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Reader's Report for Story #1 (due Friday, Oct.2)

English 3373: Reader’s Report for Story #1

After reading the story assigned to your editorial review, use the lists below to craft your response (you can respond to individual questions, or write a narrative—at least 2-3 pages double spaced). You DO NOT have to consider all of these items, but responding to some of them will help you say something constructive and positive, rather than vague statements, such as “I didn’t really get it for some reason. But I guess it’s okay.” If possible, try to read the story more than once, to let it settle in your mind. The Reader’s Report is worth 10/100 points, so don’t blow it off!

BIG PICTURE CONCERNS

  • Can you tell what genre the story is? Reasons why or why not?
  • What do you feel is the general audience for the story (juvenile, young adult, adult, mature adult, etc.)? Do you feel the story/tone matches this audience?
  • Which of the following words best describes the story after a first read (pick at least 2): surprising, clever, disturbing, emotional, bittersweet, exciting, ambiguous, suspenseful, thoughtful, gloomy, hopeful, (or add one of your own).
  • If someone asked you, “what’s the story about?” would you feel able to give a concise, one or two-sentence response? If not, why not?
  • If you had to compare this story to some other book or movie/show, what would it be?

MORE FOCUSED IDEAS

  • What part of the story most grabbed your interest and why?
  • What part of the story made you either lose interest or get confused?
  • Are the characters believable and consistent? Do you feel you understand them and can ‘see’ them as you read? Do you like them and/or relate to any of them?
  • Where might the author need to give more background/information? Is the ‘world building’ sufficient to support the story?
  • Is there anything you expected which didn’t happen in the story, but you think the author could incorporate and/or revise?
  • Does the story feel developed enough? Does it seem to reach a satisfying conclusion? Or do you feel something is missing between the beginning and the resolution?

SMALL PICTURE CONCERNS

  • Does the title feel appropriate to the story? Does it comment on some idea/theme in the story, or is just illustrative? (ex: The River, for a story about a river).
  • Does it read well? Was it a story you felt you could ‘sink into’? Or did it resist you?
  • Are there any glaring or consistent spelling or grammar mistakes that distract from the reading experience?
  • Does the story seem to transition gracefully between episodes? Does anything seem tacked-on or awkwardly introduced?
  • Are there any writer’s tics that you feel could be addressed, such as too any sentences that start the same, or an overused word, or odd use of punctuation, etc.?

READERS REPORTS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2nd (Conferences are the following week!)

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