I would like to review more but often have felt crippled by the suggested definitions for the scores and have given up rather than try to describe what i really mean, especially since i read so many. Unless i can say something fairly concise, it is just too hard. Sometimes too i feel a little inadequate after more eloquent reviewers have written and all i want to say is "Yeah, what he said." Perhaps others who have trouble expressing things verbally might have the same problem.

Could it be possible to make the score an aggregate? For example, i have wanted at times to give somethng like a 10 for content/originality, a 5 for style/format and a 3 for literacy/readability. The average 6 might seem to me a fair overall rating, but the given "Somewhat enjoyable. Acceptable writing sklls" is actually the opposite of what i would like to say - basically, "loved the story, though it was a bit difficult to keep track of at times and your spelling and grammar are pretty ordinary."

It would actually be much simpler. Even without further explanation such a breakdown of the score might be more specifically helpful to writers, i think, and would help even inexperienced or inarticulate reviewers to be constructive. For instance, with the above example, i could just have given those scores and maybe emphasised with a comment "Please keep writing, but do find a good editor" even if i wasn't up to a more detailed critique.

janie