Monthly Reviewing Challenge

Welcome to the monthly reviewing challenge! The idea is simple - post reviews to other stories in the section, and claim a review from the team for your efforts on your own story, every month! The time limit resets every month, and you can re-enter every month as well.


How does it work?

Interested in taking part? All you have to do is sign up in this thread using the form posted below. Once you have the form filled out, start! Once you have a review, just edit a link leading to the review in your sign up post, and that's pretty much it. Once you have five reviews all lined up and ready for inspection, post again saying you have finished. Once we have checked your reviews and made sure that they are legitimate, you win and can claim your reward! It's really simple, but let's go over some guidelines.

For a new month and hence new challenge, make a new post or use your latest one if it is separate and you are the last poster.


Guidelines:

Your reviews need to be constructive. Don't just post "like ur story! it was good!" Point out specifics about the story you're reviewing, mentioning what you liked or didn't like. If your review can be posted to every story in this forum and make sense, it won't count for this challenge.

You can review the same story as someone else. It's nice to see different views on the same story, after all!

It is possible to review the same story more than once, but only if the story has received a significant update since the last review, such as a new chapter, or a complete rewrite.

Use your post in this thread to keep track of your reviews. Just link to them so we can double-check everything.

Authors, if you would like a particular reviewer to read your story, check out their profile to find out how to contact them and ask them nicely. Only ask once. If we find out that you're constantly sending messages over and over again, disciplinary actions will be taken.

The challenge ends at the end of every month. Once it becomes the 1st of the next month in your timezone, the timer resets and you'll need to make another five reviews to be able to claim a review for your own story. You cannot use reviews made across separate months!

The goal here is five reviews. That's roughly one every six days - nice and simple.


Prizes!

What do you get?

Aside from the satisfaction of bringing activity to FF&W and reviews to the authors here, you also get this emblem for completing this challenge once:



In addition to the emblem, you'll also receive a full review of a piece of work of your choosing from one of our panel reviewers, for up to three chapters. We are people after all, and reviewing every chapter of a 20+ chapter fic will take a long time. If you would like to be on this panel, please contact me with a link to three reviews you have done in the past. Seeing how this is a reward, we're going to be very picky about who joins, so make sure to put your best foot forward! Our panel includes:
Slayr231
bobandbill
Astinus


The Form

Name:
Best Way to Contact:
Review Style:
Reviews:

If you have any questions, simply ask them in this thread! I wish you all good luck, and happy reviewing!

Is it all right if I enter even though I've entered into a similar challenge before?

ShivaDF said:

Is it all right if I enter even though I've entered into a similar challenge before?

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It certainly is!

We're planning on this being something we do every month, so feel free to enter every time, or when you feel like it.

Although, did we discuss on winning multiple times a month?

Why the hell not?

Name: Phantom
Best Way to Contact: VM or PM, doesn't matter which.
Review Style: Honestly, it depends on the writer. If it's obvious that the person is a newbie writer I will go easy, I will give more hints and advice than criticism. If it's a regular, I will go in depth if possible. I can come off as harsh, but, trust me, I'm not trying to be. If I'm being short it's most likely to save time on a lengthy review, or to not turn what is meant to be a shorter review into a mini-novel. I'll go after basic grammar and then basic story telling, plus fanfiction etiquette.
Reviews: Nada.

I never tried reviewing before, but it's always good to try something new, nad I just might become a better writer in the process.

Name: Aisu
Best Way to Contact: VM/PM
Review Style: Hm... I'll be a stickler with grammar and spelling, and I'll try to encourage as I critique.
Reviews:

Although, did we discuss on winning multiple times a month?

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If you've won in a previous month, then you can win the next month as well. You can be a winner every month! You just need to make those reviews each month as per the requirement. If you win, then the section wins, and everyone wins!

Imo even we can join in! Just that we can't reward our own fics with a review. =p

Name: Scarlet Knight
Best Way to Contact: VM/PM, preferably VM
Review Style: I read and make criticisms as I go along, constantly shifting between the text and my response. I don't have much experience in reviewing but I think I focus on characterization, followed by plot. Maybe grammar, but only if it's an excessive issue.
Reviews:

[Pokémon] Lurking Shadows [T]
Through Sapphire Skies: A New Journey
Redux Sunset
Through Sapphire Skies: A New Journey
Tricksie's Bizarre Adventure

Name: BlazikenXY
Best Way to Contact: VM or PM
Review Style: Fair (?) xD
Reviews: None yet, (but soon enough)

You all have maybe around a day left of the month, before the review challenge ends - and begins for December. Update your posts and post here if you did make five reviews during November!

Hi, there! I know my last review was a little past the deadline, but I hope it's counted. I really made an effort into all of my reviews (as I always do).

Anyway this is my official post declaring that I've finished my reviews and they're ready for inspection.

It looks good to me, congratulations!

I'm confused, How does this work? Do you mean you review someones thing, then you get reviewed or what?

What you do is sign up to do the challenge, just saying that you will and what's the best way for other members to contact you if they want to request a review from you. In the course of a month, if you review five stories (and link to the reviews here), then you can get an emblem and can request for either [tier=smod]Nolafus[/tier], [tier=smod]bobandbill[/tier], or me (maybe Bay if she wants to add herself to the list) to review your own story.

Does that explain things better?

Astinus said:

What you do is sign up to do the challenge, just saying that you will and what's the best way for other members to contact you if they want to request a review from you. In the course of a month, if you review five stories (and link to the reviews here), then you can get an emblem and can request for either [tier=smod]Nolafus[/tier], [tier=smod]bobandbill[/tier], or me (maybe Bay if she wants to add herself to the list) to review your own story.

Does that explain things better?

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Yes, thank you. Is there only one winner? Is this the active?

There can be many winners during the month. If one person gets the five reviews in, other people can still review. There's no limit to the amount of winners each month.

It's still active! You can sign up now and try to get your reviews in for the month of April.

I might, but I really don't think I have a good enough story finished to be reviewed for a special occasion, nor do I think I am a very good reviewer, but I would like a review.

Aquataris said:

I might, but I really don't think I have a good enough story finished to be reviewed for a special occasion, nor do I think I am a very good reviewer, but I would like a review.

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If you're talking about requesting a mod to review, your stories don't need to be finished or have a lot of chapters . Otherwise you don't need to request for a review if you don't want to.

If you want to try your hand at reviewing, go right ahead! Nolfaus did a guide on how to do reviews. Short ones are fine as long as you point out some stuff here and there.

Bardothren said:

Hello! This is the post to say that I've finished my five reviews. They may not be perfect, but I gave it everything I had. Maybe a little too much, at times. Nevertheless, I found this experience highly informative, particularly in increasing the efficiency of each sentence.

So... what comes next?

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I've been glancing through your reviews, and everything looks good to me!

What happens next is you'll get an emblem shortly. Also if you want you can request one of the mods (Nolfaus, Astinus, bobandbill, or me) a review for one of your fics! Although, I've been reviewing a couple of your fics already (I'm already slowly catching up reading Through the Scope). :P

I'd like to sign up please :)

Name: Delirious Absol or Del
Best Way to Contact: PM or VM
Review Style: I'm not great at in-depth reviews, but I'll point out what I liked or thought worked regards plot, character, event etc, grammar mistakes that stood out or anything else I think needs fixing or could have been done differently. I try not to come across as harsh (and thus re-read things to make sure that's not the case) but I will provide some criticism to help writers.
Reviews:
Flying in the Dark
The Trial of Juno Saga
Pokemon Yellow: Special Parody Edition
Valerie's Admirer
Last Champion (chapter one)