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Review Style
Casual for the most part. I will point out errors I see and offer suggested corrections. I like to focus on the content and formatting of the item. I love providing helpful comments and feedback that may improve the item if acted on.
I'm good at...
I like to provide suggestions to the author on things I see that may need a second look. I'm not afraid to do a little research to verify a poem's format, or the contents of a story (if requested).
Favorite Genres
Mystery, Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy, and Suspense
Least Favorite Genres
Honestly, I will read anything if asked. I just prefer those listed above.
Favorite Item Types
Short stories, novellas, books (though a review of that may take days/weeks due to my schedule), Poetry of any format.
Least Favorite Item Types
I find non-structured poetry difficult to review, unless there is a short disclaimer about this non-structure that would help in understanding the reason it's in that particular format.
I will not review...
I'm not interested in Vore, In and Out's, Growing/Shrinking, or other items that are similar to one of these.
Public Reviews
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Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
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Hey Marti,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 14th WDC Anniversary!

         This is a nice poem with a good rhyme scheme to it. You painted quite a few pictures in my mind as I read it, helping to immerse me in the story. The rhythm is a bit off in places, enough so that it made me pause a moment as I read it. I'm not one who believes every line needs the same syllable count (unless you are writing a poem in a certain format, like a Kyrielle), but your poem lines that are not even close to the same syllable count. Your syllable count by line is

9/8/9/6          9/7/10/7          8/8/9/7          9/6/10/5          8/7/8/6


You can see the place that stopped me. The third verse, last three lines. With the second line at 6 syllables, the next at 10, and the last at 5, it does throw you off. Read it aloud, see what you think. If I may, I have a few suggestions for you on this.

1. In poetry, especially in poetry, try not to start a line with a conjunction like 'And'. It's really an unnecessary word in most uses in poetry if you ask me.

2. From the country where his was born I think his should be he.

3. But they also were fighting for freedom Simply deleting the word also would shorten this to 8 syllables, allowing the verse to flow much smoother.

4. Try not to use a word twice in the same context, in the same verse. Second verse, you use never, and the way it's used, it really stands out. Perhaps instead of using it a second time, you could re-word the third line to read, He wouldn't talk of the slaughter. Not only does this eliminate the duplicate word, it also gets rid of starting the line with 'And'.

5. This comment is a personal preference. I agree with what you said in your bio about punctuation. It's not needed in poetry, at least in my opinion. However, I do think consistency is best. Some lines start with a capital letter, some do not. My personal preference is to start a new line with a capital letter, even if punctuation is used. I just think it lends to a more attractive look. And yes, I've been 'beaten up' by some reviewers for doing it too. Like I said, personal preference.

6. Place the title of the poem in the body here, centered at the top. After all, it is the title, right?




Sum1

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Review of P15  Open in new Window.
Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (5.0)
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Hey Storymaster,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 16th WDC Anniversary!

         Okay, I know this is a silly thing to review, but I chose it this morning because I'm in a bit of a silly mood. Probably caused by a lack of coffee, since housekeeping in this hotel has decided my coffee pot doesn't need a filter holder. *Smile*

         I loved the P15 updates, I think the site has improved greatly with it. This small graphic was excellent for it. Was it ever made in to a Merit Badge? I think it would be an excellent 'special' badge for deserving people. Maybe those who have been instrumental in providing feedback on that update, or those who test the Beta out on future updates.

         While here in your port, I looked at your blog of letters to Phoebe and Jack. I have already reviewed that, and notice you haven't made many entries lately. But with your busy schedule, and all that's going on in your lives, it's no surprise. I hope this site continues to flourish for many years to come. If you ever need assistance of any kind, please ask. If it's within my abilities, I would be happy to help all I can. Thank you for WDC, for running it, maintaining it, and in essence, "Being IT".




Sum1

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Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
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Hey
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 14th WDC Anniversary!

         This story is very interesting, and leaves me with a few questions of course. Not the typical vampire story, but it did remind me of a famous vampire story, "Interview With A Vampire". I knew he was a vampire early on, and it didn't seem you made any attempt to hide that fact. If the reader picked up on it, fine. *Smile* But like I said, you left me with questions.

1. Why didn't he try to kill Rhonda?

2. If he came there each morning for breakfast, wasn't he worried about the sun? Or is the old myth about vampires and sun not true?

