As mentioned in the previous chapter, you do have a comment requirement in each chapter, and we hope you'll go above and beyond that requirement. This chapter is supposed to help you find out what to talk about in each chapter, but if you don't need the help, feel free to skip this chapter.
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Comment Requirements
- Each member must leave at least five sentences of constructive criticism at the end of each chapter. This doesn't mean in-line comments. We encourage going above and beyond this requirement.
- Please tag #SFRG on all final comments in each chapter.
- Comments must be constructive and give adequate feedback to help the author improve. This includes reader engagement if it's helpful information. If your comments do not give any feedback they do not count towards your assignment.
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How to Leave Helpful Feedback
Good Comments
- Help the writer improve their story.
- Provide unique insight on the story that the writer might not have seen.
- Can give a writer insight into their story and clue them in to the experience the reader is having.
- Let the writer know what they're doing well.
- Offer suggestions when pointing out a place for the writer to improve.
Some tips for writing good comments...
- Think about what you enjoy in the story and elaborate on that. Did you laugh out loud at something? Did your heart swoon at a romantic moment? Did something make you have an emotional response or sympathize with the character? Note that and make sure you explain WHY.
- Try to relate to the characters and put yourself in the story. Knowing how a reader is engaging with the character is very important to a writer! Do you not understand what is motivating a character or why they're making the choices they're making? You can note that.
- What do you struggle with as a writer? Can you find examples where your partner struggles in a similar way and note those things for them?
- Is there something that paused your read or pulled you out of the story? When you "bump" on a story in this way, this could be a flag that there might be something to critique. Ask yourself - why did I bump on this?
- You can comment on grammar if there are repeated issues, but try not to let that be all you comment on. You can point out an error once or twice. If it's a continuous issue, make a note in your final comment and then don't mention it again.
- Don't just point out problems but try to give suggestions on how they can be improved.
Bad Comments
Bad comments are any comments that hurt the author without providing proper feedback, or that do not provide any feedback at all. When joining any kind of club where feedback is given, some critique is expected. Here in the reading group, we ask that you come to us with any problems with members or their comments.
Bad comments...
-Tear down the writer or their work without giving ways to improve.
-Give little feedback or ways to improve.
-Can often be short and generic, again, giving them no ways to improve.
-Are sometimes really nice comments. However, they don't give the author anything except another comment, which is not the goal here.
Why your comments matter...
- Your partner has entered this book club just like you, to experience new stories and get feedback.
- We expect all members to have enough respect for themselves and others to comment properly.
- Comment the way you want others to comment for you!
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Need More Help on What To Comment On?
If you want some guidelines as to what kinds of things to include in your final comments, here is a breakdown of some important story elements. These are not comprehensive, and you can certainly find plenty of other things to talk about in your comments (tone, grammar, originality, etc.).
FICTION ELEMENTS
CHARACTER
Character is the most important part of any story. The plot can be exciting, the story can be original, the writing style can be beautiful, but if the character is not engaging, a reader will often lose interest. So when you're reading through chapters, consider character. Do you have a good sense of who they are? Are they flawed and grounded and real, or are they too perfect? Are they likable or not, and is that a good or bad thing? Do you feel connected to them, or do you feel like you don't know them well enough?
PLOT/STRUCTURE
Stories need a story! Every story has a plot that unfolds. How are you experiencing the plot in the story? Is the writer setting up the plot points effectively? Is the pacing well done? Does the plot match the genre? If it's a thriller, you want a sense of what the mystery is and who the main players of the story are. If it's a romcom, you want to see the love interests meet in a cute way! What is happening in the chapters you're reading, and does it feel like enough plot for those chapters? Or is the story meandering?
WORLDBUILDING
This is a big part of story for genre pieces like sci-fi, fantasy, and historical fiction. But it's also important to any story! If fantasy or sci-fi, is the writer describing the world in a way you can understand? Are you following along or are you too confused? Do you get a sense of the place and the creatures that might be a part of this story? Are the rules of the world clear? If it's a contemporary non-genre story, do you feel present in the world? If it's set in high school, does it feel like a real high school that you can picture and understand? Does the setting match the characters?
WRITING STYLE/VOICE
Every story and writer has its own voice. That said, there is a certain level of style necessary to make for an engaging and interesting read. Is the writing easy to read, or clunky? Does the reader have enough description so you can picture everything clearly? Or is way too much description that distracts from the story? It's important to make sure to show more than tell. Is the reader showing us things through the scenes and interactions between characters? Or are they just telling us all in exposition? Is there too much exposition or too little?
POETRY ELEMENTS
Like any other kind of writing, there are ways to assess a poem that anyone can learn. If there's something you don't understand in the below, don't worry about it! Just stick to what you can do and comment on.
RESPONSE
Poetry should make you feel something. That doesn't mean poems have to be dramatic or overly emotional. But you should walk away from a poem thinking something or feeling something you didn't before your read it. In other words, it should have an effect. That's a great way to start commenting on a poem. Did it affect you? And if so, in what ways?
WORD CHOICE
Poems should make use of words in ways that are unique or special. Does the poem do that or does it mostly read like regular prose? Does it make use of new or interesting words or have a wide vocabulary? Does it describe things in new and unusual ways that illicit emotional responses?
PROSODY
To properly assess a poem, you should read it out loud. How is the rhythm of the piece? How do the words feel coming out of your mouth? Just how a picture can be aesthetically pleasing, some poems can be pleasing to hear. Are there any parts you stumbled over when reading out loud or that broke the rhythm of the poem?
RHYME
Not all poems rhyme, but if they do, how are the rhymes working? Are they easy and traditional rhymes or do they rhyme words in interesting ways? Is the rhyming structure working well for the topic of the poem? Are there different kind of rhymes used?
LENGTH/STRUCTURE
Some poems are structured and formatted in very particular ways. If the poem you're reading is specifically formatted, do you think it works for the piece? Is the poem a good length or do you think it went on for too long? Did you stay engaged or lose interest?
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Inline Comment Examples
Remember that inline comments don't count towards your minimum requirement, but they do help us determine the Book of the Week, who is going well above and beyond the goal.
GOOD INLINE COMMENT EXAMPLES
"I love the way you show through the character's dialogue how caring he is. The way he asks how his friend is doing really highlights the type of person this character is."
"I love the description in this paragraph! The spooky description of the house reflects the character's fear well and I could picture everything perfectly."
"I'm curious about what the character is feeling in this moment when he says this line of dialogue. Some body language or internal monologue might help us understand where he's coming from. As is, I'm uncertain of whether he's angry or annoyed or being playful."
"This sentence is reading a bit clunky with the multiple clauses. I recommend breaking it up into smaller sentences to help it read smoother. You can try reading it out loud if that helps!"
BAD INLINE COMMENT EXAMPLES
"I don't like what he says here."
"LOL!" (Note, it's great to let a writer know when you found something funny and feel free to do so in this way, but it won't count toward the BotW. If you add WHY you think it's funny, then it will.)
"OMG!"
"This is great."
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Final Comments
Final comments are the most important part of your feedback, as they should provide the most value and insight to the writer about what they need to improve in the chapter (or book) overall. This is just a guide. These aren't the only things you have to talk about, you can talk about whatever you'd like. You can leave "bad" comments (in the sense that they don't provide any type of feedback), just keep in mind they won't count towards your partnership.
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That's it! Continue to the next chapter to fill out the form!