1. Comment on Students’ Stories, And A Guide to Literary Criticism
Writing about Fiction
Comment on Students’ Stories,
And A Guide to Literary Criticism

2. Comment on Students’ Stories
Very good indeed!
Innovative
Intricate
Interesting
Some advices
Less plot-like
Motivation
Motions
More suggestive
More coherent and unified
More careful about language

3. What is the difference between a literary criticism/comment/review and a summary?
Frankly speaking, it is not to show how much you understand about the text as what you will do when summarizing it. A literary criticism is more likely to explain to the readers how the writer brings something to them that is quite impressive, or something that makes the text quite different from other genres, which is called literariness. The literariness of a text can be reflected by various unique features which are called deviation or foregrounding.

4. What can be the concern of a literary criticism?
There might be a lot of possible foregrounding features in the text, e.g., the unique tone it adopts (satirical, humorous, sentimental, elegiac, etc.), the unique images, symbolizations and characterizations, the unique style of using words and writing sentences (tedious, simple, indirect, vague, etc.), or a unique set of rhetoric devices (simile, metonymy, sound effect, etc.), unique arrangement of materials (structure, cohesion, plot, climax, etc.). It is not necessary to talk about them all. Instead, in most circumstances, people will only concern a few, or even one of these aspects. Comparative study is quite advisable because the uniqueness can always stand out easily when one is compared with another.

5. How can I analyze an article and put my ideas into a 1,000 word article?
First, you need a focus. As illustrated before, there might be a lot of things for you to write. However, it is highly recommended that you focus on only one of them so as to provide a well-thought and persuasive explanation for your idea. The advice is that you find from your list of findings the most interesting or the one that is rarely concerned, decide on your methodology and collect materials. Methodology means the way to analyze the text. The normal procedure is to find out those features then analyze them in light of the context, the background of the writing and writer, etc.

6. Preparation: Evaluating Literature
Begin your evaluation by considering how various literary elements function within a work;
As you continue your evaluation, decide whether the literary elements of a work interact to achieve a common goal;
Then, consider whether a work is intellectually challenging;
Finally, consider whether a work gives you pleasure.

7. Three Stages of Writing about Fiction
Planning an Essay
Drafting an Essay
Revising and Editing an Essay

8. Planning an Essay Considering Your Audience
Understanding Your Purpose (to respond, to interpret, or to evaluate?)
Choosing a Topic
Finding Something to Say
Seeing Connections: Listing
Deciding on a Thesis
Preparing an outline

9. Seeing Connections: Listing

10. Finding a Topic

11. Strategies for Finding Something to Say
Discussing ideas with others
Asking Questions
Doing research in the library or on the Internet
Brainstorming
Keeping a journal

12. Keeping a Journal

13. Drafting an Essay
First, make sure you have collected enough information to support your thesis.
Second, see if the work includes any details that contradict your thesis.
Finally, consider whether you need to use outside sources to help you support your thesis.

14. Revising and Editing an Essay
Strategies for Revision (Peer Review, Consulting Your instructor)
The Revision Process (thesis statement, support, topic sentences, introduction and conclusions, sentences and words, using and documenting sources)
Editing

15. Revising Thesis

16. Revising Topic Sentences

17. Revising Topic Sentences

18. Revising Introduction

19. Revising Introduction

20. Using Sources

21. Using Sources

22. Conventions

23. An Example

24. An Example

25. Thank you!