How To Write Short Story Reviews
by Graham Murray
SMASHWORDS EDITION
Copyright© 2011, Graham Murray. Cover design by author.
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How To Write Short Story Reviews
In this day and age it is nigh on impossible to avoid scrutiny. It seems that no matter where we go or whatever we do, someone somewhere is watching our every move. This has even extended to what we say about other writers’ works, especially online.
Be under no illusion that whatever you say online, someone will read it and ultimately hold you accountable, one way or another. You cannot hide.
The best way to avoid this little problem is never to post anything that you do not mind the entire planet having access to, because more often than not, you cannot take back those words and you may live to regret having ever uttered (or typed) them. Hollywood is awash with residents who desperately wish they could retract statements they had made in the heat of the moment. Politicians, notoriously, face the same dilemma.
Only this week saw the closure of the British tabloid newspaper, ‘The News of the World’. The reason? Well, apart from some devious and illegal telephone hacking, they too fell prey to the old World War II adage: Loose lips sink ships. Be careful what you say, and to whom you say it.
As you chose to download this eBook, chances are you are either a writer yourself, or an avid reader. As you are surely aware, most writers publish their stories for one main reason; to share them with others. Invariably, the only feedback writers receive about their work comes either from word-of-mouth or from online written reviews and comments.
Writers find these mini-reviews useful in improving their work, providing the review offers constructive criticism and is not merely sour grapes or deliberate denigration, which is often the case. Sadly, many derogatory and bad reviews originate from fellow writers. Writing an intelligent review can be as difficult as writing an entire story.
As with most things, there are certain guidelines and Rules of Etiquette to be observed when presenting a review of a piece of writing. These vary, depending upon the type of piece under review; fiction (novels and short stories) and non-fiction. The two are quite different and require a different approach. Fiction reviews are usually about character development and exposition, whereas non-fiction tends to concern verisimilitude and general worthiness of content.
I am concentrating here on fiction; specifically, short stories. The approach to reviewing novels is somewhat different and will be covered in a later publication. Short stories remain the oldest form of writing and are therefore probably the most reviewed. This is for two main reasons:
1. They are quicker to read than novels.
2. There is often no major character development or exposition.
Here follows some guidelines to help you review short stories and avoid making a complete fool of yourself in front of your peers if you are a writer yourself. Literally.
There two main unspoken rules to consider when writing a review about any piece and breaking these will seriously undermine your worth as a reviewer.
1. NEVER REVEAL THE PLOT. This is a cardinal rule, the Big Mama – a huge no-no that will quickly earn you resentment from fellow writers and other reviewers, resulting in your own current and future works being ‘sandbagged’, i.e. deliberately undermined, regardless of content. Nobody wants to know how something ends, whether it be a book, a movie or a ball-game. This of course excludes professional, syndicated reviews where all aspects of the writing is analyzed in minute detail.
2. ALWAYS JUSTIFY YOUR COMMENTS. The worst thing you can do is leave irrelevant, inane and infantile personal comments about a piece of writing. As a general rule, if you have nothing to say, then say nothing. Snide, caustic and mindless comments merely draws attention to your own work, which in turn will inevitably end up being sandbagged by those you have offended. Writers and reviewers are a fickle bunch. Incur their wrath at your peril. One bad review can ruin a writing career, so play nicely.
I find that the biggest mistake made by ‘reviewers’ of my own work is that they did not understand the content of the story and therefore leave laughable comments that stick out like a sore thumb, making the reviewer appear educationally sub-normal (that’s PC for ‘idiot’). So be sure that you fully understand what you read before leaving any reviews or comments about someone’s work. This is particularly true of the World Wide Web, where your comments may not easily be removed and can remain for the world to see for years to come. You can very quickly destroy your own reputation as these things have a nasty habit of backfiring.
I have personally witnessed this on several occasions. One particular woman (quite a proficient writer), insisted on leaving snide and unjustifiable comments about others’ works. She had disappeared into obscurity within two short weeks of joining the writing group, having had her own work lambasted by those she had offended and riled. Be careful who trample on the way up; you may need them on the way down.
Wherever she pops up now, she is almost immediately blacklisted. I sometimes see her work on some writing sites and it’s always the same old story; there’s usually someone there who remembers her antics and sets about discrediting her work. I doubt she will ever be published. So remember; what goes around comes around.
Always read a short story twice to ensure that you have fully understood the plot, concept, or hidden messages which it may contain. You’d be surprised how easy it is to miss the general message of a short story by skimming over it. Don’t ever just leave mindless comments that serve no purpose. I have lost count of the number of times reviewers have entirely missed the point of many of my short stories and have written perfectly irrelevant comments that leave other readers scratching heads and wondering what it is that they read.
If you are writer of any note, you will soon find that some people will latch onto you and will always leave pointless comments about your work, regardless of the content. This is usually borne of jealousy and sour grapes, and becomes apparent when you read their own offerings, which is often under par and mediocre. The old green-eyed monster is rife in the literary world.
This does not bother seasoned writers, but it can upset new writers and stifle their creativity. It also annoys serious reviewers who may enjoy the writer’s work. They will then follow your work and can cause your downfall by reciprocation.
Just recently, one particular person has latched onto my works (I call them ‘Remora Reviewers’ after the parasitical fish that attaches itself to sharks). Not only has this man misunderstood the gist and hidden message of every piece of mine he has ‘read’, but he insists on leaving childish jibes and irrelevant one-line messages which, one supposes, he must feel are clever, but which actually serve only to make him look like a complete moron.
When I then looked at his work, I realized why he was doing it. Now, after watching him systematically leave ridiculous comments on every piece I publish, I have realized that it is actually simple jealously on his part. His time would be better spent learning from others’ writing, instead of attempting to undermine it and draw attention to his own ineptitude. Nobody speaks louder than those who have nothing to say.
The advent of digital and ‘Indie’ (independent or self) publishing has worsened this problem. However, people like the man just mentioned only ever leave their comments on free works; rest assured that they will never purchase anything you write. So a simple way to avoid them is to charge for all your work and offer potentially serious readers a generous reading sample if the location permits this. 30% to 50% will usually suffice. If they are enjoying it, they will usually buy the remainder of the book to discover how it ends.
After some forty years ‘behind the wheel’, as it were, I have come to realize something about critiquing; if nine out of ten reviews are good, you have to wonder about the one bad reviewer. If nine out of ten reviews are bad, you have to wonder about the work.
Always remain professional, not only in your writing, but also in your reviewing. Sadly, many writers shoot off their mouths with little regards for either the writer or other readers. I rarely write reviews unless it is an exceptional piece which, in my opinion, warrants praise. I see no mileage in commenting on works that did not appeal to me. There are plenty more to choose from, so I just move on.
Before you ever post a comment about a writer’s work, always ask yourself: “Why am I doing this?”
Is it genuine praise? Do you have a valid point to make? Will the comments be helpful to the writer, or are they merely you letting off steam? Are you perhaps jealous of their success over yours? Are you using them as a literal ‘punching bag’ because of some other reason?