Fan Fic Challenge Entries 2006/07

[-Jade-]

Thanks emmasi.

[I love music]

Re-posted with all the fics reviewed.

[burr]

Wow. This is a hell of a lot more time-consuming than reviewing avatar contests. I can only imagine it also takes quite a bit more effort to write a fic than produce an av so well done to everyone who entered.

1.

It’s a nice skeleton but I feel it needs a bit more attention to detail. Little things like ‘one year old bottle of wine’. A better description could invoke the scene more successfully. Perhaps something like an aged bottle of red, cheap merlot, etc.

“Are you sitting down?” That to me doesn’t sound believable - I can’t imagine a mother saying that to her daughter in order to prepare her for bad news. It’s too melodramatic.

”Maybe he isn’t gone,” she said, ”Maybe he just moved to our hearts?” That’s corny – avoid corn. It feels like something that might be uttered on 7th Heaven.

Kit hung up. She couldn’t stand the silence. It was so evil to wish she had been right about Scott. So evil to wish it was her own brother Sarah had shot instead of him. That was nice – it draws the reader in and makes you wonder. (if only it had been Scott)

Kit knew Hayley and the others in the Bay wouldn’t believe her if she said she felt sorry for Sarah. They still told themselves she was evil.

But Kit didn’t think Sarah was evil, she was just crazy, out of her mind.

No one in the Bay would ever be able to forgive Sarah for what she had done.

I like this idea – bringing Sarah into the story, and Kit’s sorrow for her, but it’s a little too black and white for mine: that everyone else thinks she’s evil and Kit’s the only one who understands her. I actually remember at the time on the show Leah mentioning the fact she felt sorry for Sarah and wondering who was there to mourn her passing – not that your fic has to reflect what happened on the show – it’s just at this point I began to wonder if this fic was in danger of turning into a Kit love-in which, I must admit, was a slight turn-off.

”Tell me not to drink it!” she said, ”Tell me not to do it!”

”You know I can’t do that,” Noah said softly, ”You have to make the decision yourself. But if you’re going to drink, I want you to be really sure about it.”

”How can I be sure?” Kit asked.

”Just ask yourself if it’s worth it.” he simply said.

I really liked that exchange - I felt Kit’s hysteria and Noah’s calm, quiet reassurance.

If she returned to her old life there would be no coming back. No return.

Still with a smile she stood up, put on her coat and grabbed the bottle.

”You’re right, Noah,” she said as she walked towards the front door.

”It’s not worth it.”

This to me – maybe I’m reading it wrong – was really ambiguus. Does she mean life’s not worth it or is the drinking not worth it? Anyway I liked that bit a lot – left me thinking.

On the whole – good, but I think you need to try and go for more interesting vocab and descriptions to give the story a more unique feel.

2.

A voice I could not recall having ever heard before. But he was whispering to me. Of my life, my secrets, my love. That was lovely – quite poetic.

“Funny,” He replied, “You’re mouth says ‘Stop it…’” He mimicked, “But you’re body says ‘Take me, take me now.’ And really, who am I to listen to what you actually say.”

Fantastic! Just about my favourite line/passage in all the fics.

His guilt, my accusations, our love. Again, lovely.

Wow. That was really different, complex and interesting. Nothing like you’d expect a H and A fic to be and all the better for it. It is confusing, which may turn readers off, but it left me intrigued, although I do think with some sharper editing it could be more punchy, and clearer, and subsequently, more powerful. Maybe a little long-winded, and repetitive; I think it could have used one or two less of the pairings and the point would still have come across, but all the same, a very original effort. Writing in the different styles was brave and different. I feel with this fic, you really challenged yourself. Well done.

One thing: if you’re going to quote someone else it’s probably best to acknowledge the source.

3.

A tear slipped down her cheek, falling to the ground, the soil taking it down through the ground, to where he had been buried… That’s a nice image

On the whole it was a good effort, but I think telling everything in the past tense takes just a little of the impact away from the story, and also makes it feel a little rushed. Amanda’s POV was good, but the ‘I love you’ at the end is just too predictable, as was her death. I never experienced a moment, a scene in the story that made me feel Amanda’s love – some more description in the wedding scene or a flash-back to earlier times maybe would have helped with that. I did like how you made the love one-sided though – that was a really great idea.

4.

