own site, but since it may help answer your question, here you go: Review? Why bother? What you read and see at [this site] is art. It may not be created by a professional (though certainly some of it is) but it is art, and should be treated that way. Authors, artists and photographers work hard to create something for you to enjoy. It takes time, energy and emotion to create what you’re seeing in the flash of an eye. It takes a great deal of bravery to post something that has taken so much time and energy for the public to see and dissect. Authors lay bare their fantasies and artists expose their sweat and sore hands to their audience, models are showing their bodies to strangers. Each one is putting him or herself on display. The authors, artists, photographers and models of [the site] deserve recognition on their work. They deserve recognition for their efforts, courage and their generosity in showing you pieces of themselves. The best way to give that recognition is to leave feedback or a review by clicking the “Leave Feedback/Leave a Review” button on the page that you’ve just viewed. How to write a review A gentle reminder before anything else is said is that reviews should be left concerning the quality of the piece and the emotions invoked rather than judging the content of the piece. If you find that your emotions are so heavily negative concerning the work because of the content, please wait to review the work until your emotions have calmed and you can write a reasonably objective review the focuses on the writer’s style and skill rather than your emotional distaste. It’s really important to be unbiased in writing your reviews – both positively and negatively – so the author grows in skill. While a simple “great story” or “Mmmm” note and a star number is acceptable – it shows the author that someone has read and possibly enjoyed the story (and knows where the “M” key is), why not leave a more constructive review? At [the site], we encourage con-crit (constructive criticism) to help authors. This doesn’t mean that every story has a list of things to work on; it could also be that the author should keep doing a certain thing. At the bottom of each chapter and each photograph/drawing, there is a place to add a review/feedback. Type in your comments and click the submission button. Anonymous reviews are not allowed. Flames– that is unreasonable critiques – and personal attacks are also not allowed. Some things to bring up in a constructive review: - Was the summary well written and did it accurately describe the story? “How could it have been improved? How was it good? - Were the content notes accurate? Should others be included? - The plot was _____ (imaginative, original, believable, unrealistic, ....) because _____. - The visual descriptions were _____ (perfect, not enough, lush, gorgeous, inaccurate) because ___ - The characters were ___ (just like real people, humans, exactly what I imagined, one sided, needed depth). My favorite character was ____ because ____. - I thought this story could use a bit of work on ____ (realism, dialog, grammar, ...) - The emotions this picture/story brought out in me were _____. - My overall opinion of this story is that it ________. - What I like most about this picture is ____. - The element that I find most jarring/most pleasing in this photograph is ____ - The next time you take an erotic photo/draw, you should pay attention to ____. - The background elements are ____ (great, too busy, distracting, amazing, how did you do that). - The model in your photo is ______ (beautiful, inappropriate for the manip you chose, looks uncomfortable, looks like she’s having fun.) - I couldn’t really get in to your story because _____ but I did like how you _____. - Leave a [plus]. Please take just a moment when you are finished reading or seeing a photo or drawing, to leave a note for the author or artist. A meaningful review only takes a few seconds but the author or artist appreciates forever.