Comments on: Reviewerspeak http://www.rikkidonovan.com/index.php/2009/07/06/reviewerspeak/?&owa_medium=feed&owa_sid= books crafts food & drink misc. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:30:07 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Val Kovalin http://www.rikkidonovan.com/index.php/2009/07/06/reviewerspeak/comment-page-1/#comment-5069 Val Kovalin Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:49:31 +0000 http://www.rikkidonovan.com/index.php/2009/07/06/reviewerspeak/#comment-5069 I think that's exactly what you want to do: write as you talk. It's a good rule of thumb for us all, or we'll find ourselves getting awfully pompous as reviewers and blathering on about tour de force, ha, ha! I had to laugh, picturing myself saying that in conversation because at least I have enough sense not to do that. [rq=3802,0,blog][/rq]<a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/2009/07/drift-happens.html" rel="nofollow">Drift Happens</a> I think that’s exactly what you want to do: write as you talk. It’s a good rule of thumb for us all, or we’ll find ourselves getting awfully pompous as reviewers and blathering on about tour de force, ha, ha! I had to laugh, picturing myself saying that in conversation because at least I have enough sense not to do that.
[rq=3802,0,blog][/rq]Drift Happens

]]> By: Rikki http://www.rikkidonovan.com/index.php/2009/07/06/reviewerspeak/comment-page-1/#comment-5068 Rikki Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:37:17 +0000 http://www.rikkidonovan.com/index.php/2009/07/06/reviewerspeak/#comment-5068 Clare and Val, thanks for stopping by. I found this very interesting as well. I think the only reason I'm not using those terms all the time is because I'm no native speaker and had no idea about their usefulness (and their lack of meaning), :-). I just write the way I talk, and I don't think I've ever used the words "poignant" or "gripping" in everyday speech. Clare and Val, thanks for stopping by.
I found this very interesting as well. I think the only reason I’m not using those terms all the time is because I’m no native speaker and had no idea about their usefulness (and their lack of meaning), :-) . I just write the way I talk, and I don’t think I’ve ever used the words “poignant” or “gripping” in everyday speech.

]]> By: Val Kovalin http://www.rikkidonovan.com/index.php/2009/07/06/reviewerspeak/comment-page-1/#comment-5049 Val Kovalin Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:54:48 +0000 http://www.rikkidonovan.com/index.php/2009/07/06/reviewerspeak/#comment-5049 Ooooh, Rikki, this is great! I'm so relieved that "vivid" didn't make the list because that's my favorite reviewer word. Cliches I really dislike in reviews have definitely got to be "rollicking" and "tour de force" for sure, closely followed by "lyrical." I'm afraid I've overused, "Poignant, gripping, and compelling." The worst cliche of all has to be "X meets X meets X" or as the author of the piece says, "Stephen King meets Charles Dickens meets Agatha Christie in this haunting yet rollicking mystery." Ick, ick, ick! [rq=133829,0,blog][/rq]<a href="http://obsidianbookshelf.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-three-by-jaime-samms.html" rel="nofollow">Review - Three by Jaime Samms</a> Ooooh, Rikki, this is great! I’m so relieved that “vivid” didn’t make the list because that’s my favorite reviewer word.

Cliches I really dislike in reviews have definitely got to be “rollicking” and “tour de force” for sure, closely followed by “lyrical.”

I’m afraid I’ve overused, “Poignant, gripping, and compelling.”

The worst cliche of all has to be “X meets X meets X” or as the author of the piece says, “Stephen King meets Charles Dickens meets Agatha Christie in this haunting yet rollicking mystery.” Ick, ick, ick!
[rq=133829,0,blog][/rq]Review – Three by Jaime Samms

]]> By: Clare London http://www.rikkidonovan.com/index.php/2009/07/06/reviewerspeak/comment-page-1/#comment-5041 Clare London Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:09:48 +0000 http://www.rikkidonovan.com/index.php/2009/07/06/reviewerspeak/#comment-5041 Oh blimey, but I've used *lots* of those in the past when I've given feedback to an author *lol*. And I always thought they were perfect for the purpose *sigh*. But I understand what they mean about using words that say nothing really important. I'll keep an additional watch on myself in future :). Oh blimey, but I’ve used *lots* of those in the past when I’ve given feedback to an author *lol*. And I always thought they were perfect for the purpose *sigh*. But I understand what they mean about using words that say nothing really important. I’ll keep an additional watch on myself in future :) .

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