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[mare]

Just posted the final survey for those of you that have finished up one of your stories. Don't forget guys, you have three surveys to fill out for each story although one you really have no control over until the person who is reading YOUR story, finishes it.

[mare]

Here it is but it's also on the first post!

Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)

Name of story:

1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?

2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?

3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?

4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?

5) Who was your least favorite character and why?

6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?

7) Were you happy with the ending?

8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)

9) What was this stories biggest strength?

10) What was it's biggest weakness?

11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?

12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?

13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?

14) Did the author respond to your feedback?

15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?

[emilo]

Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)

Name of story:

1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? 
Getting past the grammatical stuff (and honestly, it wasn't all that bad...just weird for Mare, and I'm a little bit of a grammar Nazi), and being able to delve deeper into the content.

2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?
I did look forward to it.  Like I said before, it wasn't as fast-paced as some of my favorites, but I still wanted to know what was going to happen.

3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?
The next to last chapter with Nick as narrator.  It's a really beautiful scene.

4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
Actually, I think I'll change my mind here-- thanks to the aforementioned chapter, I think I'm going to go with Nick now.

5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
Hmm...maybe Brian?  For the story, it was good characterizati on, but he had the worst attitude out of all of them, so he wasn't all that likeable in this particular story.

6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Yes.  Although, I might say that even if it wasn't intentional, "Why I'd Do it All Again" might be considered a sequel of sorts to this story.

7) Were you happy with the ending?
Yes.

8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
I don't think there were any big surprises, really.

9) What was this stories biggest strength?
The characterizati on of the "brothers."  Mare does that beautifully.

10) What was it's biggest weakness?
Just some grammar stuff.

11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
Yes.  I've read a few of Mare's but not many.  The challenge itself actually has me really intrigued by "To Protect and Serve."  I've read the reader's response to that one and I think I'd really enjoy it.  When I first discovered Mare's writing, I was very anti-AU, but now I'm seeing that some writers can do it very well, so I will probably revisit that one for sure.

12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
I think this was a good story pick for me.  Plus, it was fun that Mare and I happened to be reading each other's stories, so we had a fun dialogue going on.  I thought it was fun to pick out favorite parts of each chapter to comment on, and once I noticed the "metaphor" theme, I had fun looking for that and other literary devices, although Mare claims they were unintentional. It was fun to look back and see how Mare has grown as a writer.

13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
I've never done the pairings, as this was my first reading challenge.  Like I said in the previous question, I liked that Mare and I were reading each other's work and had a good dialogue going on.  That being said, I can see how it would be a big let-down if your partner doesn't hold up to her/his end of the deal, so without really knowing, I'd probably pick this format, because everyone gets to choose their own story to read, so may be more inclined to read and give good feedback.

14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Yes.

15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? I had a great time!  Sorry you have to much reading left to do one mine, but I'm looking forward to the rest of your feedback

[Carter-Orange]

Final survey (To be completed after finishing the story you are reading)

Name of story: To Protect and Serve

1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story? Before I started reading, I did wonder whether I'd like a story containing child torture/murder.  I usually stay away from stuff like that.  But once I began reading, it was no challenge at all as I loved it

2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework? I looked forward to each chapter.

3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story? There are so many to pick from, but I'll go with chapter 37.

4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?
Yes, it was Kevin all the way through the story.

5) Who was your least favorite character and why?
The baby killer, and that one is self-explanatory lol

6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?
Yes, there is a sequel and I'm definitely going to be reading it.

7) Were you happy with the ending? Yes, because Mare gave two endings to it, so if you wanted the happy ending you could have it, but you could also read on and have the real ending if you chose to.

8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)
There were a few surprises.  One being that Kevin's dad wasn't really dead, but had been in witness protection for the past eight years.  Another was that a couple of the detectives were in on the crimes too, that was quite a shocker.

9) What was this stories biggest strength?
The plot and just the way Mare writes it.

10) What was it's biggest weakness? I don't think it had a weakness

11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?
Yes.  I've already read a few by Mare and had already planned on working my way through her other stuff.

12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one? Great story from start to finish.  Packed full of action and suspense, kind of like watching it on screen.  The kind of feedback I gave was my reaction to the events happening in the story.  I'm glad I picked this story as it turned out to be my kind of thing!

13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?
I don't mind either way.

14) Did the author respond to your feedback?
Yes, Mare did respond to every bit of feedback.

15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author? Great story!

[mare]

Thanks to you both! I really enjoyed both of your comments on my stories. It's been a long time since I've gotten feedback only because it's been over a year since I've written anything, minus the short Nick birthday story. It's nice to know I've grown as a writer even from seeing the difference in the comments from PS which I wrote later on as opposed to Long Road which was one of my first. I feel like the more I have written, the easier it has become. I guess practice helps lol

And Emily, I'll be getting back to your story on Wednesday!

Thanks again! You've both made this an enjoyable and insightful experience for me!

