| General Non-Fiction posted November 10, 2022 |
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Vignettes of life, and the reviews.
Vignettes, Reviews, & Therapy
by Terry Broxson
This is a little reflective piece about a few things I have written in the past year. There is some repetition in my style and subject matter, but I try to go in new directions. Sometimes with success and sometimes not so much.
One of the topics I have written about on a few occasions is what I call "Vignettes of Life." A couple of times, the subject matter was about seniors. Other times observations, or things that happened in everyday life.
None of the vignette stories were intended to have a common setting or relate to each other.
I have also been interested in the reader's comments and reviews. The idea struck me, "Why not offer up some snippets of the reviews? It might be fun."
My purpose is not to "call anyone out" or embarrass a reviewer. On the contrary, part of the fun of writing on FanStory is the continuing dialogue about writing. I am sure every member could offer their posting of contrasting reviews in a snippet format. Maybe there should be a contest.
I will offer the following to have a common setting and theme, as all references are to the vignette stories.
***
"Did you make these up, or did they really happen?"
The short answer is they all happened in my mind, and some happened before my eyes.
***
These are some comments about the same posted set of vignettes.
"Funny and sad,"
"Charming idea,"
"Sarcastic, dreary,"
"Delightful,"
"Didn't laugh once,"
"Very amusing,"
"I have thought it, heard it, or imagined it."
I think all the comments were correct. I'm sorry I didn't make someone laugh at least once. I did love the last comment. Any writer would like to think a reader can relate to the story.
***
"I think you should have kept to one setting."
"It would work better if there was one theme."
"I liked how you referred to different conversations in different settings."
I agree. It would be creative if I could put everything in one sitting. I also think it is fun if the stories don't connect.
***
"The story reminds me of the humor pages of Reader's Digest."
This was an interesting observation. I have not read Reader's Digest for at least forty years. I did like the humor pages. I promise I did not steal anything from RD. I wished I had thought to send them the stories.
***
From the same reviewer about two different vignette postings:
"My rating is because I didn't like the content; I didn't find any spags."
"My rating is because of the spags; I loved the content."
At first, I wanted to say, "Just kidding about that content you didn't like."
Now about the content you loved. "Those spags were intended to see if anyone was paying attention."
But on reflection, I wondered how low the rating would have been if the unliked content had spags and how high the rating would be if the loved content had no spags.
***
Writing, like cooking, for some people, is considered therapy. Reviews that offer positive reinforcement add to the enjoyment and can help demonstrate what works. Negative reviews are part of the process. Maybe the writer or the cook can improve the offering, or perhaps they are satisfied with the results. Bon appetit!
This is a little reflective piece about a few things I have written in the past year. There is some repetition in my style and subject matter, but I try to go in new directions. Sometimes with success and sometimes not so much.
One of the topics I have written about on a few occasions is what I call "Vignettes of Life." A couple of times, the subject matter was about seniors. Other times observations, or things that happened in everyday life.
None of the vignette stories were intended to have a common setting or relate to each other.
I have also been interested in the reader's comments and reviews. The idea struck me, "Why not offer up some snippets of the reviews? It might be fun."
My purpose is not to "call anyone out" or embarrass a reviewer. On the contrary, part of the fun of writing on FanStory is the continuing dialogue about writing. I am sure every member could offer their posting of contrasting reviews in a snippet format. Maybe there should be a contest.
I will offer the following to have a common setting and theme, as all references are to the vignette stories.
***
"Did you make these up, or did they really happen?"
The short answer is they all happened in my mind, and some happened before my eyes.
***
These are some comments about the same posted set of vignettes.
"Funny and sad,"
"Charming idea,"
"Sarcastic, dreary,"
"Delightful,"
"Didn't laugh once,"
"Very amusing,"
"I have thought it, heard it, or imagined it."
I think all the comments were correct. I'm sorry I didn't make someone laugh at least once. I did love the last comment. Any writer would like to think a reader can relate to the story.
***
"I think you should have kept to one setting."
"It would work better if there was one theme."
"I liked how you referred to different conversations in different settings."
I agree. It would be creative if I could put everything in one sitting. I also think it is fun if the stories don't connect.
***
"The story reminds me of the humor pages of Reader's Digest."
This was an interesting observation. I have not read Reader's Digest for at least forty years. I did like the humor pages. I promise I did not steal anything from RD. I wished I had thought to send them the stories.
***
From the same reviewer about two different vignette postings:
"My rating is because I didn't like the content; I didn't find any spags."
"My rating is because of the spags; I loved the content."
At first, I wanted to say, "Just kidding about that content you didn't like."
Now about the content you loved. "Those spags were intended to see if anyone was paying attention."
But on reflection, I wondered how low the rating would have been if the unliked content had spags and how high the rating would be if the loved content had no spags.
***
Writing, like cooking, for some people, is considered therapy. Reviews that offer positive reinforcement add to the enjoyment and can help demonstrate what works. Negative reviews are part of the process. Maybe the writer or the cook can improve the offering, or perhaps they are satisfied with the results. Bon appetit!
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#33 November 2022 |
Artwork by VMarguarite at FanArtReview.com
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