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101 Comment Starters
I began working on this last summer. Like many veteran fanfiction authors, I lament the decline in commenting that I’ve seen in my fandom, the Tolkien fandom. I’m also a humanities teacher, so I spend a good part of my day teaching young people how to write, and one lesson I’ve learned the hard way is that each type of writing involves unique skills that have to be learned. And commenting is a unique form of writing and one that comes with added stresses around social expectations and public performance. My research on the Tolkien fanfic community confirms this: Many people want to comment, but they simply don’t know what to say.
As a teacher of writing, I often use sentence starters or mentor sentences. The writer uses these to jumpstart their thinking and writing, until they become comfortable enough to begin working independently. “101 Comment Starters” is built around this research-based strategy of teaching writing.
Some of the comment starters are simple enough that they can be merely copied and pasted. Others require filling in some blanks or providing some elaboration. In some cases, a because can be dropped if the reader isn’t comfortable providing that level of elaboration yet. In other cases, a more experienced commenter can add the because and elaborate more on their comment.
They also differ in their level of praise. They range from simple statements of how the author made the reader feel to compliments around an aspect of the author’s writing or their work in general. I’ve tried to limit words like really, very, and so as much as possible, except when it made the comment feel wooden. You’re welcome, of course, to add those words in if you feel they more accurately help capture how a story impacted you.
If you’re just starting to comment, please keep in mind that the vast majority of authors will love to hear from you! They don’t care how long or elaborate your comment is. They don’t care if your English is perfect or if you’re a little awkward. They just want to know that you’re reading and enjoying their work.
Finally, please feel free to reblog and share and add your own comment starters!
101 Comment Starters
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saw this thread and really loved it but what i liked most is that it taught this kid that if a book isn’t for you, even if you really want to like it, it’s okay to stop reading it and come back to it another time when you are ready. there were so many books i slogged through as a kid because i felt like i had to prove that i could read them since i *loved* reading so i simply had to finish this book or i didn’t actually love to read. silly, really. the more kids who don’t ascribe to that thinking the better. really great of both the dad and the librarian for allowing the kid access to the stephen king book and allowing him make the decision on whether or not it was for him by himself.
"Take your reading material with you everywhere you go and think of it as a treasure and a lifeline."
𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴💡
There are plenty of ways to maintain focus while we are reading, but here are my top five. I would love to know yours too! Feel free to share them. 📝
5 Great Articles About Reading
...to help you adapt the habit in our fast-changing world.
Your mom tells you to read. Your teacher or your boss tells you to read. Successful individuals tell you to read. They're right to tell you so.
For non-readers, it's not going to be an easy task. Reading is tedious. Sometimes a bit irksome, too. You find that words are drowning you in boredom and irritation before turning to the next page.
This is why I've collected a list of five helpful articles to aid you in reading actively, effectively, and habitually. Whether you're an avid bookworm like me or a stranger to pages, these articles can help you acquire the habit in our modern-day society.
1. How to Read the Right Way: A Complete Guide | Medium
Even books and reading evolve. In this article, author Melissa Chu tackles the art of speed reading, the pros and cons of different reading formats, and how to read in a changing society.
2. The Complete Guide to Effective Reading | Medium
Worry about memorizing dates for your history exam? Maarten van Doorn takes you into an in-depth analysis of acquiring information into your long-term memory, as well as how to read actively.
3. 14 Ways to Cultivate a Lifetime Reading Habit | Life Hack
Reading is a habit, not a chore. If it isn't one of your pastimes yet, don't worry! Life Hack presents to you 14 ways to make reading a pleasurable and worthwhile habit.
4. The Case for Reading Fiction | Harvard Business Review
Business and companies look for various skills and good characteristics in their employees. Harvard Business Review says that reading literary fiction can help you develop these in-demand traits, and ultimately become a better person.
5. Books are good for your brain. These techniques will help you read more | Popular Science
Here's the science behind the effects and benefits of reading. Popular Science shows you not only how to make reading a habit, but also how to read more and achieve your reading goal.
These are just some of the multitudes of articles I've found to help you learn to read. I hope this helps spark your inner reader!
This is helpful advice!
Read More, Read Better
Many of us are looking for more ways to enjoy our time at home in these stressful circumstances. Some of us have turned to books. But how can we make sure we get the most out of them?
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What to Read When You've Run Out of Reading Material
for the reader who just can't get enough.
Books in your bookshelf. Rereading is like greeting former friends. It means re-entering familiar worlds and receiving warm "welcome home" greetings from your favorite characters.
Poetry. From Edgar Allan Poe to Lang Leav, some poems are as short as five words, others take 1.8 million words. Reading poetry can enhance your language and cognitive skills, open your mind and stimulate your imagination, and make you more aware of the world and the people around you. Here's a compilation of free online poetry sites you can visit.
A topic you're interested in. Ever wondered how the government of Zimbabwe works? The Internet is home to everything you may be wondering about and longing to know. Take time to research and immerse yourself. You'll be armed with trivia that you can bring up in conversations. Stuck? Try experimenting with these weird-but-wonderful topics.
Discarded newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, etc. Besides using them as cat litter box liners and placemats, there's a lot of usefulness in reading them. You can find how-to articles, political opinions, and one-line comic strips. Maybe there's hidden treasure in their text.
Text from cereal boxes and other food containers. Want to know how much calories you consume from your Mars bar? Check the back of its packaging. Before long, you'll learn about terms like monounsaturated fatty acids and disodium guanylate. You are what you eat.
Your old writings. Take a trip down memory lane. It can be your third grade homework, confession letters to your middle school crush, or a story about dragons you made up when you were six. You'll notice how much you've grown as a reader and a writer.
Something from your book list. Your list consists of the books you want to read. These may be recommendations from your friends or interesting books you've seen online. Now's the time to tackle the books on your list. Haven't started on your book list? Take a look at these books!
Similar books from the ones you've previously read. Perhaps your favorite author wrote other books than the ones you've already read. Or maybe you want to keep reading about dystopian communities. Either way, the literary world is interconnected with millions of books for you to read.
Encyclopedias and dictionaries. These were invented for you to read them. Long before Google and other browsing sites existed, your ancestors looked up information from these thick, dusty hardcovers. Time to brush up on your knowledge, buddy.
Your last resort. This is the topic of your nightmares; something that you find boring or useless. You would never, ever dream of reading about this. But with your boredom and desperation to read something, you might find these topics interesting. Learning about the migration patterns of redwings could be useful someday.