DRAFT REVIEW Guidelines for the Reader

1.  Read for a First Impression. Begin by reading a draft straight through to get a general impression.  Read for enjoyment, ignoring spelling, punctuation, and usage errors for now.  When you have finished this first quick reading, write a few sentences below about your overall impression, the event's significance as you understand it, and any insights about the event or its significance to the author that you have gained.

Also, consider the problem that I identified above.  If the problem will be covered by one of the topics listed below, deal with it there. Otherwise, you can respond to my concerns now.

2.  Analyze the Effectiveness of the Storytelling. Review the story, looking at the way the suspense builds and resolves itself. Point to any places where the drama loses intensity—perhaps where the suspense slackens, where specific narrative action is sparse or action verbs are needed, where narrative transitions would help readers, or where dialogue could be added to dramatize people’s interactions.

3.  Consider How Vividly the Places and People Are Described. Point to any descriptive details, similes, or metaphors that are especially effective. Note any places or people that need more specific description. Also indicate any descriptive details that seem unnecessary. Identify any dialogue that does not seem relevant.

4.  Assess Whether the Autobiographical Significance Is Clear. Explain briefly what you think makes this event significant for the writer. Mention any places where the feeling might seem to the intended readers so overstated as to be sentimental or so understated as to be insignificant. If the event lacks significance, speculate about what you think the significance could be. Then point to one place in the essay where you think the significance could be brought forth by telling the story more fully or dramatically or by stating the significance.

5.  Analyze the Effectiveness of the Organization. Consider the overall plan, perhaps by making a scratch outline. Pay special attention to the narrative transitions and verb tense markers so that you can identify any places where the order of the action is unclear. Also indicate any places where you think the description or background information interrupts the action. If you can, suggest other locations for this material.

·         Look at the beginning. If it does not arouse curiosity, point to language elsewhere in the essay that might serve as a better opening—for example, a bit of dialogue, a striking image, or a remembered feeling.

·         Look at the ending. Indicate whether the conflict in the story is too neatly resolved at the end, whether the writer has tagged on a moral, or whether the essay abruptly stops without really coming to a conclusion. If there is a problem with the ending, try to suggest an alternative ending, such as framing the story with a reference to something from the beginning or projecting into the future.

6.  Give the Writer Your Final Thoughts. What is the draft’s strongest part? What part is most in need of further work?