Hello fellow readers, writers, and dogged feedbackers! My name is Zoe and I’m one of the new interns here at WEbook. It appears that I’m on a hot streak lately because not only do I get to blog as part of my job, but for my very first post I get to announce a couple of cool new things on WEbook. First, did ya notice something different on the site today? Um, like a new main navigation bar and a slightly streamlined new look? Pretty sweet, right?
Even more impressive is something we’re calling “Structured Feedback.” What the *&%! is Structured Feedback, you ask? Well, it’s yet another enhancement of the feedback box. Like the rest of you, I dig the new “progress” bar. It certainly motivates me to give longer, more exciting, and colorful feedback. But I also found the task daunting. Sometimes I just wanted to say “Great!” because it was, or because I wasn’t sure where to start my review. Worse, I didn’t want to sound like a know-it-all or, gasp, offend a fellow WEbooker.
Well feedbackers, we’re in luck once again. The latest set-up, built right into the feedback interface, provides a set of fields/topics to help you direct your comments and suggestions to have the most impact. These topics will also change according to the genre of writing you are reviewing – be it fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Here’s a small sample of the new features:
• For fiction, you’ll be able to comment specifically on things like plot, character development, structure, and tone/voice.
• For non-fiction, the categories will be originality, execution, structure, and tone/voice.
• For poetry, the topics are form, content, tone, imagery, and musicality.
If you hold your cursor over each term in the Feedback box, a pop-up will provide definitions of each, so give it a try! Of course, you can always leave a regular old comment under general comments, but try to write under all the headings. A few words are better than nothing of course, and a few sentences can be just what that author needed to clear up confusions or push their story to the next level. As you really get the hang of reading and revising like a pro – using structured feedback as a guide – you’ll notice your own skills as a writer strengthen and develop. The saying never gets old: give and you shall receive … now, in more ways than one.
Because zoekatherine loves feedback that much, she’ll give comprehensive critiques as frequently as possible. Feel free to write her (zoekatherine) if you’d like her to take a look at your work. She’ll also be on the lookout for the most brilliant, enlightening, in-depth, motivating, helpful, or unique feedback to highlight on the WEbook blog. Get to her before she gets overwhelmed with requests!
Sign up for WEbook today and start reading, writing, and feedbacking.
just checking this out.
Posted by: katie | July 31, 2009 at 08:04 AM
:D I Love it, though I do wish that the search bar could be kept in its old place! :D It's just that it's gonna be really annoying, being just below my project invite, message, and group invite links. :D But, yeah! :D
Posted by: Sophia Taylor (JaneAusten) | July 31, 2009 at 02:35 PM
I have something wrong with mine.
EVer since you all changed the site,( i love it by the way) and I havent been able to access any of my stories.
I go to rewrite them as a saved draft, and I would click the button and it would not let me in.
It wont do anything at all. I would click it forever and it wont leave the page!
Posted by: Mackenzie | August 02, 2009 at 03:04 PM