Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Heidi at Rainy Day Ramblings in order to discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging (and some slightly more personal matters throw in for good measure). While Heidi is on an extended hiatus, there are five of us who are hosting it and providing the questions. The current team is composed of Berls at Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen at That's What I'm Talking About, Karen at For What It's Worth, Linda at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Roberta at Offbeat YA. This week's question is...
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THAT PESKY REVIEW MAKES YOU WORK FOR IT?
I hope that the review will magically write itself.
Wait...no. I mean, because we all know that it's never going to happen - otherwise...😆
Seriously...I give myself a couple of days before I try again, but I've learned that this rarely, if ever, changes anything. You would think that distancing yourself from a thing and coming back to it with a fresh mind would do the trick, but that's NOT my case. If anything, when the time off I took turns out to be useless, I become so angry at the poor review that I resent having to write it even more - which in turns causes further inability to perform the task. So, I finally approach it like I would with a school assignment...I tell myself "OK, it HAS to be done, one way or another" and I just force my brain to find a starting point (or the right words to start), until the blasted thing finds its flow and gets written. And you know what's funny? A review done that way isn't necessarily worse than the ones where you don't incur a block. Actually, there are some I'm quite proud of...
Well, that's it for now. Did you enjoy this post? Would you like to participate in the meme on a regular or semi-regular basis, and get emailed the prompt list? Just head over here and fill in Jen's form! (Of course, you can jump in anytime you like - you are under no obligation to actually do all the posts, or even most of them, just because you signed up, and you can remove yourself from the list at any time). And if you're interested in participating in a more casual manner, or only in commenting, here is the TMST prompt list for the month of February:
- February 1st: Share some of your favorite books written by Black authors or featuring Black characters
- February 8th: What’s the chore you resent having to do the most? (a question I submitted)
- February 15th: Share your favourite romance moments: movie, book, story, etc.
- February 22nd: Has a book by your favourite author ever disappointed you badly? (a question I submitted)
I'll be back on February 8th, but I plan on reading your posts on the 1st if you have any!
Off-topic: you may have noticed that I've been scarce lately, comment-wise. I'm going through a new series of crises at the moment...on Friday I learned that I'll be unemployed from May, and it was a nasty blow. Then on Saturday my mother in law broke her femur and is now in hospital...I thought that 2021 had punished me enough, but apparently, I hadn't reached my peak yet ðŸ˜. I spent the weekend trying to come up with a plan for job-hunting, then I had to go to my MIL's house with my husband to help him fetching her some stuff...As usual, I had a few posts scheduled (like this one), but my heart hasn't been into reading or commenting these days, plus I haven't been able to make the time, so please bear with me. I'll never manage to catch up with your posts from last week, but I hope to be more present in a few days (job-hunting and MIL situation permitting). Thanks to everyone who expressed their sympathy and offered their support on Twitter 💚.
Now tell me something...how do you deal with reviews when they refuse to get written?
Oddly, it's the books I LOVE that give me the most trouble but I don't worry about it too much. Stepping away does help me and I can only write a review if I have a eureka moment and then it all comes to me at once.
ReplyDeleteI have forced myself a few times when deadlines were an issue and I've been away from reviewing for so long that I use bullet points right now just to kick start me.
Whatever works!
Karen @For What It's Worth
LOL, I love your "eureka moment". And yes, sometimes the books we love are more difficult to review! We want to convey that special feeling and it isn't always easy.
DeleteReviews become pesky for me when I'm writing a review of a book that I read a long time ago, and I'm trying to remember the specific points I liked and didn't like. I think now I have to get in the habit of jotting down notes as I go.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit envious of people who can work with notes! If I do that, it interrupts my flow and reading becomes a chore.
DeleteI don't have to write reviews if I don't want to so I guess the question is not that important to me. There are some books I simply refused to write reviews for but if I have to, I'll do it like you do, approach it like homework. Sometimes the hard part is starting. I've been known to put things off so long that deadlines rushed by me.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your job and your MIL. It's always a shame that to a lose job and yet, I keep hearing about people quitting their jobs so I guess I'll never understand how things work. I hope you find something soon. It would be nice if we can all work for ourselves.
