What's Wrong With Writerscafe? Forum Painbrush Review System

Here is an idea that I had a long time ago that I thought wasn't feasible, but at this point anything is feasible.

Currently, the way you review a piece of writing is by typing a bunch of text in a little box at the bottom of the screen and clicking "post." What if that is the problem?

In the real world, you take a red pen to a piece of writing and mark the heck out of it. You circle things, cross things out, write in the margins, post sticky-notes, rewrite things until there's no more white on the paper. That way writers know exactly where you didn't like something or where exactly they messed up. What if that's what we need?

I propose a review program that's less like microsoft word and more like microsoft paint. Get a little toolbar with a red pen tool and sticky-note tool and grammar buttons, everything. Let reviewers review a piece of writing the way they'd review it in the real world. If a piece of writing was boring, then they can mark exactly where they started getting bored or underline phrases that were awesome or needed work.

This is just an idea I was kicking around a long time ago. If this is something you think you'd like, add to this idea.

Like that idea. And I never have liked the 'reviewing' system.

Maybe there can also be a bullet-point tool built into the red pen that lets you type why you didn't like something. That's kind of what I meant by the sticky-notes, but a more versatile review system might eliminate some problems with reviewers getting assaulted. This isn't going to help if the overall theme of a certain story isn't good though, that's why I'm still going to stand by the levels because themes tend to be different depending on how good of a handle someone has over their craft.

True.

----I propose a review program that's less like microsoft word and more like microsoft paint. Get a little toolbar with a red pen tool and sticky-note tool and grammar buttons, everything. Let reviewers review a piece of writing the way they'd review it in the real world. If a piece of writing was boring, then they can mark exactly where they started getting bored or underline phrases that were awesome or needed work.------

I love this idea, but not all of us are teachers.  Some are new and just learning to write, wouldn't that cause a problem?

Hmm....you might be right. Maybe we should keep the old review system intact and make the paintbrush review system an option if you want to give an in-depth review.

Maybe people can turn it off if they don't want in-depth reviews?

But I'll say again, we can't have an option where people only get "good reviews," that's never going to happen guys.

I agree...butthe other review system sounds awesome!!

I love the idea of a paintbrush review system, especially with the option to turn it off if the writer desires to.  That would eliminate the need to have levels.  And it should be optional for the reviewer too.

I've never had any trouble with the current way of writing reviews.  (No one WANTS thorough proofreading or comments on where the dialogue/characterization falters, but that's another matter.)  On the other hand, I have tried to proofread using the "red pen" (red highlighting) that Word gives as an option, and I can't stand it.