I am delighted to be the newest member of the SleuthSayers community! Over the years, I have learned so much from posts written by this esteemed group. It is an honor to be a contributor and share what I have learned during my writing journey.
It’s Valentine’s Day, and I’m going to talk about love, LITERARY LOVE, the kind we can spread by writing thoughtful reviews while, at the same time, giving a little literary love to ourselves.
Here’s more on my experience with the power of reviews.
When I began writing, I wanted to understand what made a story great. I’m an avid reader, but I realized learning craft through reading wasn’t enough. I needed a deliverable with a deadline. When I was offered an opportunity to review books for Publisher’s Weekly, it was exactly what I needed, and I accepted. This set the stage for my writing career.
Publisher’s Weekly has specific style guidelines for their reviews, and I learned how to analyze books and convey my overall impression in a tight and succinct way. Page citations were required for proper names, major plot points, and other details that substantiated my conclusions.
This deep dive taught me about structure, how to develop character, the importance of stakes, and how to use conflict to keep readers engaged. I learned why some stories held together and reasons why others fell apart. The experience not only taught me to read with purpose, but writing the review helped me internalize lessons that I later applied to my own stories.
It has been years since I contributed to the magazine, but I still write reviews, both novels and short fiction. They aren’t public. I keep a reading journal with lists of interesting twists, setups and payoffs, character motivations, and unique approaches to story structure. There are also notes about stories that didn’t resonate with me. Both provide learning opportunities that are helpful.
Reading reviews has taught me a lot, too. We are fortunate to have wonderful contributors in our community who write reviews and essays that are mini masterclasses in storytelling.
Art Taylor’s, “The First Two Pages,” is a great resource. The blog series, originally created by B.K. Stevens, hosts craft essays by short story writers and novelists who analyze the opening of their own work. In “Little Big Crimes,” Rob Lopresti reviews his favorite short stories each week. He is a talented writer and editor, an avid reader, and former librarian. If a story makes his blog, you know it’s something special.
Lifting up the Community
Anne van Doorn and Ed Ridgley review short stories on Facebook. I look for their posts each week and discover new writers this way.
Kevin Tipple is also dedicated to shining a light on short fiction. Through his blog, "Kevin's Corner," and social media posts, he is always promoting authors from the short fiction community.
Recently, I was working on a story that was crushing my soul. We’ve all had them, right? A friend forwarded a review of one of my stories that I hadn’t seen. It was an unexpected gift from the universe and reminded me that I could still do this thing called writing.
I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on the dark side of reviews. Of course they are out there. However, I believe when we review stories by fellow writers, we have a responsibility to highlight the positive, to lift up each other, and should share our perspectives with this in mind.
Have you written reviews? Do you keep a reading journal? Have reviews influenced your writing?
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It's good to see you here, Stacy. I look forward to your future posts. This is a promising start. And thanks for the shoutout!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anne! Appreciate what you do for the community.
DeleteAlso of note, Patti Abbott (pattinase.blogspot.com) created Short Story Wednesday, in which various blogs (including Kevin Tipple's) shine a light on short stories. Patti also created the weekly Friday Forgotten Book meme, which has also been adapted by many in the blogosphere.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Jerry! Great to see. I'll add these to my list.
DeleteNice piece, Stacy! I think a lot of people underestimate the value of reviews, and if you can write good ones (you do!) you help both yourself and another writer.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Austin! Appreciate the kind note and feedback.
DeleteWonderful post, Stacy. Many readers might not realize how vital reviews are to authors. Each comment, whether it is constructive or encouraging, serves as a stroke that inspires us to continue pursuing our passions. Thank you for shining a light on this key element in every author's writing journey.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay! I'm glad the piece resonated with you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining us here at SleuthSayers. I enjoyed your first post and look forward to your future posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michael! I'm delighted you enjoyed it. Excited to join you all.
DeleteWelcome to SleuthSayers, Stacy. Good topic. These days, when everyone's a reviewer, I remind myself to consider the source. As a writer, it helps me keep my balance. As a reader, it helps steer me toward books I'll enjoy vs books I'll struggle to read dutifully (or won't).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind welcome, Liz! Thanks for this comment, too. I completely agree.
DeleteStacy, when my tenth book was published, a man who had always struggled to read as a teen told me, if I hadn't written The Goddaughter mob caper series, he wouldn't be able to read today. I cried, when I heard that. It made everything worth while. My 18th book gets published next month, and I credit him for it. I wouldn't have continued to write novels without the enthusiastic reviews from readers. Thank you for all your generous reviewing, and welcome to our merry band here!
ReplyDeleteAw, Mel. That is so lovely.
Delete:)
DeleteWow! Thanks for sharing, Melodie. This is so powerful and beautiful. I love that you have this wonderful touchstone to inspire you, too.
DeleteWhat a lovely comment from that reader, Melodie.
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DeleteWelcome, Stacy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barb!
DeleteWelcome to SleuthSayers, Stacy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, John!
DeleteWelcome, Stacy. When you have so much to read in so short a time (Steve Steinberg mention a huge number per month), how do maintain the enjoyment and excitement?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great question, Leigh. If something doesn't grip me right away, I will move on to another story. It doesn't mean the story is bad as much as it wasn't for me. I have a friend who goes to her TBR pile and interviews five books (reads the first three pages) and picks one. She says sometimes it isn't about the writing. It's about her mood at the time. I've tried using this technique as well.
DeleteHey--big congratulations on joining an esteemed blog, Stacy! I enjoyed reading this, and it's such a great reminder that leaving the tiniest bit of encouragement means the world to a writer. I have a screenshot of a kind review someone wrote about one of my stories...and yes, I look at it on days when I feel particularly discouraged. Looking forward to seeing many more of your columns!
ReplyDeleteAshley Bernier
Thanks for the kind note, Ashley-Ruth! And the great comment, too. I think we all need those reminders, right? I love that you have that light in this literary storm.
ReplyDeleteYou're a SleuthSayer! Congrats, and well deserved! Great post. Now...in all seriousness....I have to go post a review of a fine novella I promised myself and the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Avram! Appreciate the kind words. Love that you are posting a review of a novella. I'll look for your recommendation. I'm always excited to add new stories to my TBR pile.
DeleteWelcome to my old Alma Mater, Stacy! You're a great addition with a lot to contribute. Loved your article. Short fiction doesn't get a lot of love, so reviews are a wonderful thing for writers to receive (well, mostly). After thirty-five years of writing, I probably don't average a review a year, if that much. Some that I've gotten were not pleasant and therefore misguided and WRONG. But the good ones are like manna from heaven and help me drag myself back to the keyboard each day. I'm sure other writers feel the same. Thanks for the good work and welcome to the Good Ship SleuthSayer!
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