Hello, this is a warning concerning anonymous reviews, so if you log in and abide by the "one review per chapter" rule, this does not pertain to you.
If you are an anonymous reviewer, then there is an issue that I simply must address. As a guest, you are allowed to come back and review the same chapter of the same story for as many times as you like, with the same username. While this makes it easier for the guest to either praise or critique works in bits and chunks, it is my sincere wish that you do not. Gaining email after email of "new reviews" is an exciting thing for any author, but it can soon be stripped away if it is revealed that these "new reviews" are simply bits and pieces that one person forgot to say in their first review. It reflects poorly on both the writing-should new readers wish to look through the reviews to decide whether or not this literature is for them-and on the guest reviewer-who did not say everything that they needed to say in the first go-around.
So, if a guest would like to critique my work, please do so, but please do so in one comment per chapter. This will end up benefiting both of us. I get the valuable ideas and opinions of my readers-both legitimate FF members and guests-, the guests still can have their say, and new readers can browse through the reviews easily to see if this long-winded tale is for them.
Please do not think I am angry with this, I am simply frustrated at the fact that my reviews are getting piled up with bits and chunks of critiques when the comment could have so easily been condensed into one very helpful critique. I absolutely love it when I get help on my writing, because that usually means the critique in question was well thought-out, deliberate in it's message and delivery, and knew what should be worked on before saying a thing. These are the kind of critiques I love, because it implies that the person has spend time and effort in critiquing my work, rather than simply spotting a mistake and blurting "YOU DID THIS WRONG!" over and over again. This is not what critiquing is about. A helpful critique points out the major or reoccurring flaws of the story and allows the author to progress on their own towards fixing the little things.
Just to restate: I AM NOT ANGRY, just slightly frustrated with the situation in my lap. The solution I propose is fairly simple. Please, anon readers, only one review per chapter.
Thank you to osnapitzali for critiquing this warning and allowing me to see that this came off quite angry in the first draft and possibly restricting on the reviews of the guests. I don't want to restrict what you say, I simply want it to be said in one review per chapter.Thank you very much. *^_^*
Your regularly scheduled SPR: ITN programming will resume as swiftly as possible. Have a marvelous day, everyone! *^_^*
*and now, a story that might pertain to the actual story because I'm not allowed to just have this warning, so here's a bit of the story*
Mai made the tea with practiced hands, thinking about what had almost just happened. She and Naru had almost been caught by the two who they were hiding their relationship from! Well, he had backed up quickly enough, but that Madoka's sense was almost as sharp as Naru's himself! She had no idea how close she had been to the truth!
But... Mai thought, attempting to get her mind to wander away from the close call about hers and Naru's relationship. Bee stings? I wonder what happens if he gets stung... I don't want to find out by him getting stung, of course, but I do want to know...
By the time Mai got out of her bee musings-having come mentally to the point of conversation where Naru had shot her that deadly smirk of his-it was time to steep the tea. She leaned against the side of the counter for a few moments before coming to a realization.
She was doing exactly what Naru did whenever he came into the kitchen.
Blushing madly, she stood. How often had she done that? Before she had started secretly dating her boss, never. She had always stood to attention in front of the tea, watching carefully as it steeped so she could not be a moment too early or too late. Now? Now she was mimicing his actions. And he hers.
Oh. My. Gosh, Mai thought, her eyes widening. Naru's been acting like me a little bit... He's been putting off his work!
As much as Mai felt she should celebrate, she also felt something else. Worry. What if this relationship caused the two to transform into copies of each other? What if Naru changes from the man she loves into someone new completely? What if-?
The kettle shrieked, pulling Mai from her musings. Once she began to pour the tea, she tried to follow her train of thought once more to how she thought that she and Naru were turning into each other. So he did not spend as much time on work as he usually did. He now worked on it when he and Mai were not in the same room together, so they could both concentrate better.
Mai sighed, thinking of how silly she was being. A new relationship was going to take time, and it was going to be a while before they settled into some form of routine that would allow them to be professional and still in love at the same time.
You know, when they somehow became strong enough to repress the urge to kiss each other senseless if given the chance. Mai chuckled at this thought, shaking her head.
"So foolish..." she murmured quietly before turning to the door of the kitchenette with her tea tray in hand. It was now time to meet the client.
AmyNChan: Okay, so there's a snippet of Mai's thoughts when she was making the tea, and the warning still stands.
Mai: Amy doesn't own Ghost Hunt!
AmyNChan: And this story is safe! *has on a ref's shirt*
