Ancient's Smashing Reviews
By AncientDoom
This review will be relatively short because it's designed more to promote the work of a Wattpader who I look up to...in terms of analysis and 'criticism' I feel like there's not much I can say because I've never written a review like this before: a review of a review shop.
Let me begin by saying that AncientDoom is a knowledgeable writer who runs a review shop that actually helps writers out. He recognizes that his advice is subjective, he respects his applicants, and his reviews are genuinely fun to read. I would love to read reviews of mainstream movies and books in this style; not only does he respect the authors he reviews, but he reviews in an entertaining way. This model is effective because it both educates applicants and it draws new potential readers in.
The review shop has a Wild Thornberrys theme...a show I haven't seen, unfortunately, but I can still appreciate the jokes (I'm more of a 2010's cartoon fan? Regular Show, Adventure Time...). These are long-form reviews and AncientDoom genuinely takes his time reading your story closely. He oftentimes reads manuscripts in full. This is something that I respect because truly to gain a full perspective on a story you have to read the whole thing. I personally review three to five chapters simply because my reviews are more focused on mechanics and first impressions, two things that I think are most important when posting on Wattpad. But AncientDoom offers something that we need the most as authors...and when he does write a review of a story as a whole, he does a good job of recognizing it as a work in progress, praising what the author does well, then pointing out some aspects that he disliked, struggled to understand, or believed could be improved. What I love the most about his reviewing style is the fact that he doesn't have a pretentious attitude and writes genuine reviews because he loves reading and he just wants to help new authors.
AncientDoom basically writes these reviews for free. For payment, applicants will choose one of the books he has reviewed before and read it themselves. He operates on a "the point is to help others" philosophy and he practices this philosophy really well. I like this idea for 'payment' because it really does help strengthen the writing community, connecting authors with one another and creating a place where we can safely and respectfully exchange feedback, which he will give in return. This is the kind of community engagement that I love to see on Wattpad. I've used this model before and I really liked it. The only reason why I don't use it right now is because I'm testing out a read-for-read model at the moment, and I like applicants to have the chance to reject me as a reviewer if my writing isn't good enough.
Ancient reviewed a story of mine when it was in its very earliest and worst draft. His review encouraged me to continue going through the writing process and to see to the end of my project. It also provided me with critiques that I still think about and apply today. His reviews are always constructive, honest, and never scathing.
I really recommend that you apply for a review at this shop, I think that writers will find it really helpful and that it'll help them connect with the writing community. AncientDoom genuinely does some really good work here and it's been a pleasure to learn from his reviews.
See you, space cowboy
YOU ARE READING
Sanctuary Reviews
Non-FictionOpen [] CFCU [X] One to five chapter reviews on your Wattpad story written by community members who study the craft of writing fiction. These reviews are based on craft resources and are designed to help you gain a beta reader's perspective of your...
