I read a lot, on average three books a week (based on my Goodreads Reading Challenge numbers). I live the maxim that writers must be readers. Because I love writing, I review many of them for one of my three blogs. When Amazon asked me to be a Vine Voice, I was flattered and wanted to understand why my reviews caught their eye. I spent time reading a wide selection of reviews and came away with a framework of what all critics included:
- a brief plot summary
- an overview of characters
- a discussion on the theme/plot/goal and whether it’s well-delivered
- the reviewer’s evidence-based opinion
- an appealing voice
Reviews I didn’t like often covered these critical areas, but got lost in the ‘personal history’ weeds. Unless the reviewer is Michiko Kakutani or James Wood (both listed among the top ten most feared literary critics), I’m ambivalent to a reviewers’ personal opinions.
As a result, I’ve developed a template for what to…
View original post 536 more words
