Cat Tales: Miscellany and Mischief

July 10 (30DBC)

July 10 30DBC Prompt: Singer Mavis Staples, born on this day in 1939, once said "If you don't get out among the people, how are you going to know what they need to hear about?" How has reviewing other people's work on WDC helped you become better? Have you received a very helpful review lately that made any difference in your writing

Reviewing has helped me become a better author, simply because it forces me to READ. Reading is something I think we all struggle to fit into our busy schedules, but when you're part of a community where reading and reviewing is so highly rewarding, it's easier to do.

It's also helped me because I'm exposed to a lot of different styles and ideas, and picking up on suggestions or things that I like in others' work helps me know what to include or what to change in my own work as well.

I've had a few very helpful reviews lately, one of which was for my newest book posting on WDC, "Flower of Faith" . The reviewer mentioned that the setting wasn't very well described, and so they couldn't quite ground themselves in the scene. This was something I was totally unaware of, but looking back at my work, I can see it. That reviewer helped me to be aware that some important details were missing, and I recognize this as my attempt to not "bore" the reader with too much information at once. This is a recurring comment in several of my works, so I know it's definitely something I need to work on.

AlyCatAuthor