[carterkid]

Name of story: Save a prayer

1) Are you finding it easy to follow plot wise? Yes,very easy

2) So far who is your favorite character and why? Nick because she's writing the story when kev wasn't there, she's writing nick as the 'big brother' that kevin would be

3) Are you getting a sense of how it will end and if so, any guesses? No way,it's all a surprise

4) Do you feel like the summary the author gave accurately describes the story you are reading? Would there be anything you would include or omit? the summary all fits in

5) Has there been any big surprises/plot twists or just overall observations? I was very suprised,Most fans at AC have read this but if you havn't like me you should

These are the harder questions, but don't be afraid to answer them. Remember we all signed on to this knowing and expecting to get and give constructive criticism.

6) If this wasn't a challenge story and you didn't have to continue reading, would you have stopped already? If so please explain why. No I was planning on reading before the challenge and never got to it

7) Has there been any glaring errors that have stuck out? nope

8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?  How did you come up with the story idea?
 

[Carter-Orange]

Name of story: Save a prayer

8) Do you have any questions for the author in regard to the storyline, characters or plot?  How did you come up with the story idea?
 

Glad you're enjoying it

I came up with the idea after watching Bear Grylls Born Survivor one evening.  But I was also inspired by a couple of action/adventure films too, like Romancing The Stone.  I thought it would be fun to have the boys stranded somewhere like that lol.

[RokofAges75]

Final Survey

Name of story:  Crash and Burn

1) What was the biggest challenge for you when reading this story?  I thought it was going to be reading slash, since I know Cinzia is a slash writer, but "Crash and Burn" really wasn't a slash fic.  I guess for me, the biggest challenge was also what made the story an easy read - the fact that it was short!  I appreciate a well-written one shot, but I usually prefer novels to short stories because they have more "meat" or substance.  Despite its emotional depth, this story was still... well, short, and the lack of back story left me wanting more!

2) Did you find yourself looking forward to reading as you were going along or did it feel like homework?  I enjoyed reading the story.  There wasn't really much to look forward to since, like I said, it was a short story, and I read it in one sitting, but it didn't feel like homework.

3) What was your favorite scene/chapter in the story?  My favorite scene was when Nick walked in and, without saying a word, hugged Brian.  That was a really touching moment and spoke volumes about the depth of their friendship.

4) Was your favorite character at the halfway point still your favorite at the end?  Since I filled out the halfway survey after finishing the story, I'll say yes LOL.

5) Who was your least favorite character and why?  I guess if Nick was my favorite, then Brian, by default, would be my least favorite, since he was the only other character in the story LOL.  There's really no other reason than that.

6) If there was a sequel to this story would you be interested in reading it?  Maybe.  I'd rather read a prequel!

7) Were you happy with the ending?  Yes, I was happy that Brian finally got some comfort!

8) Name the biggest surprise in the story and did you see it coming? (If there was one)  I was just surprised that I never found out what Brian was moping about.

9) What was this stories biggest strength?  It was very atmospheric and had a lot of emotion packed into such a short story.

10) What was it's biggest weakness?  Some of the descriptions were too wordy or awkwardly-worded.

11) Did reading this story make you want to try another one from this author?  Sure!  This was my first experience with Cinzia's writing, and now I know that she's a great writer who loves Brian, Nick, and angst, which are three of my favorite things as well.  I think the only thing that's held me back from trying her stuff before now is the slash factor.

12) Give us one final review that sums up your experience reading this, maybe explain why you gave the kind of feedback you did or if you would have perhaps picked a different story from this one?
I'm glad I picked "Crash and Burn" as one of my stories.  To be honest, it really wasn't much of a challenge for me because it was an angsty short story about Brian and Nick, my favorite Backstreet Boys.  I thought it was going to be a slash, which made it more of a challenge, but it wasn't, so it was an easier read than I expected it to be.  I enjoyed it!

13) Did you prefer the way we did the challenge this year or did you like the pairings better?  I actually got the best of both worlds because Cinzia and I ended up choosing each other's stories, so I'm kind of doing pairs and my own choice.  I like having some choice over what stories to read - even with the pairings last year, it was nice to have some options so that I could challenge myself to read something new and different, but not torture myself with something I knew I wouldn't like.  As far as pairings vs. whoever, I don't have a preference.

14) Did the author respond to your feedback? Yes, she did.

15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?  Do you have any longer stories that aren't slash or romance at all, or do you see yourself writing any in the future?

[Alexsgirl_ritz]

My vacation is almost over, we will be back in Dubai on Sunday. I probably start with my reading challenge on Monday. I apologize for being late. I just wanted to spend the whole month with my kids, so I rarely go online.

[usako]

Final Survey


15) Any final thoughts or questions for the author?  Do you have any longer stories that aren't slash or romance at all, or do you see yourself writing any in the future?

I have only one kinda long story that isn't slash but it's my very first story, back in 2010 after years and years of not write at all. I still have it, I can't bring myself to erase it but it's very bad. lol If I do translate it, I might end up writing it again from the start. 
As for the future, I have some ideas which don't include slash. It's just a matter of finding the time. Mostly because it would be a sort of challange, writing about Brian and Nick without adding the slash.

