Tuesday, December 20, 2011

[Staff Test] Review: An undreamy dream


Author: yoshiruxbubbletea



Title: 3/5
-       Interesting and unique title.
-       No such word as ‘Undreamy’. Put inverted commas/quotation marks to denote a word you’ve created yourself.
-       Missing capitalization.

Poster/Background/Design: 3/5
-       The quality of the poster was standardized, which is good(:
-       The font of the words on the poster didn’t suit the mood of the story. The story is fluffy, so cute and bubbly words would be more appropriate than cursive.
-       It should be ‘A dream you wouldn’t want to wake up from!’ and not ‘A dream you wouldn’t want to wake up!’.
-       The characters were all shown.

Description/Foreword: 9/10
-       The description was clear, short and sweet.
-       The foreword was good as you were able to communicate with your readers and get them to read more.
-       It would have been better if you provided some details on the main characters.
-       Some errors in your use of words (e.g. ‘whole different world’). Be careful not to make such mistakes as your Description and Foreword is what readers would read first.

Characters: 10/15
-       Your characterization was not bad. You were able to show their personalities.
-       The characters’ emotions were portrayed. Their first impressions and feelings for people around them were also shown.
-       You can try to be more in depth in the characterization. Most of what you’ve shown is on a surface-level. To do so, you could try reducing the number of characters in the story.

Plot: 18/30
-       Interesting and unique plot. You were able to capture the reader’s attention and keep them engrossed in the story.
-       It was really creative as the main plot gives a lot of possibilities and angles for you to write on. You could write a lot as the setting is in dreamland and anything is possible there.
-       Imagination was evident in your plot.
-       The plot was sufficient to keep the story going on, but it would have been better if you had a direction. Meaning: Have a storyline and not merely a plot. Some parts of your story were quite draggy. Imagine if you’re writing about ordinary people and if the setting was in real life. Nothing really goes on in your story if that’s the case.
-       Other than that, you did fine~ Improvements are of course necessary, but at least you’re on the right track(:

Flow/Pace: 3/5
-       The flow was smooth, and I didn’t have to re-read any parts to comprehend what was going on.
-       The pace was rather slow. You can try to write more exciting scenes in the story.

Writing Style: 7/10
-       You are able to form scenes and show it to the readers. Try to show more and tell less.
-       The characters’ points of view were developed.
-       Try to work on your pace and paragraphing, and I’m sure you’ll do much better. You have the potential to write.
-       Emoticons are strongly discouraged as writing comprises of description. Describe how the characters feel.

Originality/Creativity: 4/5
-       It was both original and creative, except for the lack of a storyline. As the story is incomplete, I can’t really grade this part, but I do hope you’ll add something (like a twist) to spice up the story.

Punctuation/Spelling/Tenses/Grammar/Vocabulary: 12/15
-       There were some typographical, punctuation and grammatical errors.
-       Your vocabulary and tenses were fine.
-       Some words were used incorrectly.
-       You had no problems in your spelling.

Bonus: 2 marks
-       It’s a really interesting plot(:

Marks Achieved: 71/100
Grade: C+

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Side Note:

You have creative ideas and were able to keep the audience engaged. Keep up the good work! ^^

♥ cheonsa

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Friday, December 16, 2011

Review: Taeyeon's Line Do Not Cross!


Author: littletea


Requested through Purple-Sashiin
Purple-Sashiin Review Rubrics

Title: 4/5
-       The title was really interesting and eye-catching.
-       However, there was a missing punctuation. You have to write it as ‘Taeyeon’s Line: Do Not Cross!’ or ‘Taeyeon’s Line – Do Not Cross!’ to separate it clearly.

Poster/Background: 9/10
-       The characters were shown and the quality of the pictures in the poster was standardized.
-       The title was distinct as it was written on the yellow tape.
-       Perhaps you could try to make Jaejoong more obvious as he’s one of the main characters.
-       The background was good as it was plain and the reader would be able to focus on the story without and distractions.
-       It would have been better if you chose a background colour that’s not similar to the poster as the similar colours makes it seem quite dull. The poster is really nice so you should try to make it stand out from the page.

Forewords: 6/10
-       An excellent introduction to the story. It persuades and convinces the reader to continue following the story. Questions help in this aspect too.
-       I think it’d be much more concise and organized if you wrote the characters and some background information (e.g. age) under a heading and the introduction below it.
-       Also, what is the genre of the story?
-       Forewords are extremely important. Avoid typographical, grammar, capitalization and punctuation errors at all costs.
-       Lastly, try to sound less conversational. One way to do so is to reduce the number of brackets used. Brackets are usually used for impact and punch. Try to refrain from using brackets throughout the whole passage.

Plot: 10/15
-       The ideas you had for this story were really creative. However, you have to plan. When I read it, I couldn’t see who the antagonist and protagonist is. Try to avoid this as you’ll lack focus. A story needs to have direction. You have to choose the girl meant for Jaejoong and stick to her (unless there’s a twist in the story). Having a focus and an ultimate “destination” would prevent you from stumbling along the story. I’m not saying you can’t write about the other girl, but that you could show the readers why she isn’t suited to Jaejoong, etc.
-       It was interesting how you showed the characters’ reactions when faced with changes.
-       You were able to move between scenes really well.
-       I noticed that you typed some lyrics, etc at the start and end of each passage. It was good that you added those lyrics(: Try to make the link between those lyrics and your story more obvious. This helps bring out the reader’s emotions and makes the story more engaging.

