I am pleased that some of you have taken the time to comment on and/or critique other people’s works or works-in-progress. To keep things civil and to avoid unwittingly discouraging others to post their works, let me list some guidelines on how to evaluate posted works:

1. First off, try to keep an open mind when reading a written work, and try to imagine the author’s intentions when he wrote it.

2. Having done that, state what you liked about the work, citing sections or portions of the work if possible.

3. Then, offer suggestions on how the work can be further improved. Be specific with suggestions as much as possible.

4. This last step is not necessary, but you may summarize what you’ve said and offer the author further encouragement.

I hope that these guidelines will make this community a more helpful resource for aspiring and experienced writers.

Update:

Communication, obviously, is a two-way street. Just as the reader should keep an open mind with respect to the author's intent, the author, in turn, must also be open to criticisms and/or suggestions. While reading the comments, the author must, however hard the effort, set aside his ego and emotion (not passion; one can be passionate without being emotional) and look at his work from the reader's perspective. If the author, however, feels that the comments are unclear or need further explanation or elaboration, then he or she must politely say so.

Indeed, communication usually takes effort from all parties involved. The secret is to do it with patience and care, and most importantly, respect. Why? Because the tools we are using -- words -- are very powerful instruments, and usually entail a certain level of responsibility. Words have the ability to inspire, but also the power to destroy (sometimes even the writer's life).

I also urge everyone to avoid flaming which is highly time-consuming and unproductive. If you think a comment or a post doesn’t warrant a response, then don’t reply. One always has at his disposal a very basic freedom: the freedom to ignore. There are more constructive things to do than write your next epic rant. We need to value not just each other's works, but also the person behind the work. It's the only way for all of us to grow us writers and artists.