[mare]

Hey Cinzia, don't forget to fill out the reader's survey for Julie on your story when you have the chance! Thanks!

[mare]

My vacation is almost over, we will be back in Dubai on Sunday. I probably start with my reading challenge on Monday. I apologize for being late. I just wanted to spend the whole month with my kids, so I rarely go online.

No problem, Ritz! Glad you had the chance to spend time with the kids! Sadly, you aren't the only one who hasn't started anything yet lol

[usako]

1) When you found out this person was reading your story what were your initial thoughts?
I was kind of nervous because Julie is one of my favorite author. So, yes, I wasreally nervous! lol

2) Did your reader leave you an adequate amount of feedback and was it helpful to you?
Well, it was an one shot so yes, she did. It was really helpful, especially since she pointed out what are my weakes points. And I couldn't believe when I read the positive comment about my writing, since I'm still at the beginning and sometimes I still find some difficulties in translating and conveying words and ideas in English.

3) Did you find yourself going back to read your story as a result of the feedback?
Yes, I did. I don't usually read my stories, especially the English one because I tend to find lots of things that need to be rewrite or changed. I might go back and read it again for a possible future sequel or prequel. 

4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
If she has any advice to improve my English. 

5) Overall did you find the experience a good one or a bad one?
Definetely a good one. 

[RokofAges75]

4) Do you have any questions for the person reading your story?
If she has any advice to improve my English.  

Thanks, Cinzia!  I think your English is fabulous!  That said, my only advice for your writing would be to watch the length of your sentences.  You don't have run-on sentences, which is means they're all properly punctuated and not technically wrong, but most of the parts that sounded awkward to me when I read them were in the longer sentences.  It can be hard to pack all the description you want into one sentence.  I tend to be wordy too, so this is something I've struggled with myself!

For example, here's your first paragraph:

He was sitting on the windowsill, his right knee leaned on the cold surface and a steaming cup of coffee warmed the fingers wrapped tightly around the ceramic. Outside that room of a hotel, the rain was starting to get ready for its melody as lightning made the grey shade of the sky darker and darker. He shivered at every thunder, the faint veil of fear that was slowly creeping upon him and his nerves.

I love the sense of atmosphere you build by describing Brian sitting at the window, watching the storm.  It's very descriptive, but in some parts the description gets a little muddled.  If I were beta-reading this, I would suggest revising it to sound more like this:

He was sitting on the windowsill, his right knee leaning on the cold surface, his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee.  Outside his hotel room, a light rain had begun to fall.  He watched the gray sky as it grew darker and darker, illuminated only by the occasional flash of lightning.  He shivered at every clap of thunder, unnerved by the faint veil of fear that hung over him.

It's the same scene with the same imagery, but I broke it up into four sentences instead of three and took out a couple of phrases that I couldn't get to flow.  This obviously isn't the only way you could revise it; it's just my take on it.

I think the "art" of writing is in choosing the right words and arranging them in the right way.  It's not easy to do, but it has to be especially hard trying to do it in a second language because you may not always be sure what sounds right.  You're doing a great job at it, and I hope this advice will help you do it even better.

Sorry for the long response!

[usako]

Thanks, Cinzia!  I think your English is fabulous!  That said, my only advice for your writing would be to watch the length of your sentences.  You don't have run-on sentences, which is means they're all properly punctuated and not technically wrong, but most of the parts that sounded awkward to me when I read them were in the longer sentences.  It can be hard to pack all the description you want into one sentence.  I tend to be wordy too, so this is something I've struggled with myself!

For example, here's your first paragraph:

He was sitting on the windowsill, his right knee leaned on the cold surface and a steaming cup of coffee warmed the fingers wrapped tightly around the ceramic. Outside that room of a hotel, the rain was starting to get ready for its melody as lightning made the grey shade of the sky darker and darker. He shivered at every thunder, the faint veil of fear that was slowly creeping upon him and his nerves.

I love the sense of atmosphere you build by describing Brian sitting at the window, watching the storm.  It's very descriptive, but in some parts the description gets a little muddled.  If I were beta-reading this, I would suggest revising it to sound more like this:

He was sitting on the windowsill, his right knee leaning on the cold surface, his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee.  Outside his hotel room, a light rain had begun to fall.  He watched the gray sky as it grew darker and darker, illuminated only by the occasional flash of lightning.  He shivered at every clap of thunder, unnerved by the faint veil of fear that hung over him.

It's the same scene with the same imagery, but I broke it up into four sentences instead of three and took out a couple of phrases that I couldn't get to flow.  This obviously isn't the only way you could revise it; it's just my take on it.

I think the "art" of writing is in choosing the right words and arranging them in the right way.  It's not easy to do, but it has to be especially hard trying to do it in a second language because you may not always be sure what sounds right.  You're doing a great job at it, and I hope this advice will help you do it even better.

Sorry for the long response!

Thank you so much for your advice! It will surely help me to do better.