Ever wondered what the members of this club felt, experienced, crave, value, want, need, aspire to, suggest, advise, go about things or just speak out on?

These are all actual responses from our fabulous members, these people are real and inspiring. They are knowledgeable, talented, big-hearted and they have a lot to offer. We are extremely humbled and honored to have them and you will greatly benefit from their passion and endless love and support!

To date, I've always found the comments left behind by the members of the club to be extremely helpful. They do point out the flaws but also add in suggestions that can help the chapter improve.

For me, being in the Rebel Book Club has always been a good experience.

xxx

I would say honesty should be the only policy when it comes to reviews. There are ways and ways of telling someone something needs to be improved and or cultivated, however, and I think this is especially prudent when it comes to reviewing the works of someone who is fairly new to writing or even writing in their second language.

That said, I do think some people can fall foul of over-reviewing, whereby they nit-pick at things that aren't necessarily ripe to be changed. I think if you've enjoyed someone's work and struggle to see flaws (from your point of view) then tell then such. Don't make up things you think should exist in a review, as many authors take the comments they receive seriously.

But yeah, fire that harsh truth cannon all day long ... it's the only way people can hope to get better.

xxx

Whelp, I for one, just had my book reviewed by all the club's members and got slammed with comments. And I could not be more grateful. I got loads of help on awkward phrasings, sentence fragments, and where to better separate my paragraphs for clarity. Oh, and commas. Lots and lots of help on commas. I also got feedback on what works for some readers and what doesn't work for others. And even if a person didn't particularly like what I wrote, no one said "This sucks," and left it at that. They pointed out why something didn't connect with them and suggested ways to improve. It's feedback. On an early draft of a story. My writing's allowed to have problems just like others are allowed to point those problems out or voice their opinions. And though it's hard not to take it personally (writing is so very much a part of the writer), it is needed if you want to get better. So I couldn't be more thrilled with this club and the great lengths its members go to give insightful and beyond helpful comments.

xxx

I don't know if I'm a sadist or what but for me, I prefer the honest truth. When I get comments that gush about my work it doesn't make me as happy as much as a tough critic does. To me, it shows that they really thought about my work and often its how I find out things (holes in the plot) that I didn't consider when writing. Not to say I don't like hearing positive comments but I think you said it really well...I joined a club to be critiqued. I'm not here to be praised. It's the only place where I expect to receive helpful pointers.

xxx

As I've joined book clubs and received more feedback, I've learned to appreciate the highly critical people who improve my writing as well as the ones that noticed only perfection. Everyone has their own experience and each person can bring something new to the table. (Even those with praise can sometimes say something that you weren't exactly going for and then you realize you have to change a few things). I do like that you guys mentioned that the review is simply suggestions over an enforced change, since there may be some people who don't understand what you have written, but the majority seems to have gotten it.

As for reviews, I don't think I'm too harsh. (Someone can hopefully comment and say if I am). I tend to praise at some point and a lot of what I comment on is what I felt or mistakes that I noticed. I don't focus on mechanics and grammar as much unless they ask me to because I'm focused on the overall plot, world, characters, etc. since I was taught to analyze literature in that way. I never said that someone outright sucks since all literature can be improved, and everyone makes mistakes and that author that gave you the harsh review probably made the same mistake as well. (They go back to fix it at some point once they realize what they have been doing). Point is, no one is perfect and even perfectionists that analyze every little detail have made mistakes.

I'm so glad to be a part of this book club because it isn't like others on Wattpad. I get a lot of feedback from so many different people with different experiences. Remember this: The review may be harsh but imagine how much better your book will be after you choose suggestions that you think may work and implement them. Always look at the improvement that comes from the brutal truth of someone.

xxx

I actually love it when my book receives criticism because it is an avenue to further improve my story. ♡

xxx

I'm an English teacher that lives in grammar books, and I promise to always have mistakes that I should know better :P Editing your own work is almost impossible, and it's great when people catch my mistakes (especially my students because it means they actually listen to me... rare, but it happens). Let's not even talk about the difference between style guides.... damn you Oxford Comma!!