3. Why would he confide in her, and take a victim while she watched?


         I think this has the potential to be a much larger piece of work, it's all up to you. Thank you for the interesting read.




Sum1

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Review of Almost  Open in new Window.
Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
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Hey
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 2nd WDC Anniversary!

         You know? This story has a bit of potential. The title fits well if you ask me. Definitely need to change the description. Perhaps something like, "Mindy meets the man of her dreams at a club, and they almost...." (Not so sure about that, it's just an example, lol)

         This moves very fast at times, and in some places, too fast. I like the overall plot and flow, it just moves too fast in some places. You also drop a couple of hints about Mindy, but leave it at that, a dropped hint. If I may, here's a few suggestions. These are all suggestions about changes. I saw no grammatical errors or things like that, just thoughts on the flow, and additions.

1. When Mindy is approached by that first (unnamed) man, she really seems to light into him the second time he spoke to her. He didn't seem to be too forward, didn't seem to be hitting on her, yet she goes off as if he was the rudest man she'd ever met. This seemed out of place to me. If you added in something like this....

         One by one, Mindy watched her friends hit the dance floor. She felt a tap on her shoulder and thought she was being invited to the dance floor.

“Sorry, I thought you were someone else.” It was the man from the upper level again.
(Notice that I changed jerk to man here. This guy hasn't said or done anything to be labeled like this, so build it some, then she can refer to him as a jerk all she wants. A suggestion is below).

"Well, I'm Mindy."

"Hi, I'm Jake, I thought you were Helen. I met her here a few weeks ago, and we really had a good time. From the side while ago, you looked just like her, and I thought we'd relight that flame and have another night of passion."

"I don't know you Jake, sorry."

"I don't know you either, but we could get better acquainted, if you know what I mean." After saying that, Jake raised his eyebrows and let his tongue slowly move across his upper lip in his best 'come on' look he could muster.


Mindy no longer cared what she looked like or how she sounded. “Listen, Pipsqueak, I have had enough of you! I’d sooner kick your ass than look at you!” Mindy advanced on him, backing him off with each punctuated word she spit out.

2. Her enemy shrugged and rose to his full 5’10 height and walked in a somewhat straight line out of the club. As written, they've said very little to each other, so how could he be her enemy? If nothing else, change this slightly. The man shrugged and rose to his full 5’10 height and walked in a somewhat straight line out of the club.

3. The band had stopped while Mindy was backing off the fool, but was starting to get loud again. Does Mindy have a problem with men? In the previous paragraph, she was almost salivating over this man who had just asked her to dance, but now she's thinking of him as a fool?

4. You describe their first dance a little, how they talked (yelled) into each others ear. From what I read, it seemed she got there fairly early, yet you segue quickly to the end of the night. Did they dance all night with the band taking no breaks? When the band took a break, did Tony join her at the table, or did he saunter off to get a drink, only to come back and ask her to dance again. Maybe after that set of songs the band takes a break, and Tony leads her to the table. She thinks that's it, he's gone off, and watches his ass encased in those tight jeans as he saunters off. As the band starts the next set, she's surprised when he reappears at her table and asks her to dance again. Once this is done, you could easily mention that this went on all night, with the two of them dancing practically every dance together.

5. He saw her in the harsh light and he did not leave or ditch her at the earliest opportunity. This is the hint I mentioned earlier. It seems that there's something wrong with Mindy's looks. Does she have a facial scar? Is she cross-eyed? Does she not consider herself pretty? You have the chance here to explain more (show more *Smile*). Tell us why he might ditch her after seeing her in the harsh light. Imagine it's a birthmark that looks a little like a sexual object or something, and that was why the first man hit on her like he did.....

6. A man who frequents a club like this would not ask to kiss her, he'd just go ahead and try to kiss her, and if rebuffed, then he'd leave and never look back. They have chemistry, so work it. I will show you this with your text in blue, Then below that, the same section entirely in green to show suggestions.

Mindy sauntered to her vehicle. “I drove here by myself. This is my car. I guess this is good night.”

“May I kiss you good night?”

“I don’t know. Maybe next time …”

“I live four hours away. I don’t get down this way very often. Please?”

