Gryphon gasps out in his dying breath: "Killed by a fellow mod--how ironic. To the pit of shame with all of you!"

Cool! I think it's 90% likely I can make it, so I'll take that spot for now. I'll update if anything changes

Congratulations, Stargirl!

It's funny that this comes up now because I just spent the past few hours compiling my reviews into an unpublished storygame on my profile to help keep track of them. My review style has actually changed a lot over the years. I was using a nonsensical formula when I first came to the site, and only settled into my current style almost a year later. Some of my old reviews have questionable scores and takes, and might require updating at some point. I was going to write out my rating scale, but then I realized it was pretty much identical to Mizal's, so there wouldn't be a point. I look for the same things as a linear story mainly. An engaging plot that holds together under inspection, distinct and entertaining characters who undergo some kind of emotionally moving arc, and so on. I try to meet games where they are, so I don't have a set of criteria I specifically look for. Instead I try to ask what the author was trying to accomplish, and whether or not they succeeded. (Game-heavy games obviously have an entirely different set of criteria.) Language & wording is BIG for me. I will take off 1-2 points for bad grammar, spelling mistakes, or clumsy phrasing. Regular grammar errors is an instant -1 for me. Consistently poor or jarring phrasing is also an instant -1. Both is an instant -2. Conversely, I've been known to give +1 or even +2 to otherwise mediocre plots that had excellent language use. If the game is so linear it would be better as a short story that's another instant -1. If it's literally a short story that's a 1/8. I will give a bonus point for truly excellent branching. 8/8 means I can't think of anything that could be done to the game to improve it. If I have any serious feedback to give on what could be improved, it maxxes out at 7 (barring very extreme circumstances). I always do completionist reviews, but I understand why others don't. It varies a lot from game to game. Generally I think you do need to read the whole game to do an in-depth review. The exception to this is game-heavy stories where completionist reads aren't really possible. As a writer seeking flattery and ego proping, I like it when people sing my praises and announce that the story is the best thing they've ever read in their lives and they're tattooing my name on their profile. As a writer seeking constructive criticism, I like specific feedback. Saying "this story was good" or "this story was slow paced" doesn't help. Telling me why you loved a particular scene or character, or where you got bored is helpful. I much prefer brutal honesty to reviews that dance around the problems without actually saying anything of substance. Be direct, we can take it! I agree with Sherbet, that feedback that shows the person got really invested in the story as a reader and not just a reviewer are the most satisfying to read. I love hearing people's takes on different characters & plot events. Theories and predictions are great; hearing people's thoughts & emotional reactions to specific plot events. Literary analysis of a game is a rare and valued treat. Reactions are really helpful feedback too (frequently MORE helpful than people's suggestions for improvement) because it tells me the immediate effect different story devices are having. (This is why I include the 'specific notes' section in my own reviews.)

Seconding this, A Wrinkle in Time is really good.

I haven't been following this thread much so I apologize if this is restating anything, but just going to jump in and second Stargirl's past few comments. Blister, it's fine if you decide you don't like romance; plenty of people don't. Though I would recommend giving it some time & a few attempts before you write any genre off. Stargirl's definitely right that it's good to do things that make you uncomfortable sometimes--that's how you grow as a person. And getting comfortable thinking about women is pretty important, since they make up 50% of people. Reading books with female narrators is a great place to start, and as others have said, there are plenty of stories with female protagonists that don't focus on romance at all. Anyways, in a thread where everyone is jumping on you, I want to step back applaud your willingness to try out some new things and broaden your perspective. I hope you enjoy some of the stories that have been recommended in this thread!

Open it to edit, and go to the "storygame properties" tab (it should start you there). Then scroll down and check the box that says "allow sneak preview". After that it should show up in your profile