A Nice Review

[NightScribe]

I thought I'd share a really nice review I got on my WIP. I know a lot of us have griped about fics with terrible spelling and grammar, so I thought I'd pass along the fact that there are people out there who appreciate a little extra effort and take the time to say so.

  2006-11-23  id # 3000053198

Excellent writing as usual. Lucius is certainly living down to his reputation. I can't say much, for obvious reasons, except Wow!! So I'll just say the story is excellent and unique. It could have finished with the end of Chapter Six, so you can picture me with my hand over my eyes, peeking between my fingers, worrying about what comes next. But I'll be reading anyway.

I love that you know the difference between its and it's, and your and you're, and to and too. It seems to be a universal failing of most writers, on AFF anyway. I'm absolutely luxuriating in your grasp of the basics of the English language. Thanks for the story and the grammar. 8-)

If only more reviewers could be so succinct!

[EveKnight75]

Odd, but amusing. I'm pleased I found this... and I'm especially pleased with the grammar. Well-written stories are becoming harder and harder to find recently. Thank you!

The above is a review I had gotten here at AFF. It really is nice to be appreciated for using proper spelling and grammar. One of my readers also e-mailed me with a translation beta request (she translated but wasn't sure the English was all right and wanted to have it compared to the original language version). She told me that she loved the fact that there was proper spelling and grammar in my fics because as a non-native of English it was really hard for her to understand most fics because she was still learning the language.

Some of the other nice non-concrit reviews I've gotten include:

I feel a little guilty for having found the sex scene kinda hot...I'm not a fan of underage sex, but you wrote it realistically enough that it didn't turn my stomach. XD This was pretty amusing at points, too, especially Lucy's plan totally failing on her.

Oh this was a GREAT story!And probably something that was on the minds of anyone who ever watched that damn show.The writing was excellent as well,and I really felt like I was at that party.Good job!!

wR

These are some of the reviews from FF.Net.

This story rocks my socks! I'm so into how Jan and Peter and Bobby and Cindy are feeling, and that picture just takes things to a whole new level. I'll be here (hopefully signed in and all) whenever you update. Great job!

i like your attitude, and i don't mean that in a weird sarcastic way or anything. i hate all the blubbering girlscouts on who bend ove backwards to appease reviewers. writing isn't a popularity contest, it's an expression, and you're doing it eloquently, thoughtfully, and realistically. this is by far my favorite martin mystery fanfic. you show talent with this story, and i can't wait to read more.

You have a very interesting story here. The plot is pretty well thought out; you have just the right balance of whatever genres it is you incorporated. I'm looking forward to reading more, if you ever update.

A lot of the time we gripe about reviews that we don't like. Rarely do we take the time to appreciate the reviews we do like. This is a great thread idea, and came at a perfect time.

[Nanaea]

I guess that I've been lucky in that I've only ever gotten positive reviews (aside from our dear review-bot Megan). I have several that mention grammar, etc. Here's my fav from my first story:

I've been looking forward to finding a good Remus/Tonks fan fiction, and this one takes the cake! Remus and Tonks are very in character and very believable, and the flow of words and sentences was easy to read, offering very good flow to the story. Grammar and punctuation were spot on. Excellent story! I look forward to reading more of your work and I've put this one in my Recs!

This one is a bit more succinct:

Hmm, I simple love your story. The dialogue was EXCELLENT. both Lupin and Tonks were really in character. THANKS

I really don't mind the gushing, squeeing fangirl reviews either. As a matter of fact, some of them are quite amusing, like this one:

AHHHHHH!!! OMG OMG OMG!!! AHH! lol

Erm, *cough* sorry for that..erm...uncontrollable outburst. But heh, you see, I nearly passed out from the great awesomeness of this fic. Truly..I don't know how I can even find the right words to compose even this simple review, I mean, really! I just-I-well...uh..whew *breather*

OK! Back to work. Wow, this was a great accomplishment. I never thought I would finally get a bit of fictional fanfic closure from this built up junk that is the relationship of Remus and Tonks. OMG OMG OMG! Heh, sorry, acting like a crazed schoolgirl, I know, don't tell me, I just don't know what to say about this.

Complete and utter delicious-erm...ness. Yes, deliciousness. Very grand. Sexy even. Wicked and pleasantly so. Heh, lovely. MORE MORE MORE!

Erhmhrm, that is all. Farewell.

[Iggy_lovechild]

Hmm...I'll share a few, why not? I guess I should be flattered that it's very rarely that I get bad reviews.

For my long-running SO:3 ficlet/one-shot series, "Interludes":

First off, I must commend you on your amazing job of keeping Albel and Fayt in character. I've enjoyed reading chapter after chapter, each one bringing a new perspective to how Fayt and Albel's relationship could be like. I found a few spelling and grammar mistakes here and there, and a few of the chapters seemed to overlap in their content, but besides that this story was simply riveting. It was a pleasure to read this story. And just to let you know, I thought it was a nice touch how you tied the first and last chapters together by making them about Fayt or Albel talking 'directly' to the other. I just wanted to leave you a review to let you know just how much I love this story.