This whole fic needs some major editing. Other than that… there were moments that really made me laugh:

“Okay, we shall take her with us mate and put her in the boot so she can have the funeral she deserves.” Kim says.

I couldn’t have asked for a better mother even if I tried, she is funny, bubbly and she has good fashion sense!

Sally and Flynn in this fic reminded me of commentators at a sporting event – peering down from the box and assessing the state of play. Yes, um, an interesting fic.

5.

Well that was short and not so sweet. You captured the mood of Summer Bay quite well – it was a light, fluffy fic (which is no bad thing) with a bit of pain at the end. I think originality is your main problem – you need some dialogue and descriptions that draw the reader in rather than making them feel like they could have read this all before. Jack’s repetition of the ‘I promise’ at the end was good however. All in all a nice read.

6.

Mmm, I wonder who could have written this? The most mature, well-written descriptions and dialogue of all the fics. Some highlights:

Robbie’s breath hitched as Kim’s hand traveled that inch too far. Kim recoiled.

Kim cried, equally quiet. He could feel Robbie slipping away. He hadn’t cried so much since he lost Noah. Was that what was happening here? Was he losing another son? Or another brother? Or…

I really like that the rescuers came so close, yet so far. I feel maybe even if you played on that with Kim a little more – the fact that the rescuer’s are here, it will be ok now – except it won’t, because it’s too late, by the smallest of margins, and Kim can’t accept that. For me, that would have been more believable, and as a result more powerful and emotive, than Kim knowing Robbie was already dead and choosing to stay silent. Would you really do that when you’re desperate to save the one you love – who also has a wife and baby girl at home?

I liked how you brought up the memories – it was sweet, and felt, in a way, cathartic.

All in all however, I felt the author didn’t push themselves much with this fic. It was safe, and lacked emotion. I didn’t particularly feel Robbie’s pain – or Kim’s – and maybe that’s because I had a bit of ‘been here, read that’ sensation with this fic, but I think the author is capable of better, and was slightly disappointed that they didn’t deliver.

7.

“Fair enough.” Luke replied, as someone in the distance caught his attention. Sensing an opportunity, Drew struck, just as she’d known he would. Very Luke, and the rest is great too.

She mumbled, but finally met his gaze, hoping to see remorse in his eyes, but instead, finding lust and desire, driven by his own need to have her. To control her. That disgusted her.

I like that description of Drew as predator. It adds an unhealthy element to the love and desire that makes the whole thing more interesting. I think you could have even explored that a bit more.

“We will. Because we’ll be, together, forever.” Together…forever. Mmmm – try and avoid cliché.

There were some nice interchanges in this story and you captured the tension, chemistry and desire between Drew and Belle quite well. And while I don’t have anything against love stories, I think they need to have a little more edge, a few more complications and a little less of a perfect ending than this one provided. As I mentioned above – perhaps if you’d gone down a different route – with Belle’s realisation that Drew’s idea of love was to possess a woman, it may have been more interesting. Still it was by no means an unenjoyable read.

To sum up I choose No. 2 – not necessarily because it was the most well-written but because it was the most original, which in the main, is what I think was lacking from the other fics. This fic tried something a little different, a little left of field, and on the whole, I think it succeeded. Well done.

[I love music]

Finally reviewed all the fics...Well done, everyone!

Return/No Return

It’s funny how different everything looks at night. The darkness and the wind, it all makes everything look so much wilder, more dangerous than it really is.

But the shed was still the same. Behind the rusty old shovels and battered rakes, it was there. Just where she left it a year ago.

Fantastic beginning. Conjures up the scene immediately.

She stared at the bottle in front of her. Inside was heaven and hell.

That’s good. That says it all.

"It’s not.” Noah simply said.

Kit froze.

This could not be happening. Noah was gone, dead, not there!

She blinked, but he was still there, looking right at her.

I like the way you wrote that little piece. Your use of few words here is both very effective and very dramatic.

Then he lowered his head, and whispered into her ear.

Kit smiled as she listened.

This was their secret.

That’s nice. I like the way you leave the readers to draw their own conclusions. I liked too the happy ending and the way you left us us wondering whether or not it was a dream or if it really happened.

