Reviews from

Wanna Be Writer

How FanStory improved my writing

34 total reviews 
Comment from tempeste
Excellent
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Ciao poet , you now have 6 votes!

First of my condolences for your loss. I was my father's carer and it hurt to see his healthy deteriorate.

Having cancer must have made the whole ordeal tenfold worse.

I never spoke much so words were certainly not my thing.

My father passed away in sep2017 and in June 2018 out of the blue I started to think in rhyme .

I wrote my first poem and a month later I found fanstory.

Writing poetry , learning the many formats helped me during that tough time.

My mother already passed was in 2006 . I never married, no kid.

I have my pets and poetry.

I love that you can add artwork to showcase one's poem. I love to find the perfect photo.

Just from that detail, one can see I'm not a true poet even if here we are labelled as such.

It kinda makes me laugh

I dabble and it's fun.

I wish you all the best in your poetry and prose endeavours.





 Comment Written 04-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 04-Feb-2025
    Thank you. I bet you're a cat lover, too. Thank you for the vote, and I will read some of your poetry.
reply by tempeste on 05-Feb-2025
    I started as a huge dog lover but then transitioned to felines. They are special.

    I help my best friend take care of strays and then find forever homes for them.
Comment from Sandra Stoner-Mitchell
Excellent
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I enjoyed reading this, and how you came on to the site. I think many of us thought it would be easy, but when you start getting REAL reviews, pointing out that you are not as good as you thought you were, that is a whole new ball game. Margaret Snowdon lived ten minutes away from me, she's no longer a member and does suffer with health problems. Bob died a few years back now. He helped me to start with. There are so many good reviewers on here and I find it so weird that some don't take advantage of it. We can only benefit. This is a great contest entry, and hopefully more people will see how much they could learn just by taking notice. Well done and good luck in the contest. :))Sandra xx

 Comment Written 03-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 04-Feb-2025
    Thank you for letting me know about Margaret Snowdon. She wrote lovely romances and had just started another one when she disappeared. It was never completed. Bob lived only fifty miles from me, and we often talked of meeting, but we never did. I suspected he passed away but wasn't sure. Bob was my mentor, and I miss his superb advice.
Comment from L. Kalere
Excellent
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It's hard to imagine that you had any trouble at all. Kudos for taking the initiative to improve yourself, because it clearly worked! This is a very well written account ... natural, with a smooth flow. I think it will do very well in the contest. Best of luck.

Linda
It was generous of you to point out the people who helped the most.

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 02-Feb-2025
    Thank you. FanStory members are always ready to assist if we are ready to accept their help. It's like a little world in itself.
Comment from Ulla
Excellent
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Hi there, this was a great entry to the contest. I had to smile when I read about your 7000 word entry that didn't received much of a review.
Mastery, Bob, passed away a few years back. All best, Ulla xcx

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 02-Feb-2025
    Thank you. That 7000-word story was quite the disaster, but one reviewer said it was excellent, so I kept writing in the same manner until the good reviewers straightened me out.
Comment from F. William Lester
Exceptional
This work has reached the exceptional level

OMG! You read my writing-life story. I got a good laugh about your 7,000-word story. I know the feeling; I feel your pain. But it's all worth the effort, isn't it? Congratulations on your success and being part of our community. Good luck. Good writing.

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 02-Feb-2025
    Thank you, and thanks for the six stars. We have to live and learn, and I really needed to learn. I'm sure we aren't the only ones with rough beginnings.
reply by F. William Lester on 02-Feb-2025
    My pleasure. As far as being the only ones, probably not. Like you, my learning curve is near vertical. Have a wonderful day and you certainly deserve the six stars. Be well.
Comment from Pam Lonsdale
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LOL, Lorraine! 7,000 words? No wonder it only received a couple of reviews.

I never read your "early stuff" but I do enjoy your stories that I read now, especially your fiction pieces.

I'm glad that you're part of the Fellowship of Ink and Imagination, as F. William Lester (Frank) calls FanStory. And I'm glad I joined three years ago, too. It's a great place to improve your writing and reviewing skills. And to find new friends.

Thanks for sharing.

xo
Pam

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 02-Feb-2025
    Thank you. Yeah, that's what one of the reviews said. It was far too long and meandering all over the place. I need to go back and repair those first writings but never seem to find the time or initiative to do so. Maybe someday.
reply by Pam Lonsdale on 02-Feb-2025
    I never want to go back, only forward:-)
Comment from Wayne Fowler
Excellent
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You give favorable mention to a few of my favorite writers and reviewers.
This entry is very well written - the cows would jump back mooing 'who is this person?'
"I soon discovered there were more rules to writing than I ever realized. " - I often flaunt many rules in favor of personal expression, but then, I'm not beating publishers off my door stoop, either.
Best wishes.

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 02-Feb-2025
    Thank you. Yeah, I still flaunt some of the rules, too. Sometimes, you have to say what you want to say in your own way. Grammarly and I often disagree, but I do it my way.
Comment from giraffmang
Excellent
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Hi there,

I think this is a good little piece and it shows what finding likeminded people can do for you.

The first two sentences here should really be one. At present the first sentence doesn't go anywhere.. Either that or delete the first word. If you start with After there needs to be more of a conclusion to the sentence. Without it it's a statement sentence which works better.

Cows don't care if one's grammar is good or bad, - sadly neither do some reviewers! lol

Sadly Mastery (Bob) passed away a few years ago.

All the best
GMG

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 02-Feb-2025
    Thank you, and thanks for the tips. Bob lived only about fifty miles from me. We talked about meeting one day but never did. I agree with you about the reviewers. Some of them ignored errors that I later found myself.
Comment from Karen Cherry
Excellent
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I have read you. but I don't see you much on here. When I first got here I cried when someone told me what I did was not perfect. But, I pulled up my big girl pants and kept at it. I got better. It is like family here. And , I am so glad I found this place. I finally wrote my western short story. "Hardly Quicksilver Jones". That was a very big thing for me. I had been trying for two years to write one.
This place has kept me sane. Good luck. Karen

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 02-Feb-2025
    Thank you. I haven't been around too much lately. You know how life gets in the way sometimes? Well, that's what life has been doing. I hope to return on a more regular basis soon. I wish you the best with your Western story.
reply by Karen Cherry on 03-Feb-2025
    folks seem to like it. It made me feel good to finish it. :-)
Comment from Rachelle Allen
Excellent
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OMG! I am simultaneously happy you consider me someone who's helped you, and chagrined at being called "brutal." I do believe, though, that you mean it in that 'tough love' kind of way, so thank you!

I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but the reason you haven't seen Bob (Mastery) on here is because he passed away.

This is a genuinely fascinating account of your backstory to joining FS and how you burgeoned as a writer. Don't forget to give yourself a huge pat on the back, though, because of how (a) determined and (b) open you were to improving your skills. You put in the hours and the WORK that any expertise-seeking regimen requires. You listened and you grew. You never considered your writing above reproach, and THAT is the best way of all to become a fantastic writer.

Neonewman and I were just having this discussion earlier this evening: Every single one of us on here has something we can bestow on other members, and every member here has plenty we can continue to learn.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Brutal Me is VERY impressed!!!
xoxoxoxo

 Comment Written 01-Feb-2025


reply by the author on 02-Feb-2025
    Thank you. Brutal wasn't the best choice of words. Tough love might have been better. You don't hesitate to tell it how it is, and that's good. I needed a kick in the butt now and then. I have the utmost respect for your wisdom. Like I said, when you speak, I listen.
reply by Rachelle Allen on 02-Feb-2025
    I appreciated what you said very, very much. I genuinely did. Xo