Q&A/FAQ

Hello, St-renaissance here to answer your burning questions regarding reviews and writing.

I opened this shop back in 2018 and have been accepting and posting reviews for over two years now; as a celebration for reviewing over 50 stories, I’m glad to answer some questions that have been collecting in my PM for years.

Here are the most common questions I’ve received:

1-Do you run the Shop alone?

Yes, alone, I prefer to work on my own.

2-Why did you become a reviewer?

I used to write a lot, but struggled to direct attention towards my work and became rather discouraged. I quit writing for a while and after my graduation, I decided to use my knowledge in literature and criticism to help other writers. I can definitely say that I didn’t expect this shop to be so loved and trusted, thank you all so much!

3-How old are you?

Not as young as most writers here (sigh).

4-Are you hiring/can I work with you?

I’d love to have a team of reviewers one day, just not now. I work based on certain criteria that I’ve developed over years of studying and reading literature, I’d honestly think that having someone under my employment would be too stressful for them because I’d go back and re-read everything they’d write and recommend.

5-What are your qualifications (mostly asked angrily)?

I receive this question a lot of times that I’ve posted a review of a writer’s story and they didn’t like it. I have a bachelor’s degree in English Literature & Criticism, and graduated top of my class because I loved literature too much! I spent most of my studies analysing English and American writings, including Contemporary and Post-war fiction; this includes genres such as YA and Coming-of-age. I’m currently working on getting my master’s in English Literature & Criticism.

6-Books you’d recommend for novice reviewers?

Before collecting names of books and articles as references, remember that Literary Criticism is always progressing and evolving, so be open-minded and patient before beginning your studies. Here are some books that’d help you along the way:

-English Literature: A Very Short Introduction.

By Jonathan Bate.

This book is rather useful and short, it encompasses all key information regarding every English literary period since the Middle Ages. It’s perfect for students and novice reviewers.

-Foicault’s Pendulum.

By: Umberto Eco.

This novel is definitely more complicated but reading it is never a loss! It offers priceless information regarding nearly every aspect of Shakespearean literature, geology, astronomy, botany and astrology.

-Renaissance & Reformation.

By: Michael Hattaway.

The book that inspired my username; this piece of literary criticism is also a historical lens, used to study principals and jurisdictions influenced by the Reformation period of the early Renaissance times.

As for Encyclopedias:

-100 Characters From Classical Mythology (Mythology of ancient Greece and Rome)

-Crucial Interventions (Medical history of England and France)

-The Story of World Mythologies (Folklore of cultures around the world)

-DK’s Military History (Visual guide for fighting equipment and combat style)

7-Why haven’t you accepted my request/story?