This is a nice fic. Nicely written, nice imagery and quietly moving. Unfortunately, nothing really stood out for me. I think it might have helped if you’d tapped further into Kit’s emotions. I know there was the drink and her feeling sorry for Sarah but I feel we needed to get into Kit’s heart a little more. There were so many more emotions Kit could and would have felt about Noah - confusion, regret, nostalgia, anger etc. Her tears could have been tears of both happiness and sadness, for instance. But it’s a good fic for all that and that’s my only criticism.

One Kiss, Goodbye

Wow, very, very original fic! Confusing too, at first, till I understood the pattern.

But he was whispering to me. Of my life, my secrets, my love.

Beautiful!

“This time?”

“Us. Again.” I replied sadly.

“Again?” He sounded shocked.

“Again.” I confirmed, the silent tears spilling from my eyes.

Very effective.

And for a moment I became lost in a world that had engulfed me from the beginning.

Something that felt like falling in love each and every day.

But a sudden crack of thunder rang though my ears, and my body recoiled from him touch, fleeting memories of a past long gone resurfacing, suffocating me silently.

So I ran. I ran from the safety the house provided, into the wind and the rain. Into the eye of the storm. And I knew he was following me, I could hear my name being called in the distance, along the wind.

Again, very evocative imagery.

The Victorian chapter was particularly well done, with the expressions very much in keeping for the time. The War chapter - I don’t know, there was something not quite right about it. Like the scene needed setting a little more. It wasn’t that it was bad, don’t get me wrong, but I think it might have benefited from a few more references to the War itself. Maybe from where they sat in the car they could have heard people singing War songs from a pub in the distance? Maybe they could have seen a plane passing overhead and dreaded a time when the thunder would be the sound of bombs being dropped and the lightning a sky lit by explosions?

“Let us make the most of the time we have together Ron

I once read that if someone spoke to us today the way they did in Elizabethan times - and I take it that WAS the time it was set in? - it would be so far removed from the way we speak now that it would sound like a foreign language. I think Elizabethan conversation is far too difficult for anyone other than professors of the Elizabethan language (if there are such people! ) to attempt. The example I’ve quoted above shows why - I don’t know how they’d have said it back then, but it doesn’t quite ring true as Elizabethan. The Elizabethan language itself is very romantic, but it probably only works well in poetry. Your story would still be a good story if you dropped the Elizabethan chapter. I doubt I could do any better at writing the language of that time, in case you were wondering!

And in the darkness, her eyes wide with horror, as she saw their demise over and over, her body shuddered against his harshly, before crumbling, and she fell, sobbing, into his arms.

“It’s always so dark Raj.” Calixte whispered through her tears, “So dark…” She repeated, before her body caved under the pressure, and gave up the fight.

Just as I knew I would. Her death, she’d told him, over and over, was fated, written in the stars. His death, he knew, would come swiftly, painlessly, as he watched over her tomb, waiting to join her, wherever she was.

The ending’s good. How it all ties in perfectly with the earlier scenes of your story. Very, very well written, and very, very unusual. I don’t think I ever read a fanfic even remotely like it before. Just two things - the story would benefit from the dropping of the Elizabethan chapter (for the reasons stated above) and from the dropping of the Cadence/Roscoe chapter. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with Cadence/Roscoe, but the beautifully done pattern is in danger of becoming unnecessary repetition with too many chapters. Very well written and very well thought out.

Unfinished Business

I think it might be a bit unfair of me to review this fic as I haven’t watched H&A in ages and have no idea who Gillian is/was, for instance. But I’ll try anyway.

I couldn’t fault the writing of it, but I’m afraid it didn’t actually come alive for me until two-thirds of the way through. That’s not to say there wasn’t some great imagery - there certainly was ie

She knelt down before it, placing down fresh, picked flowers, his favourite kind. A tear slipped down her cheek, falling to the ground, the soil taking it down through the ground,

It was a perfect evening, before they walked through those doors, letting the gas leak in, and the cake and sparklers come out for the ‘celebration’.

And, in particular, this image is excellent:

She ran on the dirt road, trying her Hardest to run in her $1000 high heels, but kicked them off, not bothering to pick them up, it would waste her time. She kept running, bare foot, the occasional piece of rock or glass jabbing her foot, but wincing in pain, she kept on going.

The wind blew back in her face, her hair twisting together in knots, blowing back. All her expensive hair work was being ruined, her pricey clothes getting blown back dirt covering them, and she had abandoned her fancy shoes,

I could picture that scene so well.