Creativity/Originality: 15/15
-       Excellent work on creativity. I didn’t really like the idea of an arranged marriage, but you were able to write it in such a way it doesn’t affect the originality of the story. A round of applause for you~!
-       It was an original storyline, but you are drifting quite close to a typical love triangle so do take note and make sure your story doesn’t end up like the usual “X-loves-Y-loves-Z”.

Flow: 8/10
-       The flow was not bad, but the switching of the different scenes and points of view made the story quite choppy.
-       However, the pacing of the story was just right(: It wasn’t too fast nor too slow.

Spelling/Grammar/Vocabulary: 8/10
-       No problems in spelling except for a few which were most probably typographical errors.
-       Some grammatical errors here and there. Most, I presume, were careless mistakes.
-       Your vocabulary had no problems. You didn’t use any words inappropriately/incorrectly.

Characterization: 10/10
-       No problems spotted for characterization. They were clear, in-depth and well-developed.

Writing Style: 8/10
-       Interesting and engaging writing style. All you have to work on now is having direction. Give hints to the readers on your intention (which basically means focus and move towards an ending you want).

Overall Enjoyment: 4/5

Sub-Total: 82/100

Extras: 5/5
-       You made the poster yourself! ^^
-       I think adding lyrics, etc to your story was a good idea.

Total: 87/105

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Side Note:

You have really good ideas(: There’s always room for improvement, but you are already on the right track. Keep it up~! ^^

♥ cheonsa

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Sunday, December 11, 2011

Review: Fucking Perfect


Author: cn_ara


Title: 4/5
-       It’s straightforward and does pack a punch. I couldn’t give you full marks, though, as it wasn’t exactly original.

Description/Foreword: 6/10
-       The description and foreword was clear.
-       You also mentioned where your inspiration came from, which was good.
-       It would be better if you briefly described the characters or gave some background information on the characters. This is quite important as it’ll help form a rough image of your character in the reader’s mind.

Characters: 14/15
-       Characters were well-developed. Their thoughts, emotions, etc were portrayed.
-       You were able to show the characters’ feelings for the people around them.
-       The characters’ points of view were shown well as it does not confuse the readers who was speaking or thinking at that moment.
-       What you can work on is the characters’ personalities. Your basics are already there so all there is for you to work on characterization is the depth – letting the readers get to know your characters on a more “personal” level. For example, show more scenes where the characters are alone as you would be able to show their inner feelings, private thoughts, etc.
-       Excellent work on a whole! ^^

Plot: 20/30
-       The plot was well-developed and interesting.
-       You can elaborate more on Jiyong’s point of view. There were sufficient scenes on Seungri and Dara to bring out the main gist of the story, but little was shown about Jiyong. Why did he think she was ‘perfection’ in the end? Why did he regret?
-       I liked how you managed to move the story along. There were no breaks, missing information, etc.
-       The plot was not bad, but the storyline is quite cliché. You have to add more elements to your story so the readers can see something different in your story.

Flow/Pace: 3/5
-       The flow was fine, but it was quite disorganized. The transition between scenes wasn’t really smooth.
-       However, your pacing was good. It was not too rushed or too dreary.

Writing Style: 9/10
-       Excellent work~ You were able to get the readers’ attention.
-       You managed to piece a good storyline.
-       The only thing you have to work on now is putting more emotions and feelings into the story. Descriptions can help in this area. Make it a little more melodramatic.

Originality/Creativity: 4/5
-       It was original.
-       The storyline was quite cliché.

Punctuation/Spelling/Tenses/Grammar/Vocabulary: 12/15
-       Some minor errors were seen.
-       Tenses need a little brushing up.
-       Spelling and vocabulary was fine.

Personal Enjoyment: 4/5
-       I enjoyed it, but it would have been even better if more emotions were expressed.

Marks Achieved: 76/100
Grade: B

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Corrections

You had few errors. Keep up the good work! ^^

-       Example excerpt: The day she broke up with him was the most painful day for her but she couldn't have move on if not from the help of her loving best friend panda.  Jiyong tried to call her but she made a resolved to shut him off completely. You know y? She caught him in the act making out with a girl in his car right after he called her to apologized. How sincere isn't it? She admitts it killed her like hell when she saw that. She thought Jiyong's was changing and trying to be sincere only to find her hope crushing down to pieces when she witnessed the make out session. Him and that bitch Sohee were both fools and players.
-       Why it’s wrong: (1) Incorrect usage of words. (2) Excess words. (3) Typographical errors and missing punctuation. (4) Try to use better expressions instead of the usual ‘like hell’ and ‘crushed to pieces’. (5) Pronouns act as subject and are in subjective case [‘Him’ should be replaced with ‘He’].
-       Correction: The day she broke up with him was the most painful day for her. She couldn't have moved on if not for the help of her loving best friend, Panda. Jiyong tried to call her but she resolved to shut him off completely. She had intended to forgive him, but caught him making out with a girl in his car right after he called to apologize. That only spoke volumes about his sincerity. It hurt. She trusted him so much. She did all she could for him before. She had even missed him when they were apart. She had loved him. She thought he was changing. She hoped he was, only to witness the make out session. That was when she gave up. He and that bitch Sohee were merely fools and players.

Side Note:

You are able to write in such a way it flows and has direction. This is really good as it makes the story interesting(: Work on putting more emotions. All the best~! ^^

♥ cheonsa

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