Have a lovely day.
"Sometimes the hard part is starting. I've been known to put things off so long that deadlines rushed by me."
DeleteExactly! And I'm a procrastinator too, so I understand you very well.
Thank you! I'm sure that people quitting their jobs have something to fall back on, most of the times. I would have left mine a century ago if I did...
I feel that so much, but then I read old reviews, and I think they're pretty good. Maybe we are just too hard on ourselves.
ReplyDeleteVery probable LOL.
DeleteOH NO!! Sorry your January has been so tough. Sending positive energy your way.
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes time away does help me. I mentioned in my post that when I have a few reviews to write at once, sometimes that helps because I'll be in the "reviewing zone." If I stick that pesky one at the end of some better reviews, I tend to get through it more quickly.
Thank you 🧡.
DeleteIt's funny how what works for some of us wouldn't work all for someone else. If I procrastinate on a review for too long, I end up hating it even more, which doesn't help LOL.
I'm sorry to hear about all the stuff you're going through😥 As for reviews, most are hard for me to write. Actually, negative reviews are easier. With books I love, I feel like I will never get the words right. I often take a break and sometimes that works.
ReplyDeleteThank you 💚. And I absolutely hear you. I've had books I liked a lot where I struggled to find the words. A break works for me too, but it must not be too long, or I forget what I want to say and resent having to write the review even more LOL.
DeleteI'm sorry you're having such a hard time right now.
ReplyDeleteI write notes as I read and write the review right after I'm done with the book so everything is still fresh in my head.
Thank you! And yes, that's the best move. I do review my books right after reading (or rereading) too.
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about what you're going through, I hope things get better.💙 Taking time off from any type of writing I always find useful. :) I had difficulty at one point writing a scene in one of my novels, so I took some time away from it, and it was so much easier.
ReplyDelete-Quinley
Thank you! Yeah, trying to go through with a piece of writing when you aren't feeling it may be counterintuitive. On the other hand, it should be a real break, not a phase where you aren't writing but the blasted things still lingers at the back of your mind LOL.
DeleteI'm trying to write a review right now for the Echo Wife and I've been putting it off, which I NEVER do, because it bugs me if I don't write the review right away. I just don't know with this one... :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you are well, have a great weekend?
Some books are trickier than others, for sure. Maybe we love them too much for words, or maybe we don't know how to dodge spoilers, or...simply where to start! Good luck with that one!
DeleteHeh. I'm NOT well, as you can guess (yeah, I saw you used the interrogation mark LOL). I have my hands full (as you might have noticed from my lack of interaction) and I don't know where to go from here...job-wise, of course...I have a few ideas, but I need to put myself out there and hope someone has an open spot...
Thank you! I got it written at long last :)
DeleteI am so sorry! When I first commented I somehow missed your note at the end- so my comment now seems rather dumb. I am pulling for you and hope the job search goes well. That has to be gutting. If you want to talk just feel free. I'm trash at Twitter lately but trying to be around more. Anyway... if there's anything I can do, let me know!
Yay for the review! I'll definitely try and comment when it's up.
DeleteDon't worry! My fault for mixing real-life and TMST posts - I guess one tends to skip the bottom of a meme thinking there's nothing new to read in there. And thank you!
"when the time off I took turns out to be useless, I become so angry at the poor review that I resent having to write it even more - which in turns causes further inability to perform the task" 😂 oh I felt this! I don't tend to struggle with writing reviews anymore but I do sometimes struggle to just get started and THAT is exactly how I feel. I sometimes just don't 🙈 but I also have recently accepted that I don't have to review every single book I read - only the ones I accepted FOR review absolutely have to be written
ReplyDeleteFinding a starting point is the worst!
Delete"I also have recently accepted that I don't have to review every single book I read - only the ones I accepted FOR review absolutely have to be written"
For years I have reviewed every single book IN FULL, but now I'm contented to write mini reviews for some of them, because it's just not feasible anymore. It hurts, though...
Yeah those difficult reviews are, well, difficult. But you're right, it doesn't necessarily mean those reviews turn out worse in the end!
ReplyDeleteAt least the struggle is for something! 😉
Delete