I think, however, the early half of the fic was too introspective. Some reminiscing of actual conversations might well have made the memories more realistic especially as you do conversation so well:

“What are you doing here!?” he barked at her. “He sent you, didn’t he!?” he demanded of her.

I was intrigued by the son and by what had happened to him. That part was really well written. Some great drama in this story but I did need to know more about the characters. There was plenty of scope for that too; this was way too short.

10 Days

Nice attempt. I like how you’ve empathised with Sally and really tried hard to get into her thoughts and emotions - and the result isn’t bad...

“If only I didn’t go snooping, If only I didn’t open that locker, if only I just let them take our money and leave town, if I only I didn’t let Rocco stay with us.” Sally thinks.

how Rocco could do that, even considering it was bad but to actually follow through with it he isn’t the person she thought he was. But then who ever is the person people think they are?

And this is a nice moment:

Sally has lost over 9 pints now, and she can see a white light she has closed her eyes. All she can see is white, and a figure that looks like a man is coming towards her. Who is this man?

“Flynn” Sally says weakly.

Unusual and thought-provoking. The part where Flynn comes into the story and we’re suddenly asked to think about destiny certainly lifts the story to another level.

BUT...

"Why are we given the power then, if we can’t use it?” Sally asks.

“We’re given it to make us feel powerful and not powerless but really we can’t use it.”

Was that MEANT to be funny? Or this:

“Okay, we shall take her with us mate and put her in the boot so she can have the funeral she deserves.” Kim says.

Be very, very careful about unintentional humour when writing a serious story! It’s always wise for an author to leave a finished fic for a couple of days and then go back and read over what they've written. It’s surprising what you pick up on that you hadn’t noticed first time round. I’ve been writing stories since I was five and I STILL come across unintentional humour in my own fics! I think, too, if you’d read it over again, you’d realise Kim’s response to Sally’s death would have been more emotional!

Sally has been my guiding light through out all of the dark times, and has been the only one who has got me through. She means the world to me,

I couldn’t have asked for a better mother even if I tried, she is funny, bubbly and she has good fashion sense! She will always be the one I look up to in times of doubt, and no one will ever replace her because no one in this whole world is as special as Sally Saunders.

Those speeches at the end were done well and quite moving. That bit about the "good fashion sense" is funny and at the same time sad. I once went to the funeral of someone I used to work with and his grown-up son made a speech that had us both laughing and crying. It was quite poignant. The main fault with this story is that it hasn't been proof read. The mix of past/present tense is very confusing. Don’t let my criticisms put you off too much however. This really was a very good attempt.

Breathless

I quite liked this story (well, until the end, but we’ll get to that later). And as I’ve never been remotely interested in the characters of Martha and Jack, that’s good going for a J&M fic! It made an incredibly refreshing change to read a competition entry that actually focused on happiness (well, until the end...)

This was light and easy to read. No deep, meaningful soul-searching, nothing demanded of me. I mean that in a nice way. I read to be entertained and, to a certain extent, this fic did just that. There were some really sweet moments:

And I was actually amazed that after a year of being kissed like that it still left me breathless.

And pleasant conversations:

“What was that you were saying about being late?” I giggled in between kisses

“ It doesn’t matter,” He whispered pushing me in the direction of the room.

And it was good that you added descriptions that made the characters more realistic eg

quickly scratching his eye with the back of his hand.

The story got really interesting at this point:

He looked around and for a minute he was really starting to freak me out.

“Jack, what is it?” I asked scared.

“I thought I heard someone shouting,” He said shaking his head “I must be losing my mind”

The ending however was a total let-down. I realise the theme of your story was “Goodbye” but I had this image of you just throwing your biro down and thinking “I'm fed up now so that’ll do!”

It IS okay to have a sad ending. It’s NOT okay to have an abrupt one. There was so much left out. How did Martha feel? When did she first realise Jack would never come back? Who was drowning? How had it happened?

The ending of a story is every bit as important as the beginning. The ending will make or break it. This competition entry was fair. A little more effort and it would have been good.

Mourning

Very, very well written!

He stared up at the pale morning sky. Hints of sunrise reflected in his auburn eyes.

The sun wasn’t quite up yet, but they could see each other well enough in the pink-grey light.

They stayed silent for a while, listening instead to the dawn chorus of birds echoing all around them

The morning light was creeping over them......watching the colours change from grayish pinks to gold and purple...