Mindy was filled with nervousness as she stepped forward and tentatively reached out to embrace him. Mindy inhaled the co-mingled scent of smoke, alcohol and Hummer cologne. “You smell delicious.”

Tony chuckled and lifted her chin, then to the back of her neck and wrapped his other arm around her waist. Mindy’s hands fluttered against his chest as she allowed her head to fall back against the hand Tony was using to massage her neck. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks when he slipped his tongue into her mouth and then trail his lips to her ear and nuzzle against her neck.


         As they walked to their cars, Mindy said, "I come here most every week, but I don't recall seeing you before tonight. Are you new around these parts?"

         "I live about four hours away in San Angelo, and get here infrequently. Being a rancher, I stay pretty busy, and seem to forget that there's a real world out there. I may have to come here more often now." He smiled that magical smile she'd seen in the club as he said this.

         Arriving at her car, Mindy said, “I guess this is good night.”

         She realized the street lights were shining on her face, and moved to get out of the light. She wasn't sure if he had seen her birthmark clearly yet, and didn't want him to react like the other man had earlier. Tony grabbed her chin, gently moving her back to face him, the light once again shining in her eyes.

         "You have the most beautiful birthmark..." He began.

         Mindy stammered and tried to move away. "I know what you're thinking, every man seems to see that in it."

         "Every man sees a flower petal on your chin you mean?"

         "What? I mean.. Uhh, Oh never mind!" Mindy relaxed against him as they held each other close. Mindy inhaled the co-mingled scent of smoke, alcohol and Hummer cologne. “You smell delicious.”

         Tony chuckled and lifted her chin, then to the back of her neck and wrapped his other arm around her waist. Mindy’s hands fluttered against his chest as she allowed her head to fall back against the hand Tony was using to massage her neck. Once again Tony lifted her chin, but this time his lips brushed lightly over hers. Each of them felt their breath catch in their throat and for a moment, time stood still. Suddenly Mindy felt his lips crush against hers, his tongue gently probing her mouth open as they kissed.

         This is when Mindy realized that no other man would make her feel the way this one did.

         “Good night, Mindy.”

         “Good night Tony.”


7. I don't see what the following day's dialog with her grandfather has to do with the story. As written, it's almost a second story on its own. Now, if you somehow tie the previous night in to the meeting.... Perhaps something like...

         “Mind your manners, girlie. Just remember, men will be chasing you because they see this and think you are rich. But it won’t have value unless you work for it. Men will come and go but family is forever. Don’t ever forget that. Your family will always love you no matter what. You understand?”

         “Yes, Pops.”


         I've arranged a meeting this morning for us with a new client. Anthony's Double Petal Ranch in San Angelo needs some help with financial guidance; you will be their analyst. See to it that we get this account, it will be a big one."

         Just then his phone beeped and the receptionist said, "Mr. Spencer, you 9am appointment is here, Anthony's Double Petal Ranch."

         "Show him in please, Mindy and I are waiting for him."


Now of course, Tony walks in at this point. So, somehow you can describe their meeting, or maybe not. Just mention he enters the room, and Mindy can still (or imagines it) smell his cologne, alcohol, and smoke from last night....


         This is a good story, it has a nice flow. But as you said in your bio, you tell too much, and don't show. I've tried to show you how to you can do more of that here.




Sum1

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Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 13+ | (3.0)
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Hey Hallgred,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 11th WDC Anniversary!

         This is a pretty interesting story, but I have to say, something about it didn't flow well. That, and it started off quickly and abruptly. It's not until we are really into the story that you name your main character, yet too often you refer to him as Young man, or boy. You thrust the reader into it full bore, and never took your foot off the throttle, so-to-speak. I do have a few suggestions for you on it, if I may.

1. Not all your paragraphs are indented. Some seem to have the {indent} command used on the first like, but many don't. This detracts from the view, causing the reader to pause as they read.

2. You shift tenses during the story frequently. Here's one example. "'Steeth," he winced and then laughed. "I suppose Herring and Bunting put you up to it, Your Grace. I've been kidnapped, haven't I? I told them I wanted the real stag experience but they get carried away. He's talking about things that happened the night before, but get is present tense. So he's talking about past and present tense in one sentence.

