Sunflower Reading Group - A Book Club

Comments

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.