The white clouds rolling over the blue eternity reminded him of the ocean home he loved so much.

Beautiful imagery. I’ve tried to pick out the best descriptions (above) but it was a tough choice - there were so many!

"I just wanted to take care of you, too,” Robbie went on weakly. “Hayley left you… You were upset… I wanted…” He paused, unsure if he could go on with such sentimental tripe. “I wanted to be strong for you… I wanted to hold you, and let you know that everything would be okay.”

Robbie smiled to himself. “Do you remember the last time we woke up together?” he asked.

^^^^^

And some nice romantic moments.

“You couldn’t look away the first time you saw me naked…. Truth or Dare, remember? You kept commenting on my butt.”

Nice touch of humour!

The build-up to Robbie’s death is done well. It’s easy to picture them together and Robbie drifting away.

He closed his eyes and put his head down against Robbie’s. Whether he lived or not now was up to fate.

Excellent last lines!

I liked your play on words with the title and with Robbie and Kim waking to a new day. This was a really good story. Like all good stories should, it had a beginning, middle and end and it had great dialogue and description. It’s not the type of story I’d choose to read however but for one reason only - I really don’t like slash.

I would have far preferred the romance to have been between a guy and a girl although I realise that wouldn’t have had the same impact or subtle chemistry of Robbie/Kim and that was the whole point of the story! But I think it’s a pity we couldn’t have more than one fanfic competition winner - this was my second choice. It wasn’t the slash however that cancelled it being my first. It was just that another excellent fic came along in the same competition.

We’ll Be

Like I said in my review of Unfinished Business, it might be unfair of me to review this fic as I don’t watch H&A now and I don’t know the characters in your story. But I’ve tried anyway.

“Hello” His smooth voice broke any coherent thoughts that may have been running through her mind at that particular moment.

That’s a good beginning. Caught my interest immediately.

Her body began to sway to the music that pulsated slowly around her, the soft vibrations pushing through her body as the beat pumped in the background. Summer heat mingled with the heat their bodies produced, only serving to enhance the desire that lay heavy, thick around them.

“Yes,” She replied automatically. “No.” She corrected herself, shaking her head angrily, as he smirked a little at her. Their bodies continued their automatic dance, continuing to be pushed against one another as body upon body invaded the crowded dance floor.

Wow, great description! I could picture the crowds, their having no choice but to dance closer together, I could feel the headiness of the alcohol (I don’t know if they’d been drinking or not, but that was the image it created for me! ), I could even hear the pounding music...

And then I’m afraid you kind of lost me:

“You just left Drew...

...You just upped and left. Without telling anyone. Without saying goodbye.”

You know, you won’t believe how much the above conversation confused me! I thought “Have I read it wrong and is she talking to Luke again? Were Drew and Luke having a relationship then???”

I had to go back and re-read before the penny dropped.

It’s only a very, very minor thing but you missed out a comma. Mostly we can get away with that, but this was one of those rare instances when the comma nearly changed the story. It’s always wise to re-read and check out punctuation. We can nearly always get away with errors, but not always. There’s a well-known book about punctuation “Eats, Shoots and Leaves”. I never read the book, but I think the title came from a newspaper headline “Eats Shoots and Leaves”. Two totally different meanings!

But back to the story...

“That’s it? You were the one who brought these feelings back to me. They’ve haunted me. You’ve haunted me. Every minute, every day. I’ve felt your presence, and ached to be with you, wherever the hell you were, and you’re sorry?”

Slightly clichéd dialogue but I guess that’s no bad thing. Soaps are full of clichéd lines like this and we’re still watching them!

There was some nice wording in this, but there were also things that puzzled me:

I couldn’t be around Dad, because every time I was, she was there… and in her I saw you, Belle. I saw the evil woman who had driven us apart. I saw the mother of the woman I’d hurt more than anything.

In the end, my lack of background knowledge told. Never assume that your readers already know everything there is to know. It shouldn’t actually have made any difference that I didn’t know the characters. A few extra lines by the author could have changed all that. This was well written but that one major flaw coloured my whole judgement.

****

Hope I haven’t upset anyone with my comments. I’m worried I may have been too picky! But I have tried to be very fair and honest in my reviews and to offer constructive criticism. And I’ve picked out the one I liked best. Hauntingly beautiful, at times almost lyrical, and highly original - I even loved its unusual title! A little more editing and it might have been perfect. My vote goes to:

One Kiss, Goodbye

[SfanS]

Okay...here we go! Quite shorter reviews!

