Speaking of your readers, your review should have a specific target audience which actually makes it somewhat easier to write. In other words, are you directing this review to teens? Parents? (Yes I know I'm reading it, but I want to see that you can make some connections and references to a specific audience.)
Show, not tell. In other words. Be DESCRIPTIVE, but not super wordy. Don't forget, this is still journalism, after all. Besides, no one wants to read a really long review. This assignment, more than any other, relies on your personal observation skills, so take very good notes so you will have lots to choose from when you describe and analyze different things in your review. In fact, if you're doing a restaurant review, you may want to snap a few photos of your food and the restaurant to help you better remember and help you with your description.
Click here to read a brief article on film reviewing. Then read this article for more tips on how to write a great review.
Lastly, take a look at this restaurant review by Molly Abraham of The Detroit News. As you read, pay attention to word choice. For example, look at the second paragraph. She doesn't just say she ate soup but a "deep bowl of fragrant beef broth" with all kinds of mouth-watering ingredients including "a swirl" of pasta that ultimately "transcends" the standard quo beef broth most of us are used to. (I actually got hungry reading this review.)
Avoid obvious words, like "good" or "delicious". You don't have to be a master chef to know what you're tasting. Was it crispy? Was it sweet? Etc.
Happy reviewing!
Creative Commons photo by ThrasherDave
The article on film reviewing and the 28 tips for writing reviews really helped me to better understand how to write a good review. These resources will definitely help me in writing my review assignment.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed reading the Vietnamese restaurant review. The writer gave extremely good description, as if you could almost taste the food she was describing. She answered all questions that the reader could possibly have about the review.
I'm really excited to write my own review!
The woman who wrote the review on the Vietnamese restaurant did a very good job on making you feel as if you were actually there, tasting the dishes. Her word choice evoked many senses and it made me want to go try out the food at the restaurant. By reading her review, I feel I have taken some very helpful advice that will help me write a review of my own. Also, the 28 tips of writing really showed me the proper way to write a review, and I feel that I am ready to begin my own.
ReplyDeleteThe two links that were provided helped me immensely with my review. The woman who wrote the review on the Vietnamese restaurant showed me how to describe a restaurant in a completely different way by just using more descriptive words. By combining these three sources, I think that I will be very prepared to write my review.
ReplyDeleteThe review of the Vietnamese restaurant really made you feel like you were in the restaurant. She talks about all of the food in great detail. The description even makes you hungry for their food. I also liked the 28 tips for a film review. It helps you understand what angles you have to take when reviewing a movie. And also makes sure that you comment on certain aspects of the film.
ReplyDeleteThe article with the 28 tips on how to write a good review helped me out a lot. I now know what to include in my review and what not to include. The Vietnamese restaurant review was great as well. The article was written simply for everyone to understand. It also described things perfectly, and like you said, made your mouth water just a bit. With all of this advice and the example, I am excited to write my own review!
ReplyDeleteThese tips on reviewing were very helpful to me. I learned from the article on film reviewing that most new critics aren't very confident in their stand, but a good critic should never be afraid to voice a strong opinion. I also learned that writing a review doesn't have to be like writing a hard news story, and that having a good sense of humor in a review is a great way to draw in readers. Now that I feel prepared, I'm eager to begin my review.
ReplyDeleteThe article on how to be a critic helped me understand what to do and not to do. The same can be said about the 28 Tips for writing. This let me know what it is necessary in a review, and how to phrase it.Using humor and being persuasive are key parts in a review. The review on the Vietnamese restaurant was very well written. It convinced me to want to go there and try the food.
ReplyDeleteThe article with the 28 tips on how to write a film review was very helpful. It gave me all the rules for reading a good review and also gave me insight. I did not know that you had to be careful about sounding mean spirited in a review, i always thought you just wrote how you feel. The review on the Vietnamese restaurant was very descriptive and the words she used were very unique and made it so that you could imagine the spring rolls.
ReplyDeleteThe two links with tips for writing reviews helped me very much. They cleared up any questions on had on writing reviews and helped me realize having a strong opinion is acceptable. The review on the Vietnamese restaurant was a very good example to model my review after. It was very descriptive and informational. I am very excited to write my own review now!
ReplyDeleteI really want to go to that Vietnamese restaurant now that I have read that review. It was very descriptive, and yet not too long. It kept me interested. The tips were also very helpful. I feel more confident about writing my review now.
ReplyDeleteDescriptive, concise, and vivid. This defines how I need to express myself when writing a review. Using the fewest and most colorful words to describe what I see and feel will be the key to a quality review. Molly Abraham does a fantastic job of taking me into the restaurant she is reviewing and tantalize my senses as though I am sitting directly across the table from her. I look forward to writing this review.
ReplyDeleteAll three articles really helped me understand what I need to work on when writing a review.
ReplyDeleteThe 28 tips article provided me with some important pointers that I will definitely incorporate into the review assignment. As for the restaurant review, I believe Molly Abraham did a great job. Her word choice was descriptive but to the point, and the way she describes the restaurant makes me want to go there and try it out for myself. I feel that all three of these articles will definitely help me better my own review, and I can't wait to started on it.
The first two links were really insightful and helped me to better understand how to write a movie review. The restaurant review was very good, it made you feel like you in the restaurant eating the food with her, the description was amazing.
ReplyDeleteI found the most helpful link to be the first one, though I hated the Roger Ebert reference because he constantly trashes movies I love. There is a certain annoying movie snobbery some reviewers tend to have, which annoys me immensely. Some movies are stupid to be pointless and stupid. They're not suposed to have a particular idea or plot.(Ex. Annie Hall. No plot line at all! Still an awesome movie!) I think the #1 mistake in writing a film review is giving away the ending. It won't give the reader a reason to see the film. I would never go see a film if I read how it was going to end. I also think that the jokes and references you make can break or make the review. Some people will remember a review just because of some witty line or reference made. These should be chosen carefully.
ReplyDeleteThe second link to 28 tips was extremely useful and I will be using them when I write my review. It really helped me understand how to write a review, and how to make it very good. I also enjoyed the restaurant review-- it was descriptive and it made me feel as if I was in the restaurant. All of these links are very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI've made it mandatory that I print out all three sites because of how useful they will be. Without the first link, I would probably end up being one of the wishy-washy reviewers. The second link is by far most useful,and the review by Molly Abraham is a good source to go to if i get stuck.
ReplyDeleteThe links have helped me to better understand the style of writing reviews. Molly Abraham did a fabulous job in her story. The 28 tips pointeed out some rules I wouldn't have thought of otherwise.
ReplyDelete