(image: Mar.tin)

This is a question for other book bloggers. I've been curious about this for a while: how do you write your reviews? I know that I can agonize over a sentence or a word, and worry that one paragraph doesn't flow nicely into the next. I have my system, but it still takes me a while to write a review because I don't seem to have that ability to sit down and write something for half an hour to an hour and be done. It takes me some time and I can't seem to do it all at once.

These are some of the things I do:

• I type all my reviews into emails and save them in draft form in gmail. I work on them in bits and pieces throughout the day. That "check spelling" option of gmail is awesome. I also like the formatting capabilities there.
• My thoughts are fresher as I read a book, so starting reviews while I'm in the middle of the book works out really well for me. I fell out of the practice of doing this, but I'm trying to start again.
• I'm more coherent in the morning, so my best working-on-the-blog time is after my coffee has kicked in.
• I jot down thoughts I want to remember to communicate. I should do this as I read a book, but I don't. :)
• If I can't remember a name or a place I use a placeholder that I bold or capitalize so I can look it up later. I also do this with words that don't come to me.
• Sometimes I will just type something quickly, just to get the thought out there before it disappears, and then check back later to fix it.
• I move sentences around until I'm satisfied.
• I scan my review looking for parts that are too stilted, have passive voice, grammar problems, and mixed tenses.

I could never have been an English major: writing takes me too long! Focusing and analyzing while reading are no problem. Communicating what I think? Yarg.

What do you find works for you? Do you have tips for getting your reviews done? For writing better? I am very curious what your process is!