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Here are some questions you can ask your reviewer to get more direct and usable feedback.

• Are there any words that you think were used too often?
• Did you have to reread any part of the story to understand it?
• Did you feel the author was lecturing to you at any time?
• Do you think the story would work better as a movie, play, book, poem, etc?
• What genre do you think this story is?
• What characters did you feel the most strongly about?
• Did you have to take a break from reading, and if so at what point?
• Did you find yourself skipping over any passages because they seemed to long or over-written?
• Was the main plot clear or needlessly complex?
• Are there any loose ends or holes in the story?
• Was there anything that took you out or distracted you from the story?
• Were there any over used cliches?
• Were you able to get a clear picture of the locations in the story?
• Was the bad guy interesting?
• Was the author overly dramatic at any time?
• Do you know of anyone else who might be interested in this story?

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Most of the writers I know have at one time slaved over the rough drafts and final drafts of their precious projects, only to give it to a well-meaning friend or family member and receive the standard “it’s good” response. A bit of a let down when you are expecting praise and well thought out comments and suggestions. It’s not their fault. Like when you are questioning child about how their day was, you don’t want to ask yes or no questions. Asking a reviewer if they liked it, especially if they are friends will usually gain you a simple “yes” with little or no explanation. Either they didn’t like it and they don’t want to hurt your feelings, or they do like it but don’t know exactly what they like. They don’t know the right words or what to look for. They don’t know what to say.  The following questions have been tailored to give people a way to give constructive feedback with as little pain and confusion as possible.

 

• Did the story seem original?
• Were there some twists that lead to an unexpected endings?
• Were there any parts of the story you found disappointing or boring?
• Were there any parts of the story you found too simple or too complicated?
• Did the background of the characters make sense to you?
• Did any of the characters seem boring?
• Do you know why the characters did what they did or did their actions seem illogical?
• Did you have a hard time telling the characters apart? i.e. the names were too similar, their personalities were the same, etc.
• Were there any characters you thought the story could do without? Did any seem to be standing around not doing anything?
• Does the title reflect the story in some way?
• Are there any words in the story that are hard to spell or pronounce?
• Did you notice any strange coincidences in the story that seemed odd or out-of-place?
• Are the character names original, but not distracting?
• Do any of the characters talk too much or too little?
• Did you find any typos?

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Format

•     I researched the proper format for the form I am writing.
•     I double checked the format I used with the place I am submitting to.
•     My final draft looks professional.
•     I have bound my story the right way.
•     I have used the correct paper.
•     I am using the correct software (if needed).
•     I am using the appropriate font and font size.
•     I have double checked for extra spaces between words and paragraphs.
•     I spell out all numbers instead of writing them (three not 3).
•     I have checked my use of parentheticals and hyphens.
•     I have double checked my use of commas, colons, and semi-colons.
•     I have capitalized pronouns.
•     I have proofread and checked for typos.
•     I have rewritten at least 5 times.
•     I have run spellcheck.
•     I have proofread after I ran spellcheck.
•     I used a good printer and ink when I printed out my final copy.
•     I have checked to make sure every page is there and in the correct order.
•     I have researched how the business works (how a screenplay gets turned into a movie is vastly different than how a manuscript gets turned into a book).
•     I have checked whether I need an agent or not.