What are the best resources to help me write better reviews?

April 24, 2015 1:35 PM

I've been writing podcast reviews (link to site in my profile if needed) for the last few months. There's no shortage of resources for improving my writing (which I frequently use) but where can I find sources to help me write better reviews, specifically?

I'm not picky about the kind of advice. It can be theoretical, exercises, tips & tricks from books, websites, or magazines. Wherever.

Are there such things?

And just to be clear I'm looking specifically for resources, not critiques of my writing. Not because it's above reproach (at all) but because this is MetaFilter and I'd like to avoid a derail before it starts! I welcome memail with specific suggestions if you think they would be helpful.

posted by Tevin to Media & Arts (1 answer total)

Best answer: It's funny. Now that you mention it, I'm having a hard time coming up with helpful articles or books about writing reviews. There are plenty of college courses that will teach you how to write dry critical essays nobody wants to read, but I am really drawing a blank for things that offer advice about writing in a more lively, non-academic style.

I used to be a film critic for one of the alt-weeklies. I just stumbled into the gig and had to kind of learn on the job. (Long story.) I grew up a movie geek and a voracious reader of people like Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael, so at least I had some good role models to inspire me. If there are some critics you think are just terrific, go back and re-read their reviews. Really study their work and try to figure out what sets them apart.

Off the top of my head, here are a few things I figured out about my reviews:

When possible, it's good to end with something that refers back to your beginning in some way. This can read as pat or contrived when it's done badly, but when it's done well it makes the whole thing click.

If you're reviewing super-popular things, it's OK to be kind of mean sometimes. But for smaller enterprises, remember that a real, vulnerable person is probably going to read what you wrote and if you make fun of her goofy voice she will carry that to her grave.

Small things will have a hard time finding an audience at all, and you're not doing anybody a favor by saying THIS OBSCURE LITTLE SHOW SUCKS. Even if the obscure thing is so stupid and wrong that it's fun to goof on it, remind yourself that you're basically making fun of some poor person's hopes and dreams. If you're going to write about small stuff, try to stick to the small stuff that you love, so you can hype it to the masses.

Be very careful about inserting your own stories into reviews. It's tempting to tell that hilarious story about your dad, but it can be amateurish and awkward for the reader. If you do it at all, make sure that story is absolutely relevant to the thing you're reviewing.

It can be helpful to read a bunch of reviews of something before you review it yourself. Now, I'm not suggesting you let other reviewers form your opinion for you! But reading the other reviews will give you an idea of the things that have been said too many times, the things nobody else is noticing, etc. If there seems to be a critical consensus on something, it can be worth examining that. Is this thing REALLY as fabulous or crappy as everybody says?

Read your review aloud to yourself, and to other people. It can really make the bad stuff jump out. Also, try emailing yourself a copy and reading it on your phone. That can make something seem new to you again.

People like funny. I'm definitely not suggesting you cram a lot of jokes in there, but an occasional funny observation will perk up a review. I used to get a lot of compliments about how funny I was, and I think it was more that people just didn't expect funny lines in a film review so if a line made them laugh it really got their attention.

Be honest. But you can be honest without being an asshole.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:54 PM on April 24, 2015 [5 favorites]