3. The end is also very abrupt. One minute he's swimming for his life in the water, fighting off the 'angels'. He was injured, bitten twice at least ( A translucent tooth caught him, ripped a trail across his flank and snapped at his fist as he swing a water-impeded punch as its head. Agony burst through him as another hideous mouth jabbed at his leg and tore him there.) yet there is no mention of injuries being tended to after he is rescued. From the sounds of it, he would need medical help pretty quickly.

4. Lord Sisal makes Milsenti seem to be very shallow, in control of her family. I know it's an intentional mislead on your part, but with little background on anything in the story, it's difficult to stay in touch with what's going on.




         Despite my comments, I did enjoy the story. It was just a bit distracting to read, and seemed very rushed. I think a bit of a build up to how he came to be in the box would help, and a little more depth to Lord Sisal, Perbeck, and Lady Milsenti. Use their names more, instead of calling them young woman or young man.



Sum1

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Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: ASR | (4.5)
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Hey WW,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 9th WDC Anniversary!

         I was born in the south (Charleston, SC), but never lived there much. I do love visiting it, and may move there in the not to distant future. I really liked this, the flow, your descriptions, and the life you describe. My personal preference would be for a more traditional Quatrain look and read to it, but this is your prose-oem, so my desires don't matter, do they? You created some nice images in my mind as I read this. I know you snow-bird in Florida each year, but some of this reminded me of a bit farther north, my birth city of Charleston, or Savannah Georgia. When I think of the south, it's cities like those that come to mind for me. But this was good, reading it was like seeing old friends for me. Thank you for writing this, and starting my day off with a down home comfy feel. We need more writing like this! *Smile*




Sum1

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Review of Last Words  Open in new Window.
Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 18+ | (4.0)
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Hey Two of Four,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 14th WDC Anniversary!

         This has a rapid flow to it, one that picks the reader up and moves them along quickly. However, the dialog gave away the end, at least for me. That didn't stop me from enjoying it though. I think if you didn't give away that George is severely injured early on, it might help. For example, in the third line she asks, "Are you bleeding? You're hurt!" That gives a lot of it away immediately. Also, I'm willing to bet that most (say 95%) of wives wouldn't ask "Are you bleeding?" The would say some kind of exclamation, while also (almost screaming) "You're bleeding badly!" But saying something like that so early, gives away the fact that he's dead. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea that George comes to her after he's dead. I just wouldn't give it away like that. Maybe he comes home, and stands in front of her and they talk about the accident. He tells her he has to leave, and when he turns around, she can see his torn shirt, bleeding profusely. She couldn't see the blood initially because he's dead after all. But she can see the injuries when he turns. Something along those lines. A good story, you just gave it away too soon if you ask me. Thank you for sharing!



Sum1

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Review of Maturity  Open in new Window.
Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
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Hey Ron,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 14th WDC Anniversary!

         Okay, so I read this based on Lisa Noe Author Icon's post in the Newsfeed. Still, excellent poem, as she said. I love the first part where the men say whittling away and complaining. Yep, that's about how it goes, except I don't know how to whittle a bit. Very good though, I loved that part.

         There are a few, very few, minor things you might want to look at though, should you decide to edit this. If I may, a couple of things I noticed. Most are comments in general, not 'deficiencies'.

1. Center the poem on the page. Use the {center} command, followed by the {/center} command to do that. I just feel that most poems look better when centered. See? A comment, not criticism. *Smile* This is more a personal thing than anything else.

2. In this line, And make them tow the line., tow should be toe. As written, you're asking them to tow (pull) the line.

3. There are several places where God speaks to him, but you don't use closing quotation marks. Example:

“Or damns a soul eternally
For trying hard to search,
Or threatens all who doubt the Word
Or dare to question the church.


The following verse has opening quotation marks also. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that you did this. But you need to show where each character speaks using opening and closing quotation marks. It's okay to go beyond the verse without closing quotation marks. After all, if you close each verse with closing quotation marks, it would seem like a different character is speaking in the following verse.

4. As much as I enjoyed this, it seemed to almost falter at the end. God lectures him quite a bit, and that's fine. The last line says It was because we didn’t try. However, if God is speaking, then it should be you, not we. That comment applies for these lines as well.

How far we have strayed from wisdom
And how far we have to go.


5. My biggest concern about this, is that you (or God, since he's the one speaking), never really explains where this hell is that he encourages them to send the misguided youth to. Hard to accomplish that task if you don't know where to send people.