And if someone doesn't like my plot... then they don't like it. I love you all, but I don't really know you so it doesn't really hurt. If someone really hates one of my characters, that means at least my character has enough personality to be disliked by someone... It's impossible to write a book that everyone loves, even the most timeless of classes have people it just doesn't gel with. Just.... leave it at that.

I guess I could stand to toss in some extra happy emoji or something now and then to dull the "this comma is wrong" kinds of comments. Who doesn't love a cat face? =^.^=

xxx

I am with you on this! I laugh at the brutally honest feedback, they kind of make my day sometimes, just to bring me back to earth and realize I am not as great as I thought! And that is why we share on Wattpad and do not publish to the world right?

xxx

For me, the best critiquers have been people who are extremely specific with their feedback, whether positive or negative.

I do think that positives should be included in a critique. Writers should know when something worked as well as when something didn't. Plus, after a few comments from the same person, you can usually tell whether or not someone gets what you're aiming for and understands/is invested in your story. That's the holy grail to me...critiquers who genuinely like the genre and story and still see the ways in which it's falling short and can comment on it.

The way I see it, there are levels of critiquing. Editing is the easiest, because it's a response to clear rules. How to punctuate dialogue, how to stay in the correct tense, spelling and sentence structure, etc. Then there's reader's response style critiquing, which should move into talking about how the reader sees the characters, plot, and setting. This is where critiquing becomes more subjective. And then there's beta reading, which is reader's response style critique for the whole story. For this last one, I firmly believe that beta readers should be invested in the story in order to give a good critique. I've tried beta reading stories that don't interest me, and it just doesn't work out well. I stopped beating myself up about it when I realized that lit agents and editors only take on stories they love and are interested in.

I go into book clubs expecting reader's response style comments. I understand that they are subjective, and I'm looking for patterns of response. And in the back of my mind, I'm keeping an eye out for any commenters who seem to really understand the story.

This makes me want to write a whole post on giving and receiving feedback. XD

Sorry for blathering on...hopefully some of this makes sense!!

xxx

❤️ I have been blown away by the level of comments of I have received. I read a lot so I thought I knew about writing, but I have learned so much being a part of this club! Honesty is the key to growth!

xxx

For me, honest critiques can never be harsh. A cruel critique is when the critic insults your characters flaws and insults aspects of your story, without giving you any feedback about how to make it better. It either 1) seems that they are jealous and looking for a way to attack or 2) they genuinely do not know how to tone down the level of harshness in their voice.

It is our responsibility as writers to let them know that their critique isn't very helpful. Ask them what they meant by something that needs to be worked on. If they don't give you a good answer, it means that they don't care about you as a writer or they did not understand what you are trying to do. Move on from them and ignore anything else they might have to say, if they're unwilling to give the time you would probably give to them.

Most of the time a critic will help you out and be as specific as possible. And there what I try to do. I try to watch the harshness and my presentation of it. I come from a workshop background with the degree I'm working on, and that experience of getting ripped apart by my brutally honest, a harsh teacher made me stronger... So be strong :)

xxx

As for the comments: Please don't sugar coat mine. I want the honest truth. My comments are suggestions that may or may not work for the book I'm asked to read, but I hope they help for others the author may write.

xxx

I'll say this and this is a fact: u know you're a writer when something about ur writing is bothering u; as if u know u can do better. so whenever I see criticism, of any kind, I see it as tools pushing me to be just that, better :) and that's a fact jack! no need to be upset; all the reason to be happy 💚

xxx

Receiving criticism is hard. Our works are our babies, and it's hard to have flaws pointed out. But, it's important to realize that the people giving these seemingly harsh, in-depth criticisms are the ones who truly care about helping you. If someone just points out positives or vague issues, it's easier to swallow, but does it really help you?

I remember I had someone in this club give a really rough review of my first chapter. The entire layout and setup got ripped apart, and I was devastated. I had spent so much time trying to make the layout work, so hearing that it had so many issues really broke down my self-esteem. But, when I really sat back and gave it some thought, I realized the person was completely right. I ended up changing the entire chapter, and it was a lot of work, but it's sooo much better for it. I probably wouldn't have acknowledged the issues with the chapter if it weren't for that harsh review.

