Aug 18 2008
Hone Your Skills With Reviews
No matter what genre you write, one thing is certain for all writers. You’ve got to hone your skills on a constant basis. So, how do you do this? Well, that depends on the person. Some people like to write poetry, some write editorials, while others simply write letters. One of the ways I work on my creative skills is by writing reviews.
Writing reviews is a great way to work on your creative side. So, what should you review? Anything you want. Review your favorite t.v. show. Talk about the characters, the plot line, the actors, anything that has to do with the show. You can review a recent movie you’ve seen in theaters, or one you’ve rented and taken home. There are a ton of things that can be reviewed. Me, I review commercials, among other things.
Want to get really creative? Review something you’d never normally think of. For instance, review the way your mail carrier delivers the mail, or review the cashier at your local grocers. They might think you’re a little nuts for watching them, but who cares, you’re a writer. We’ve always been thought of as a little eccentric.
Here’s one for you, review a local sports team. This can be your child’s little league team, or a favorite college team. You can even review your favorite professional team. Doesn’t matter, just try your hand at reviewing. It’s actually a lot of fun. And the best part is that if you get good enough at it, you can actually make a few bucks in the process.
Next time you’re sitting there staring at a blank computer screen or sheet of paper, and can’t think of a thing to write about, write a review. If nothing else, review yourself. It will get you writing, and will get your creative side moving.
Ah, nifty!
It was actually something of the sort that got me onto my topic in the first place; I’d been doing workshops for my creative writing class, and started wondering why it was that I was particularly likely to rant about a certain set of mistakes. Ask enough questions from your reviews, you’ll be amazed at what sorts of answers you can find.
Thanks for the tips. I will have do this myself.
thank you both. Actually, that’s really how I got my start as an online writer. I used to review websites for writers. Now, I’ll review just about anything: hubby watering the lawn, kids doing their homework, dog growling at the cat, whatever.
I did some reviews and got a kick out of them, but I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite thing to do. Now if only I could get a job reviewing Godiva chocolates, now THAT would be groovy….