         Overall, an excellent poem. A little lengthy, but it needed to be to get your message across. Well done!



Sum1

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Rated: E | (4.0)
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Hey Str8shooter,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 12th WDC Anniversary!

         This is an interesting tale of a trip to see a parade. At the outset, you had me thinking all you would see was someone else's rear end as they stood in front of you. It's not clear if this is fiction or not, but it has a somewhat biographical feel to it. We've all been there, done that while young, that's for sure. Shame on your father for not taking you to the restroom when you needed to go. I do have one minor comment for you on it.

1. Not all of your paragraphs are indented the same. A couple do not have indents at all.



Sum1

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Review of Illicit  Open in new Window.
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Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
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Hey Adriana,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 14th WDC Anniversary!

         Nice poem here, though I'd call it more prose than poem. Love it actually. Been there, done that too, though not in public like that. You have this labeled as a "Work In Progress", but I don't think it is. It reads nicely, seems complete to me. I really liked the three 'stanzas' of this, the three separate times during the game that the two of them met, or spoke with each other. I could see it as you described it. Meet at the snack bar. Somehow arranging to meet later during the game. And a second go-round later on too. *Smile* And yes, the heat is endless.



Sum1

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Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.0)
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Hey there,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 14th WDC Anniversary!

         Kidnapped by Michael Jackson huh! I can think of worse people to be kidnapped by, like anyone from the Kardashian family. *Smile*

         I found this to be pretty humorous, but you bounced around a lot with it. Then again, it's meant to be comedic, so that's not too surprising. Funny how you never mentioned your career in the Law profession. But, unless you are doing extremely well in that, do you want to talk about it? *Smile*

         I loved the various careers you chose, particularly the Sumo Wrestler one. It made the story very light, and easy to read. I did see a couple of things you might want to look at, should you decide to edit this.




1. They immediately asked me for my reason as to why I was there. This is quite wordy. Why not just come out and say it straight up? They immediately asked me why I was there.

2. Four years later, here I am, finally done with the therapy. I think I’m scared for life, though. Did you mean scared (afraid), or scarred?


Sum1

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Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
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Hey Kare,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 11th WDC Anniversary!

         I have to say, this is one of the most original, and unusual poem I've read. And I love it....

         I don't normally go for poems that have lines that overflow to the next, but this is different. I don't know if you intended it to be like this, but look at it carefully. It looks like a wave, two waves, coming in to the shore. Awesome job!

         It's almost impossible to find a rhythm here, but I don't think it needs one. I would love to hear this read aloud by you. I have a close friend who believes only the author of a poem can read it in the fashion it's intended to be heard. And for this one, I heartily agree.




Sum1

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Review of Charley's Story  Open in new Window.
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Rated: E | (4.5)
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Hey Boilerman,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 9th WDC Anniversary!

         Before I say anything about this, I want to say "Congratulations on planting your church! I hope all is going well, keeping you plenty busy."

         I've never been homeless, and hope I never am. But I found myself relating to Charley as I read this. Well written with a few, very few, minor errors. I have no desire to pick this apart, I loved the story too much. What I did notice, was a couple of missing comma's, a couple of paragraphs not indented like the rest. I think the story could be a little 'tighter', but without any experience of this type, I'm at a loss for suggestions. My favorite part? The reference to the Angel that Emma saw off and on. I'm convinced they are all around us, we just can't see them in our daily lives. Emma was special, and lucky she could.




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Review of Rage  Open in new Window.
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Rated: E | N/A (Review only item.)
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Hey
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 11th WDC Anniversary!

         This is very profound in my opinion. Well written, I love what you say here. But the flow is a bit choppy and uneven. This is because the line length syllable-wise is inconsistent. I'm not one who believes the syllable count has to be the same in every line. Except when required by the form, like a Kyrielle poem. In a short poem like this, syllable count/flow can be important. Here's the syllable count line by line.

         7/8/7/10/12/10/8/12/10/11/11

         It seems to me that it would flow best at about 7-9 syllables per line. If I may show you your poem here with a few minor edits in blue.

Rage

Rage is such a greedy beast

The more you have, the more it feasts

Chasing away friend or foe

With it's all consuming need to grow

It's tentacles wrapped around me tight

Loving conflict, prepared to fight

Then one day I chose to forgive

Something new was born, needed to live

Peace was its name, it had a new game

Comfort and love it would give

This new found feeling had to live.



