Do you want to know what I think? No? Okay, what I think isn't important in the grand scheme of things, but I hope you enjoy reading this little piece.

Im not too good at giving touchy-feely reviews, nor do I take on the meany role. But, offering constructive critiques is a learned craft of its own, and it requires a lot of patience, just like any writing. I practice and practice, but sometimes I want to express myself - bluntly. Just as real writers do when they call them free-writes. Reviewers have less opportunities to free-write about what they love to do. Call this a stream of consciousness if it makes no sense. I like that.

Disclaimer: Now, I'm not going to talk about personal, for therapy, or for fun, writers. I am fully aware that some members are not interested in publishing. I read them differently from the writer that implies he hopes to publish someday, or is already published.

Although honestly, I've written some very personal pieces that were not intended to be submitted to a publisher. They were reviewed thoroughly - and they were published through no effort of mine. Sure, my feelings were initially hurt, but being able to set those magazines on my coffee table worked magic.

A big tip I want to mention is, don't be lazy. Put in the time and effort to learn the craft of writing. Coming to terms with yourself, and realizing you arent going to write a perfect story in twenty minutes relieves you of a lot of stress. Chances are, that poem you wrote upon waking at three oclock this morning, isnt review ready. Some of your best inspiration may come in the middle of the night, perhaps in a dream, but, when you write by moonlight - readers can tell. Look for those pesky typos and inconsistencies.

Take the time to learn the boring, basic spelling and grammar rules. Learn the difference between your and youre; theyre and their. When a reviewer explains the difference, try not to get mad or embarrassed; you're both working for the same goal. That's to make this piece shine. They really aren't showing off, or only looking for review credits. They work hard, and they care about you and your writing, they really do. Maybe they just learned the rule themselves and are passing it on. That's what we all do.

If youre still in school, pay attention to your English teacher. She's a writer's best friend, and she get's paid to teach this stuff. If youre not in school, pick up a few relevant books and refresh your memory. I didn't know how much I'd forgotten until I posted my work. Whew, was I embarrassed!

Spell-check and edit before asking anyone to read. You want to make as good a first impression as possible. Dont worry that it isnt perfect, few are. Just get it as readable as you can.

Writing well requires hard work and thats the cold, harsh truth. Please dont excuse your errors with So and So says, write it your way, express yourself, write in your own style, and forget the rules.

This is really a pet peeve of mine! Did So and So offer to read it? Is he going to publish it? Grammar and spelling errors arent style, and werent intended to be included in the forget the rules edic. Lack of punctuation and no paragraphs are errors. Expressing yourself your way refers to the theme, the story, the tone, the actual words. The rules you can forget refer to how much description you want, or if you use dialogue or not. Whether you should begin the story with action, dialogue or setting. Everyone has preferences and you will find yours long before you find your style.

I like to read a story that begins with action, and I probably will tell you that. Another reviewer will like setting described first. See? These are the things you can do your way. When you get really good at it, the readers won't care how the story began, they'll just want to read it. The more you write and edit, the better you will get. Period.

You know what publishers say? Most of the stuff rejected is because it isnt any good. Rough, huh? They won't tell you this, though. They only say it isn't for them 'at this time.' They don't like to make you cry, so they leave that up to your reviewers here on WDC. We don't like to, either; it just ain't fair! and ain't is my style.

I want to say practice and then practice some more. Enter lots of contests and read the other entries. If you find a willing mentor who knows what he is doing, latch onto him and learn as much as you can. And keep practicing! I intend to. I do my practicing from the Request a Review page. You write - I read. We are all practicing our craft. When you're finally published, maybe you'll add my handle to your 'credits' page. I know I will say with pride, I reviewed the first rough draft of that book!

Not everyone is comfortable with criticism, but sometimes it may be just what you need to move your story forward.

Thanks, I feel better. I love my job, and I love reading new writers!

Harriet Silkwood
http://www.Writing.Com/authors/storytime