I think it's important to take a step back and take a deep breath when you get a hard critique. Our initial response might be to get defensive and heated, but with enough time and space to think it over, we might realize the critic has some very valid points. Sometimes, when I get a critique I don't necessarily like, I wait several hours--even a day--before responding so I can get some perspective.

On the other hand, when someone gives a critique that you know is flawed (in regards to grammar and structure since everything else is subjective), I think it's our responsibility as a club to point out why they're wrong--in a nonconfrontal, kind way. That way, they don't end up giving the wrong advice to someone that doesn't know any better down the road.

xxx

Basically, be honest, but don't be cruel.

I think sometimes I'm a little harsher than I realize, and I apologize to anyone who has been disheartened by any of my reviews. I mean well, and I want you guys to be better.

My structure for a review is as follows: the cover, the title, the summary, what I liked, what I didn't like, and overall experience.

I write this down and expand on it in the review. I also leave several in-lines with corrections and suggestions along the way. It's important to tell the author that it's a personal preference -- not an attack on them.

A review is a commodity in the writing world. We need it, we want it, we crave it. And if it isn't all sugar and rainbows, we feel attacked. This really shouldn't be the case.

I've been slammed so hard, but it was for my benefit! And after a few minutes of sulking and "Why meeeeeeee", I pulled on my big girl panties and accepted that my story needed work. I knew that it wasn't an attack on me. It was about making my story better.

Because at the end of the day, that's all a review book club is -- a way for others to catch the mistakes that you didn't.

xxx

Honesty is always best but that doesn't mean you can't pull a slight Mary Poppins (raise your hand if you actually remember that movie XD) A spoonful of sugar goes a long way. They already said it above, tell 'em what you don't like, but it doesn't have to be consistently negative. I bet if you look hard enough you can find a single, solitary thing that you did like...

xxx

I've always given into a book with the mentality to compare the structure to a published a book. I've always been an avid reader so it's impossible for me to deviate away from that mindset. There are some things that I've never seen in any books so when I catch them I feel obligated to point it out. One example of this is when authors put 'So and so's POV'. I've never seen this. Ever. But it seems so prominent in work on here.

I also go in considering each chapter as a small piece of a much bigger story. That's why I primarily focus on the punctuation and grammatical aspect rather than plot progression and characterization. How can I really comment on these things based one ONE chapter, most of which aren't even 1000 words long? I do get annoyed when I see reviewers make comments about these things because I'm fully aware it's touched on later in my book. I either point that or thank them for the feedback to move on. I've always got the impression that most members don't review books in the same way I do. They wanted everything established immediately. They want to know what the characters look like immediately. And that's okay.

I also try to make it clear as possible that's the comments I make are my opinion. I'll put 'I think', 'I suggest' or 'I'd recommend'. I should make it clear here that I don't care if you apply any of my suggestions or not. It's your story and you should do what makes you happy.

You have to remember that even professional authors don't follow rules. I've seen these elements incorporated into their work. And some of them are first time authors:

-little or no punctuation
-dialogue-heavy scenes with no descriptions
-paragraphs that run an entire page, or several pages
-a dialogue that has nothing to do with the actual plot
-multiple POV switches in one chapter
-heavy info dumping

So remember, you can break all the rules and still get away with it.

xxx

It can be hard when you get a harsh review because let's face it, we as authors put our books out there to be reviewed because the book is our pride an joy and you care what other people think of it. So when it comes to harsh reviews, it can hurt to know that someone else is pointing out negative things that you didn't see in it.

But here's the thing: now you can see that negative thing and you have the ability to improve it and fix it, and in you're future work, you're less likely to make that mistake.
My advice to my fellow writers is to take a step back and look at the critique objectively. Don't sit there making excuses about how it was rude and stupid so you should just ignore it or snap at the person, think about why they said what they did and think about what you can do to improve based on their suggestion.

Remeber that it's a critical critique aimed at pointing out the flaws. Just because it's not all rainbows and butterflies doesn't mean it's not positive. Because what's more positive than advice that helps you improve as a writer?

If these people sound like a bunch you can relate to then you might have just found your new Wattpad family like we did!