         Beautiful poem, I loved it.



Sum1

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Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
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Rated: E | (4.5)
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Hey Mrs. Whatsit,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 10th WDC Anniversary!

         Well, I read two other items of yours, only to realize I'd already reviewed them! So here I am for a third time. *Smile*

         We all need to thank our muse's as you do here. I like that one of your first thanks, is for a teacher you had in High School. I'm the same way, Mr. Collier who taught Creative Writing. I never gave it a second thought initially. But 25 years later, I started writing. I still remember a story I wrote for his class, and have tried to write it again here, but I can't get it going. *Smile*

         Yes, I agree that finding Writing.com has great for me, and kick started an otherwise 'random' hobby. I had never heard of a muse (as a writing guide) until I was here; now I don't know what I'd do without mine.

         This is well done, I liked the brevity of it, and who you thanked. Nice reflections here, I enjoyed it!



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Rated: 13+ | (2.5)
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Hey Faithvire,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 15th WDC Anniversary!

         You know, I hate giving low ratings when sending an Anniversary Review, but I have to be honest. Don't get me wrong, the idea behind this is good, but it needs a lot of work. You have me intrigued, wanting to know more, but if I were to do that, I'd want it better written.

         Here's my opinion and suggestions on what you might want to do should you continue to write about your life and upbringing.

1. First, there's a lot of telling in this, and little to no showing. I know you've probably heard this before, but it's so true. You want to captivate your readers? Show them what you're talking about in this story, don't just tell them. Example? Here you go. This is written more like you are talking to a friend, telling a story at a campfire. As such, you tell us a lot, but show nothing. You mention scrubbing floors in a tavern. Yes, I know it's a prologue, but even here you can show us something. You did a nice job describing your hands, the blisters from work. But how did you get here? I know, after the prologue. But, give us a hint now, to entice us to read more. MAKE us want to know more. Where are you working? You allude to being in a foreign land you hadn't heard of six months ago. Okay, where is it? Tell us about where the tavern is, who frequents it (not just drunks, bandits, and soldiers). Are there an regulars you care to tell us about? How about ol' one eyed Jack? *Smile* Do you have any friends here? This is a prologue, so build this up. Set the scene for the whole story, don't just lament about your current existence.

2. Add dialog. Yes, it's an intro to a longer work, but dialog can go a long ways to showing, vice telling.

3. Check your wording carefully. In my humble opinion, there's nothing worse than reading a story or book, and finding spelling errors, or improper use of English. Lord know I'm no English major (it's my worst subject to be honest), but even I can identify errors in grammar. Example from your story. Of coarse, I did not want to do either. I really had no idea what I was going to do with my life and I figured that I would decide that portion of my life after I graduated. As written, coarse means rough, abrasive. Substituting a synonym of coarse, Of rough, I did not want to do either. See what I mean? Many people make minor errors like this, myself included. But you have to re-read what you've written to catch things like this. If you can't, then you need to have someone do it for you.

4. Be careful in rambling. You go on and on in places, using the same word several times in a shot span of writing. A simple example here is the following. I would have never in a million years have dreamed of living my days as a slave/waitress in a tavern full of drunks, bandits, and soldiers in a country or place I never even heard of, never even dreamed of by the sanest person. This sentence rambles a lot, called a run on sentence. You reuse the word have when it's not needed, and again tell us about being in a country you had never heard of six months ago. If you can't read a sentence without taking a breath, it's probably too long. This means it's a run on sentence.

5. Double space your paragraphs. It just makes it easier to read in an on line format.

         Again, I like the idea of this, what you're telling us. But show us too. Make it into a coherent story. Even as a prologue, make it coherent. Remember, this is what most readers will read first; so this is your only real chance to entrance them, making them want to read more.


Sum1

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Review by Sum1 Author IconMail Icon
Rated: E | (4.0)
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My Love,
         There is absolutely no way June can come or go without me sending you an Anniversary Review. Happy 6th Anniversary!

         You know, I've never gone to a single high school reunion of mine either, but have been thinking about it. Not sure I want to meet some of those people though, lol.

