Peer Review in Writing

I do not hesitate to say that all writers love their writing and because they love their writing they produce some good write-up for their audience to read. Anyways, however good is the write-up, writers are expected to have some message from the readers. May be good, bad or ugly, but they are sure to get some reviews. It is obvious that readers when they read, they look from their own perspective and the writers when they write, they tend to write from their own perspective. But, true writers write from their reader’s perspective and live in their characters. However, this is an issue of subjective discussion and opinion would entirely differ from reader to reader and from writer to writer.

There would be some readers who would proclaim writer's work as piece of rubbish, non-standard, anti-social, anti-national or whatsoever it may be. There would be some readers who would applaud and appreciate the courageous, bold, emphatic writing bringing truth out. These are two kinds of rave reviews writers are ought to get on their work. These are again based on the wish of the writers to choose the subject to discuss in their writings. Yet, whatever writers write, they truly adore their writings and to be the subject of criticism and ridicule is at time not digestible for them.

The question is, being a writer, how can you save yourself from the criticism. No, you can not, and its better you start accepting criticism and understanding the message of your readers or else there will be a time when there will be no message for you. It is true that only when you are read, you have messages. It is also true that you are writing because you are being read and you are writing for your readers. My friend, ‘Roy Arsenal’ rightly once said, “if you want to write your own thing better buy a diary from the market and write but if you are writing for an audience understand them and write for them."

This challenge always bothers writers. What is the way out? Love your writing but do not hesitate to share with your peer and friends who can lend some input and peer review in to your work. It is better to be ridiculed and criticized and shape and reshape your write-up before you produce that to your audience. A true and honest peer review is always good for your writing. The bigger challenge is to find a good and competent peer, who will review your work. But, whoever you are handing out your work, they will have at least their own angle to look into it. At least that input will help you a lot.

As a writer many people wants to try out writing many different things. To some extent you can be good in writing one specialize areas of writing but you need not be good at all things altogether. This depends on the choice of your writing. Some are good in writing poetry, story, report, extempore, essay and many other forms of writing but none can be perfect in all sorts. Yes, but no harm in trying your hands as a writer. Well, you can fall on your peer to give you a good and critical advice to bring out a good second draft.

Yes! I am hoping my story to come out good because I have got a brilliant piece of unbiased review from my friend ‘Roy Arsenal’. This is my first try to write a story.

Citizen Journalists and the Bloggers

There are two segments of writers who have been immensely popular with advent of Internet, that opened the opportunity for them to express their views on several web media. These are Citizen Journalists and the Bloggers. If we look at both these writers in their individual capacity and perspective of selling their write-up, they have all the ingredients into their write-up to be saleable and appealing. Then the question obviously arises, what stops them to be the writer in traditional media. May be the lack of platform to launch themselves and sustain continuously.

However, there is another element also that contribute to the fact they can not show allegiance to a particular ideology, person, community or organization, which at times can be a limiting factor for them to be the part of the traditional media. Traditional media by and large run by some guided principles of some ideology, group or the organization, may be political or apolitical. Whatever the bold face they show to be independent and impartial, it is well understood by the people that they are not.

Moreover, people have their own views and they are stung by inspiration to hear, read and listen to the news and views that they like to hear. For the people, unbiased opinion from media is impossible because that is run by a set of people and who have their own ideology, which reflects into their writing. Therefore, people in the media support a particular ideology to feed the desire of certain sets of people in public, which suit their liking or disliking. Rightly once described by a traditional media punch line, “We bring the news what people wants to know”. Don’t take any other meaning of it. This is nicely intended to bring you the news to satisfy your psych. You want certain politician to be cowed down, business people to be called the blood sucker of the society, police to be branded the biggest criminal in uniform and many more. All that might be there in the media, which you choose to hear or listen to.

In spite of the prevailing fact, there are some people in the public who are in belief that media means the truth and writers are the custodian of society to fight corruption, rights of the people and disparity by way of their writing. I would doubt any such writer and media exist in this world. However, there have been some speedy changes obvious that Internet has provided platform for writers on citizen journalism web site and on the blog site to post their blogs. That have led the way as an opportunity for even the commoners to air their views and prevailing state of reality which is guarded by the so called press. Everyone has equal opportunity on the Internet.

Citizen journalism has existed in the pocket areas of the globe from the long time and it was because of outcry of the left out issues of the people and apathy of the authority to address that. However, not much was seen in terms of popularity or in terms of being a stakeholder in the media. But Internet has changed the face of it by providing every netizens a chance to be a citizen journalist and to be a part of the movement.

Today, there are many citizen journalism sites, which offer you the challenge of being an acclaimed writer. Type the word in google and you get hundreds of sites in different regions. The beauty is that these citizen journalism sites might be part of regional news and views, yet they have global presence by default. It is here that someone who wants to realize their dream of being unbiased and independent can do so to some extent. Although, these sites provide you ample opportunity to be the writer of the spelling truth; it does not provide you the earnings of the traditional media.

Blogging is another new opportunity for writers of all sorts to try their hands in different forms of writing to be the feed for the readers who look for the beauty on the Internet. You need not spend money having your site to post your blogs, you get it free of cost. Freedom of expression is that you can write anything and everything abiding by the compliance of Internet policy which does not allow you to hurt the feelings of the people of any region, use hate and defame people by name without having enough evidence. This freedom is free to use and not to misuse.

Today, around 10 million bloggers are running their blog site around the globe. I agree that most of them are inactive. But still the active blog sites are enough for the people to keep them busy on the net. Some bloggers are such brilliant writers that even the professional writers will have to shy away comparing their writing with them. In modern times, bloggers are giving tough competition to the traditional writers.

If analyzed, citizen journalists and bloggers are the ones, who have bigger stake in the Internet media. The message is loud and clear that so called writers have competition and it is not only with a few. There are many standing face to face and many in waiting. Be the part of the revolution, if you like writing. It cost you nothing except your time and thought but it might make a difference.