howwww do you always leave the best comments on people's works!!! the most i ever come up with is "aaaaahhh writing good" and then some keysmashing and i feel stupid cux i dont know how to intellectually let people know how muxh i love their stuff fjdjdj
Leaving Comments On Writeblr
All comments (with few exceptions), no matter how small and no matter how incoherent, are amazing to creators, and I can GUARANTEE that theyâll appreciate it SO much. Theyâre more than just a reblog or like! Theyâre a sign that you took some of the time out of your day and some of your energy to show how much you love someoneâs work!
Please donât feel âstupidâ. Youâre not. Your comments arenât. Theyâre lovely and so are you. Â
But, if youâre looking for some actual advice? Weâll see what I can do. And as always, remember to only use what helps youâadvice is only a suggestion, after all~
Here are some tips and prompts if youâre struggling on what to talk about!
This post is originally for fic comments, but a lot applies here!
Thereâs a variety of kinds of comments Iâve seen, all wonderful things to receive! I usually combine a few of these bullets, which is where the length of mine tends to come from! (This is not a comprehensive list in the least.)
Incoherent yelling about how good it is overall
Taking out pieces you like and focusing on those (can be direct quotes or paraphrasing)
This can be lines of the writing, a particular OC, worldbuilding details, etc.!
How it affected you (Can be good or badâwriters love knowing theyâre manipulating your emotions~)
Critical analysis (which is the kind Iâll be talking about later!)
But you know what? There are comments that I donât like seeing very much, and I find can often be incredibly rude-seeming, even when you mean good. Iâd avoid these next types of comments on writeblr, unless people are explicitly asking for them:
Demands to update/requests for more: This⌠isnât helpful. Itâs okay to have a nice âCanât wait for more!â with some of the comment types above, but definitely not on its own. (And DEFINITELY not âWhen are you next updating?â Thatâs just⌠plain whiny unless you tread really carefully with how you word it.)
Comparing to another work: âThis reminds me of [bestselling story]!â Mm⌠okay. See, this can seem really nice, and sometimes comes across as nice, but unfortunately it usually reads more like: âThis is a completely unoriginal idea! Itâs already been done!â Which is⌠not so nice. Especially if this is the only comment youâre leaving.
Unsolicited (negative/constructive) critique: UNLESS SOMEONE ASKS FOR CRITIQUE, donât. Donât. A lot of writeblrs are posting up their content while itâs in its unfinished stage, and are not looking for people to tell them what to change. There are all sorts of reasons why itâs rude to give unsolicited critique, and Iâm not going to debate that here.
Tips for Critical Analysis Comments
I suppose having the intrinsic ability to pick up on deeper meanings is developed from experience, but I can certainly give some things to think about, here! And certainly donât feel required to comment on everything here: pick out a few that stand out to you, or that you really liked the most!
But you know what this sort of comment is like? Itâs like a high school essay about whatâs effective about a piece. Except itâs about something you actually like, and hopefully itâs something you actually want to write.
Writing style: Does this writer have something consistently unique and original to their writing that you love? Can be part of any of the below, or something else!
Sentence fluency: Does this writing read more slowly to fit the mood, more quickly to fit the action? Is it (purposefully) harsh cut and jagged or smooth and soft? Does it feel nice on the tongue when you read it aloud?
Word choice: More complex vocabulary? Do the connotations of the words well fit the theme and emotion? Does it fit the setting and/or characters?
Characterization: Are all of the characters different and distinct? Are their personalities easy to see in their body language, action, and dialogue? Is what they do fun for you to read?
Environment/Atmosphere: Do you feel like youâre there with the characters? Is the environment described well? Does it set a nice atmosphere or tone for the rest of the writing?
Senses: Sort of goes with the above but⌠Can you hear the sounds written? Can you feel the cold or heat, or the other senses that the characters have?
Symbolism: This one takes some experience to pick up on, I suppose. But does the writer use images or connotations that symbolize something?
Worldbuilding details: Do you get a good sense of the world and culture of the story? Is it woven in well, so it doesnât feel like info-dumping?
Anyways, there are so many other tidbits you could pick up on, but thereâs some to start you off! Basically, think about why you liked the writing so much! A lot of it can be subconscious, sometimes~
So yeah! That was a lot (and a long post ^^â), but I hope you get something out of that! And remember: keysmashing and picking out parts you liked alone is definitely enough of a comment, but if youâre willing and able to put in the extra effort to leave a more meaningful one, it can do wonders to improve a writerâs confidence and motivation!!!
And if you want more work from a creator, leave a comment about their writing, not one asking for more!
