I am about to start reviewing again and I plan to do more of the standard than the extended format because I think I can make it flow better that way. Also I think it will hopefully keep me from being too wordy.

Yes, I like the extended review format because it helps prompt me on what to write next.

I find the extended format especially helpful for 'meh' reviews, when a toy is neither great nor awful. But the standard format lets me focus on what I believe is the most important characteristics of the item I'm reviewing.

I was writing reviews for nearly a year before I used the Standard Format regularly. I now prefer it, although I usually go over the word count and need to edit the review.

In fact, I do a lot of DRs for the product pages, and I get frustrated because you must do DRs in Extended Format. I would rather do them in Standard, because I can write it up first on my laptop in Word and just copy and paste onto the review. I find myself repeating myself with the Extended Format and I get really frustrated. But the Product Page is set up in Extended, so we have to do the Descriptive Review this way. I rarely run out of room in Extended Format, though.

I think until you have a lot of reviews under your belt and a lot of experience, the Extended Format is the best way to do it. EF prompts you so you don't forget things, and also helps with the flow of the review. Once you get your confidence a a lot of experience (I found a year of writing reviews was when I needed the Standard) you may like Standard.

Although some things (like I believe lingerie) only let you write in Standard Format. You could write in in Word in Extended and then edit it to fit into the Standard Format when the review requires it, if you like. That might help you coalesce your thoughts and then pare it down to fit.

No I don't find it difficult at all cause I made up my own template layout which I follow no matter which format I go with.

depends on what I'm reviewing. Some things don't fit the template anyway...

I make up my own template using bold and Italics. It flows better that way.

I don't find it hard at all, but I rarely use it unless it's for lingerie reviews and I Bold everything to keep my sections seperated. I don't like that there's a word limit on the standard format so I ended up having to cut alot of what I'm trying to say so I like the extended format.

The Extended Review template is great for products I'm not too keen on. But I am like P'Gell when it comes to the word count. I just seem to go over the 800/500 limit a little too frequently.

With the Standard template I can put in my own "voice" and with the Extended, I feel it is more technical.

i'm still new to reviews. i definitely prefer the extended format! oh, i guess that would mean i mis-voted. gah. but yeah, i'll be using the standard for a lingerie review so we'll see how it goes.

It depends a lot for me on the type of product I'm reviewing. That usually drives me to either write a really nice and eloquent set of paragraphs or keep it to a shorter, more functionally oriented review. I'm glad both options are there, I think it helps me to write better even if I'm not as keen on a particular product or don't have a lot to say about it from an experience standpoint.

I'm new to reviewing, and working on my first review. Where do you find these templates? I have gotten a general feel for how reviews are supposed to be, but a template sounds very useful.

I prefer the standard format and actually even dislike reading in the extended format.

When i was constructing my first review, i found the extended format really easy to use and i found it helped a lot in showing me what kinds of things i should be mentioning etc.

Yes, I do unless I really figure out how I'm going to make it work and where to put what.