         You know I love everything you write, everything about you. This is well done, it flows well, and is sweet and short. To the point. Very nice. We didn't get a chance to really know Eddie or Alice, but that wasn't the point of this story. It was about meeting old friends, renewing friendships, and more. The end left us hanging, but it was good. We can decide if Eddie and Alice get together later, or during the reunion. There was one sentence you might want to look at, should you decide to edit this.

1. She smile, “How’s Sue?” Smiled. *Smile*

         Happy Anniversary honey!





Sum1

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Rated: E | (3.5)
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Hey Apondia,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 8th WDC Anniversary!

         You make several good points here about learning proper grammar. Too many times I see people misuse words in their writing, or misspell words they shouldn't. I'm constantly amazed at grownups who do not use proper grammar when writing something. Not everyone can spell well, I understand that. But if you aren't sure, there's always Google standing by to help. Mistakes like these are human though, easily forgiven. I do have a couple of minor suggestions for you regarding this.

1. Take the first step to become a philogist. A philogist is a teacher of grammar. Philogist should be Philologist. This is written as two sentences, but worded as it is, the second sentence is a bit redundant. If I may make a suggestion. Take the first step to become a philologist, a teacher of grammar.

2. In our daily lives, all ages of people are being encouraged into social activity on computers, phones, I pads and electronic readers. I pad should be one word, Ipad. While it is true that the majority of the world is now in the electronic age, verbal communication in our daily lives is still vital. It is there that proper grammar usage comes in to play. That should be mentioned, perhaps even stressed, in the article.

3. You may be startled by the many free offers encouraging teachers. One is called www.gamezone.com, which is offering free grammar games. As written, this is worded improperly. www.gamezone.com is not a free offer, it is a website that offers grammar games for free. I know what you meant in typing this, but to some people, this might not be clear.

         This article is a nice article, but some sentences are a bit long or wordy, and could lead to confusion.




Sum1

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Hey Slinks,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 15th WDC Anniversary!

         Now this hits almost everyone of us in the gut! Well done! I think this is fascinating, and very strong. Who among us does not have someone in their past they still long for. Me? It's my high school sweetheart, the one I wanted to marry more than anyone else. Now 44 years later, she's been married 6 years, and quite happy. And like you in this essay, I still have thoughts like this. Yes, we all have our ghosts. Thank you for sharing this.




Sum1

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Review of What I deserve  Open in new Window.
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Rated: 13+ | (4.0)
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Hey Slinks,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 15th WDC Anniversary!

         I really like this, but I think it could be a lot better. While I like the end words of "I guess this is what I deserve", for each line, I don't like them. Contradictory I know, but it's true. I think you could make this so much stronger with a few more words added to each line, and using that phrase at the very end. Here's an example.

         There are many examples in everyone's life of how they 'get what they deserve'. There are numerous in my own of course; I'd like to give you examples, except they all revolve around one person in my life.

1. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, only to have him treat me badly. No one else believed in him, almost everyone said he was 'no good' and couldn't be trusted. I thought otherwise, only to have him treat me badly after I supported him.

NOTE: If you can provide an example of how he treated you badly, it would really help.

         Do this for all your examples, just a few more words. Then end it with something like, "No matter what I've done, it hasn't worked for me. I guess it's just what I deserve."


         Secondly, you might want to place the title in the body of the story, make it bold, and center it. It looks very powerful that way, and with a story like this, carrying this message, it would be doubly so.

         I would gladly provide you other examples for each line if you like.




Sum1

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Review of House Cleaning  Open in new Window.
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Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
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Hey Mari,
         You practically had me rolling on the floor with this story! I think you are I think alike regarding house cleaning. It is an evil that must be done, but not enjoyed. I would be terribly uncomfortable in a house like your friend's (ex-friend?), same as I'm uncomfortable in a 5 star restaurant with napkins and tablecloths every where.

         The flow here was excellent, and while you forsake dialog, the story flows well without it. But to be a fly-on-the-wall when your friend's husband came in the room. A fly with a camera of course. *Smile* I did see one thing you might want to look at, should you decide to edit this.

1. I once had a friend who was the epitome of COD regarding house cleaning. I'm pretty sure you mean OCD, not COD here.




Sum1

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Review of Blah Blah Blog  Open in new Window.
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Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
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Hey Lexi,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 14th WDC Anniversary!