For The latest chappie of "Strange Bedfellows":

I wanted to comment on all the descriptions and turns of phrase that

I

  really loved, but I lost count fairly early in the fic. And I love

Reno's

  nonchalance at the end, great staying-in-character. I'm reading this

on

  my lap top in my kitchen while trying to bake for Thanksgiving....so

if

  any of this tastes a bit off...I'm totally telling everyone it's all

Ig's

  fault.

Hn...I have quite a few others, but I'm too tired and lazy right now to track them down. Though I don't mind the squeeeing, mindless reviews, I always like a little bit of feedback more, some kind of acknowlegement of what was liked about the story.

[StoryJunkie]

Solitude  2006-09-05 id # 3000020176

This is a great story. I've have always wanted to visit a monastery, now I not so sure. What is up with that place? And the snow storm was just meant to be. I was very glad Glenn did not die and very happy those 2 demon monks got what they deserve. Also, I am glad that Elena is a mage. She seems like she will be a good friend to Elsie, which seem to be like something Elsie will need. Also, there is great chemistry between Elsie and John. Everything about those to roles is just perfect.

I have to say that sometimes with a very long story, some parts of the story gets a little boring. Or the writer gets to invovled in one part and I feel like the story has been lost a little bit. Or I feel like I have lost touch of what the writer is try to tell me. But with your story not once was I bored and I never felt like I was lost. Your chapters are quite long and I thank you for it. I can not wait for the next chapter.

I think I'll look this person up one day....I really got this feeling, you know? I mean, I do with all my reviews, no matter how short or long, but this one was one of the longer ones. My heart kind of dropped. Not in a bad way. I don't know how to describe it. This story really doesn't have a lot of sex in it, so it hold up on its own. On a site like this, to have someone still read it anyway, well, it's a great thing, and I feel really humbled by this.

Although, no one's really said anything about my grammar...

[Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi]

I gotta say, this is one of my favorite reviews, and my favorite type of review as well:

Trollmia &nsbp; &nsbp;  2006-10-23 &nsbp; &nsbp;  id # 3000030381

I am the first one to admit that I hate death-fics... but every now and then I'll make an exception and actually read one... like this one. It was beautifully written and even though I hate all the deaths - I can really see Naruto's point of view in it all. Dead Last indeed....

Why do I like these type of reviews? They make me go squee 'cause I made the reader enjoy something they normally don't. When I do that, I feel I've done my job as a writer.

Another good review is this one:

sbkar &nsbp; &nsbp; &nsbp; &nsbp;  2005-06-07 &nsbp; &nsbp;  id # 2035273840

Probably the most image-filled piece of prose I've come across in a while. So many people bash on fan fictions;

yet, here, I find one that seems to fit more with the JK Rowlings persona of Draco Malfoy than 99% of the others

I've read. I am...blown away by the evocation of sight and smell and touch. I envy you your imagination.

I love this because the the reviewer managed to flatter me in new and exciting ways and cited all the differant ways I blew their mind.

I'm so easy...

[Guest echtrae]

So far, my favorite review that I've gotten is this one. Though it gives away the story in it, it's still my favorite.

"She presses against him, trying to encourage him to participate with more than just his fingers."

This is my favorite sentence.

Enjoyed the scene, very clever to turn it into a sort of dream/spell. Very clever.

And honestly, who is this mother wulf of which you speak?

[Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi]

I actually forgot about this one...

Katie K  2006-01-26  id # 2035619748

That was odd. No, that's not a compliment.

It made me giggle...

[Guest Helluin]

We need to round up all the grammar fetishists and keep them in a box and feed them chocolates. I especially want to hunt down the person who cares about it's versus its. Yes, yes, and yes!

Good grammar does help, all the more in sex scenes which can so easily devolve into badly-written glop.

My kindest review (I want one like the "that was odd!" review!):

Cheese and rice! That was bloody awe inspiring.

It may seem funny, but to me finding a well written piece of fanfiction is like happening upon a gift. It's like the author is saying "Here. I put my all in into this, I even spell checked it. I'm sharing it with you and you don't even have to pay for it" Fantastic.

I would bally well like to know what "cheese and rice" means! Is it rhyming backslang?

[Nanaea]

I would bally well like to know what "cheese and rice" means! Is it rhyming backslang?

Since I can never leave something like this unanswered....

This is a less offensive way of saying "Jesus Christ"

It originated with the movie 'The Faculty'. In the real version, one of the characters exclaimed "Jesus Christ!" but in the edited TV version, they had it changed to "Cheese and rice!"

Guy #1: Aliens landed on Earth!

Guy #2: Cheese and rice!

I had gone to The Best of British first on the assumption that it was Cockney rhyming slang. When that failed I Googled it....

BTW: It's nice to see you back, Helluin!

[Guest Helluin]

Since I can never leave something like this unanswered....

Thank you and thank you!

Guess I should remember my mantra, "you can find everything on google".

I had a feeling that sounded vaguely Brit.

[StoryJunkie]

So far, my favorite review that I've gotten is this one. Though it gives away the story in it, it's still my favorite.

"She presses against him, trying to encourage him to participate with more than just his fingers."

This is my favorite sentence.

Enjoyed the scene, very clever to turn it into a sort of dream/spell. Very clever.

And honestly, who is this mother wulf of which you speak?

Wow, dude, I'd uv tried to be more eloquent if ida knowed you were goin ta pin this up!