Entry 1, Return, no return

I loved how Noah came back to tell her not to drink, and how she was debating over it all. It was interesting, and I enjoyed reading it, BUT

Like some others, you lost me a bit. I did get a bit confused on why she felt sorry for Sarah. I thought she would've been angry because she couldn't move on from Noah, and she missed Noah.

Just my opinion. But, all in all, I did enjoy reading it, and was very good.

Entry 2, One kiss, goodbye

It was emotional and passionate, and I wanted to read on to see if I got it...BUT

You kind of lost me. I got a bit confused. But maybe that was just me...

But i really loved the first lines:

His piercing screams filled my ears, as my whole world turned that haze of grey that filled dreams, with images floating within.

Only now, there were no images floating, now there was me. And a voice calling my name in the distances. A voice I could not recall having ever heard before. But he was whispering to me. Of my life, my secrets, my love. And then, shock.

Great work!

Entry 3, Unfinished Business

I think I could picture the characters saying theiur lines, Amanda mainly. Her thoughts sounded very...Amanda! But, as some one else said, it turned into a bit of a recount, just saying exactly what had happened, but in different words.

Nice story any ways!

Entry 4, 10 days:

I was a bit confused by the title, but that doesn't matter. I loved how she went up into heaven, and thye met again, and you had i n things about the rules of their power and stuff. I loved them watching over everyone, and watching everything, I thought that was sweet!

But, just to note, their were certain lines I couldn't picture people saying. I could almost HEAR Flynn, but their were some lines in Rachel and Kim's conversations that didn't come very real to me.

Other than that tiny thing...I loved it!

Entry 5, Breathless

I loved the title! I just...LOVED it! It had a twist, but it wasn't too hard or complicated, and everything slotted in with everything, if that makes sense at all!

I just found it a bit short. I'm not sure if it actually WAS, but it felt a bit TOO short. I'm not sure why, and don't take that too offense, but another scene maybe? It was just too quick, in my own opinion.

Yet, I still enjoyed reading every line, every word of it!

Entry 6, mourning

I had a feeling I knew who was the author of this one! LOL.

I loved it, really! I loved that there were reasons for all Robbie doing what he had done back them, and that you brought back those funny memories.

It was a really good read, and I enjoyed these lines in particular:

You kept commenting on my butt.”

I could picture that happening!

A lot of these scenes I could really picture, and it went on like an episode in my head, BUT…

I don’t think Kim’s feelings were very clear. He was hard to understand, and whether that was your point or not, it still had me confused.

But, other than that, there’s not much else I can say, because it was a wonderful read!

entry 7, We’ll be…

I really loved these lines:

Her body began to sway to the music that pulsated slowly around her, the soft vibrations pushing through her body as the beat pumped in the background

I just…liked them!

It was a good fic, and the relationship between Belle and drew had me curious. There was some great writing, great wording and really ‘deep’ lines in there that I loved…

BUT

I’m not saying it was boring, but I think more could’ve happened. This is only my opinion, but I’m a girl who likes more to happen in the stories.

Perhaps you could’ve done a bit better to have it longer with more happening.

But, all in all, it was good to read and I really liked it!

My vote?

Goes to…

‘Mourning’

I loved the writing, and I found it hard for a little bit of criticism in it, because I found it…SO good!

And…yeah.

Good luck to everyone, and thanks to every reviewer for their reviews! It really helps reading what they’ve said about your entry, tips for where to go next and stuff…

[-Jade-]

*Deleted post - reviews posted at the end of this thread*

[-Jade-]

Just a reminder that voting ends this evening! (My reviews will be up in the afternoon for all those who I have not reviewed yet)

[SfanS]

T he only thing that bugs me bout reviews- once you read them, you're like

'damn, why didn't I do that?"

[emmasi]

That, and you want to reply and say that you KNOW you should have done that, now

[Eli]

That, and you want to reply and say that you KNOW you should have done that, now

Yeah, and I want to thank for nice comments, and point out where I agree or disagree. The most annoying thing is if the reviewer didn't understand something, and you know that if he/she understood (it would take you one sentence to explain) you might have gotten their vote!