Review Writing
workshops | Dec 02, 2009 | Comments 0
Review writing tips
By Josh Flynn, Ball State literary journalism graduate student and freelance writer
Read a lot of reviews. Examine how writers craft their reviews. How do they begin their pieces? How long are they? How do they end their reviews? How do they support their statements? Don’t be afraid to study a review and use it as a map to write your own review.
Use concrete evidence. Write a review like you write a paper for class. This means support your claims. Don’t just say, “This song is good.” Why is it good? Give examples. Pick specific details that show why you like or dislike something.
Take notes. Take a notebook with you when you go to a movie or listen to music. Write down moments that are great or really horrible. Your notes can be the basic building blocks for a review. You’ll have your evidence right in front of you.
Think about genre. Don’t review “Transformers” with the same criteria you would use to review “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Don’t review U2 with the same criteria you would use to review Lady Gaga. Think about what the piece you are reviewing is meant to accomplish. Is “Transformers” supposed to be exciting with lots of action and explosions that keep you on the edge of your seat? Did it accomplish this? Did the Lady Gaga album make you get up and dance and sing along? Did the U2 album make you stop and think about life and the world? Pick out examples why or why not something accomplished its goals.
Don’t share life stories in your reviews. Many times you will listen to a song or see a movie or look at a piece of art and it will remind you of someone you know or a moment in your life. But the truth is readers don’t care about your life. Stick to concrete examples within your topic and save the personal for memoirs.
The most important tip: WRITE! Practice writing reviews whenever you have time. Did you just watch a new movie, read a book, or listen to a new song or album? Did you just visit an art gallery or museum and see something you really liked or didn’t like? Then write about it.
Let other people read your work. The best way to grow as a writer is to get feedback on your work. Ask your teachers or friends to look at what you write. Ask for constructive criticism. Don’t take criticism personally. If someone says they don’t understand what you mean or you need more details, think of it as a lesson and focus on improving in those areas the next time you write.
Remember, reviews are opinions. You may hate a movie but someone out there will love it. And they won’t be afraid to tell you they loved it.
Post your reviews. Start a blog to share your writing. Post it on Myspace or Facebook.
Here are a few good Web sites where you can read a lot of reviews:
Filed Under: Student Work
