Book Talk: My review writing process

It's interesting to see the different ways that people go about writing in general. Some writers are intricate builders that plan every support beam and building exit before writing the details. Other writers get an itch of an idea and they can develop a design scheme before the stakes are in the ground.

I write a lot for my job outside of the blog. I'm not sure if I write in one way more than the other but I use both methods. When I write a review I'm definitely more of the builder. I have a methodical process that I go though every time and I lay my reviews out in a sequential order.

The Layout

• Why I picked up the book in the first place - I start by giving a little background on my mindset. Have I read work by the author before? Is this one I'd normally read based on the synopsis? What caught my interest first? Maybe a previous experience I've had with anything related to the book. This not only helps me center my thoughts specifically to that book, but it acts as sort of a disclaimer as to why I might have went more one way with my thoughts than the other.
• What I liked - I always start off with my likes because no matter how big or small because they're usually more powerful than my dislikes. I like to start off on a good note so that readers to get the wrong impression before I have a chance to fully explain my thoughts.
• What I disliked - I try to stay away from emphasizing personal style preferences that would make for a more biased point of view, but rather find a fundamental flaw in the writing. 
• Overall - For the hastened reader (and to help clarify my rambling) I like to provide a three sentence conclusion with my biggest like, biggest dislike, and what group of readers I'd recommend the book to.

The Details

After I've got the basics covered in each of my four sections, I go back through and make sure I have critique of the writing covered for one or more of the following: main characters, secondary characters, plot building, resolution, creativity, logical sequences, etc.

I always try to find something to point out. Not because there's always something completely wrong with that element of the book or because I feel like being a b*tch. I just like to cover various perspectives. If there's an element that didn't bother me much (e.g., stereotyped characters) but I know that it is something that might be an issue for other people, then I point it out. That doesn't necessarily drop my rating, it's just an observation. 

How about you, authors and bloggers -- are you a builder first or a designer first?