How To Spice Up Your Comments

How to Spice Up Your Comments

by Ashley E. Wolf

Everyone wants people to comment on their work. I cannot think of a single person who doesn’t want comments. Just think about what a comment can do. They allow constructive criticism to be passed on, little words of praise to be heard, and the opinions of the reader to reach the writer. Without this useful tool, the writer wouldn’t know what people will like to read.

However, giving a comment isn’t as simple was typing, “Good job, I hope you continue this.” Not unless you would like your comment to be as memorable, helpful, and personalized as possible.

First of all, you need to know some of the do’s and don’ts of commenting. For instance, telling someone in a comment, “I don’t like this. You can do better,” tends to be insulting. Instead, you could kindly give them a compliment (such as, “I like the way you phrased everything”), and kindly offer some Constructive Criticism.

When you comment, try and avoid words such as stupid, dumb, boring, weird, annoying, mean, and not good enough.*

[*= NOTE: The only time these words are appropriate, is when you decide to express your feelings towards a villain in the story.]

Instead, use words like interesting, wonderful, thought-provoking, well-written, well-planned, attention-grabbing, funny, dark and mysterious (but in a good way), or awesome.*

[*= NOTE: Over-using words can make your comments seem generic. http://thesaurus.com/ Can help you find similar words that can help you express your feelings.]

Second of all, you need to know exactly how you feel about the article you have just read. How you feel will affect your comment dramatically. And how you feel will be conveyed to the writer.

EXAMPLE:

“This is VERY interesting! KEEP WRITING!”

Now, how does that sound to you? Does the person sound like they enjoyed what you wrote? Yes, it does. Definitely. But, if the person TRULY liked it, don’t you think that they would have written a longer or at least more specific comment?

Granted, this reader could have been rushed or too tired to comment.

But there IS a way to write a short comment, but still get your feelings and thoughts across to the writer. In fact, there are many approaches you can use.

OPTION ONE:

Target one specific part of the article. A character, something a character said, the description of a person, place or thing. Anything that you particularly enjoyed. If you feel that the writer could work on one specific point, kindly point that out, and suggest an alternative way. But—don’t forget to pair that up with a compliment. If you always point out ways to improve, the writer may feel that you only see their flaws.

EXAMPLES:

Focusing on a point: “You did a marvelous job on this! The way that you described Billy Bob was VERY intricate and well-written. I felt like he was standing right in front of me!”

Constructive Criticism: “I really enjoyed reading this! The dialogue is incredibly realistic and flows very well! Just a little more detail, however, and this would be even MORE life-like. Maybe describe what Anne is wearing or how cold it is?”

OPTION TWO:

For things such as poems or song lyrics, homing in on a specific verse, how the passage made you feel, or what you think the poem/song means are all good things to include in a comment.

EXAMPLES:

Specific verse: “Oh wow…when I read the lyrics, ‘The sharp knife of a short life’, I felt a chill run down my spine! This is magnificent!”

Feelings: “I was practically in TEARS as I read this! The pain, the suffering, the loneliness that is conveyed in this in simply breathtaking.”

OPTION THREE:

Go crazy. Be creative. Add an artistic flair to your comment. Break away from the norm and branch out.

EXAMPLES:

Artistic comment:

“W

O

W

!

[Add why you said ‘WOW!’ here]”

Crazy comment: “:D :) :3 :O AhHhHhHhHhHhHhHhH!!!!!!! The action, the description, the setting!!!!! AHHH!!! I felt like I was actually there, watching Sir Bob and Sir Brad swordfight!! YOUR SKILLS ARE SIMPLY AWE-INSPIRING!!!!”

Now, which of these comments would you rather get?

A) “Oh, WOW! I really like this!!!! YOU BETTER KEEP WRITING!!!”

B) “xcjhgcxckds! There is NO word I can think of that can describe this. Amazing would be an insult. Breathtaking would be an underestimate. You TRULY know how to paint a mental picture!”

Option B, right?

In conclusion, no one likes to be told that they’re writing is bad, so refrain from using words that could hurt their feelings. When you comment, be specific. Use the comment as a way to talk to the writer one-on-one. Point out what you really enjoyed, and maybe give some tips on how to strengthen the weaker points. Be creative. Be honest. Be yourself.

Best wishes!

Ashley E. Wolf