         Wow, really? Fourteen years? I wish I knew about this site long ago, I really do.

         I love reading a person's blog. It's a way to get to know them better if you ask me. Yours in interesting, but I have to say, I didn't get to know you very well from it, except for the entry about your dream. I would never claim to be a dream analyzer, but that one has me buffaloed.

         Your entries are excellent though, each one shows a hint of you. Like you, I haven't written anything new in a while, other than travel blog entries. But, I'm finally feeling the urge to write again, I just need a little time to relax and start. *Smile* For some reason, the phrase "Welcome back." seems to be the start of something. But I see two men, one in a bed, tubes in him (he's not sick, this is not a hospital scene), and the other is some kind of scientist or something.... We'll see.

         Thanks for sharing your thoughts and dreams here, I loved reading them.





Sum1

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Hey Purple,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 9th WDC Anniversary!

         I know you had a word limit for the weekly quickie contest, but dang I'd love to see more to this! Nicely done here, get the heat going strong and fast, it is a quickie after all.

         I found this to be decently exciting, but I think with a little different wording in some places, it would be more so. I know you couldn't do it for the contest, but since it's most likely over now, look into editing this! When writing something this short, remember your prime objective. Excite quickly. You can do that by describing scenes in various ways. The more descriptive you are in few words, the higher the excitement. I give you an example in comment #3.



1. You have a tendency to use run-on sentences. That's easy to do when writing erotica. You write, find yourself turned on as your imagination gets going, and end up with sentences that just run-on. After you write something erotic, go back and read it as a reader. Be critical. Look for things like that. I know when you're under a word count limit that's easier said than done. After all, any editing might lengthen it. However, you want to win the contest, right? So editing is a must. Now I'll be honest here. I'd hate to go back and re-read some of my early erotica, the stuff I wrote before joining WDC. I am sure it's full of things like this, so I hesitate. *Smile*

2. That once over triggered her arousal sending her heartbeat back to that rapid pace as she moved within a few feet of him, just out of his reach and slowly turned in a full circle, making sure he caught sight of her bare behind. This is a bit of a run-on sentence. However, to be honest, you need a comma after reach. But, I would break it up, maybe like this. That once over triggered her arousal sending her heartbeat back to that rapid pace. She moved within a few feet of him, just out of his reach, and slowly turned in a full circle. She made sure to flash him her bare behind as she did. The problem with my suggestion is that it lengthens the word count. But the contest is most likely over, so it can't hurt, right?

3. Lina grinded her behind against him, needing his entire length deep inside her, but he held her hips in place making that impossible. Another wordy passage here, but the first thing is, grinded needs to be ground. And 'behind', again? Using the same 'simple' word multiple times to describe the same thing in a story this short detracts from the read, and does nothing to raise the readers excitement. Surely you can think of a better synonym to use here, (and not ass, that's too much of an obvious choice). Perhaps derriere, fanny, or posterior. However, my personal favorite would be bottom.

         Overall, a nice read. It could be a little more exciting, but I did enjoy it. Raised my blood pressure and heartbeat a bit as I read it. *Smile*


Sum1

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Review of Double Wide  Open in new Window.
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Rated: 18+ | (4.5)
Hey Ken,
         Just a couple of words about this. Oh My! I love it. A year without writing is too long. While I've not written a lot recently, I do have things more recent than a year ago. But this is great, capped off by the photo. Where did you find that? I would love to get a copy of it, more from a friend who saw it than anything else. Great job, love the poem!




Sum1

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Review of Home  Open in new Window.
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Rated: ASR | (4.5)
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Hey Mikey,
         I saw your suitcase on the Anniversary Review page and thought I'd drop in to honor this occasion, your 8th WDC Anniversary!

         You gave away the main point! But I think even without you telling the reader that his father lived there, most would have figured it out in advance.

         This is well done, flows nicely, good dialog. I think the idea of a middle aged man living in a retirement center, where his father was an Alzheimer's patient is excellent.

         If I were to make any suggestions on this at all, I would add a couple more paragraphs where Carl and Samuel meet. Sometimes they meet and have lunch, maybe they just walk somewhere together. who knows? But remove the line about his father living there, and add something like that. Then at the end, show us that his father is Samuel. It still won't be a big surprise, but it will show more of the two men to us.



Sum1

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