5 Tips to Write Engaging Reviews

Ever wanted to be an art critic? Maybe you’re a writer who wants to dabble in reviews or perhaps you’ve been doing this for awhile but are interested in learning some new ways to get your writing out there into the world. If any of these sound like you, then welcome! Below, I’ve put together some of my top tips for writing engaging reviews so you can better your craft.

Be flexible with what you review

Are you someone who prefers to review movies over books or theatre performances over stand up comedy? Do you only ever review one type of body of work? Something I encourage all budding reviewers to do is embrace your uncomfortable zone. Don’t get bogged down on reviewing just one type of work, expand your skills and open your mind to all the possibilities out there – after all, you never know what you might like.

When I first started writing reviews, I focused only on films and books – they were what I knew more about and enjoyed the most. However, when the opportunity arose to write stand-up comedy reviews for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, I couldn’t say no. What a great opportunity to expand my reviewing skills in an area I’m not familiar with. Yes, I didn’t know much about comedy back then, but with some research and reading other stand-up reviews, I quickly found that this was an area that was not only fun but also a fantastic way to learn and refine my writing.

By going outside your comfort zone and reviewing those alternative shows/films/books you’re also much more likely to be published in a variety of magazines and websites. You could be writing a film analysis for Senses of Cinema one week to seeing Circus Oz perform live the following week. Embrace the diversity of the art scene and keep your mind/writing fresh and exciting.

Read and write, write, write

The only way to get better is to read other reviews and write write write. Maybe you’re new to this whole reviewing business and are submitting work that isn’t getting published. Don’t be disappointed. Use that rejection as motivation to continue developing and working on your craft. It’s great if you have your own blog where you can upload those rejected reviews. If anything, I highly recommend starting your own blog to self publish those reviews that have been sitting in the backlog of your computer. Share them across social media with friends and family. Sometimes even the act of writing, uploading your piece to the blog section of your website, then editing, then publishing (sometimes re-editing once publishing…) is a great way to see where your reviews need improvement most.  

Don’t forget to research

Some writers love it, some hate it. I have a love/hate relationship with research. My love for it comes from the fact that researching will enrich a subject and/or topic you’re writing about. While my hate for it comes from living in a world where we can basically get everything and anything at the touch of a fingertip. So long are the days of walking over to the bookshelf and looking up an answer in the encyclopaedia or a definition in the dictionary. Living in this dopamine-fuelled smart-phone obsessed society means that I too have succumbed to the need of receiving information in less than 10 seconds.

The idea of researching may seem tedious, however, try to refrain from thinking of researching as boring. Remember, it’s called the ‘writing process’ for a reason; and part of that process isn’t necessarily writing great words – it’s researching, drafting, thinking, brainstorming, collecting, organising, editing. Besides, do you really want to be blacklisted from publications or work because your writing is known not to be backed by facts or truth?

Researching doesn’t necessarily have to be done before you write the review, it can wait till afterwards if that works for whatever it is you’re writing about. For example, if you’re about to watch a play set in the 1920s Great Depression and have absolutely no idea what happened during that era, then yes, you should probably research that period and look into what other plays the playwriter has done. But always try to refrain from reading other people’s reviews on what you’re about to see. You want to have a clear head, free from others’ opinions so you can better judge.

Find your niche

Okay, look, I know that I mentioned earlier that it’s important to be flexible when writing reviews and not to limit yourself to just one body of work or industry. However, sometimes (especially if you are a more experienced writer) it’s best to find your niche and become an expert in that field. For example, do you have a degree in film production or literature? Use that knowledge to become an expert at writing film or book reviews. Hone in on an area to become the specialist that every editor or publication will source because of your expertise. Market yourself on your blog or website or LinkedIn as that first point of call for when it comes to a serious, smart review on a specific topic, you’re the gal or guy to take on the job!

One way you can become known in a field is to submit pitches or write reviews for publications focused on your topic of expertise. Find the Editor’s details in the masthead or contact page and write an email that introduces yourself, mentions your background, education/experience, and attach a few samples of your writing that you think would best suit the publication.

Balanced mindset

The most important thing about writing reviews is maintaining that balanced mindset. You need to be objective and not bring your bias towards a topic – to a point of course. You want to appreciate all the elements of a performance to establish that balanced mindset. For example, if you hated a theatre performance because you couldn’t get past the acting – it was dreary and cold – and you personally hate the smell of cabbage which these actors smelt like (in this fantasy you are sitting so close to the stage that yes you can smell their costumes…) try to consider the other elements of the show. Maybe the acting wasn’t great but the sound design was, or did the props and set design really helped convey the location and setting of the play?

Establish that balanced mindset by going into a show with a rating system. For theatre productions, consider the set, acting, props, costuming, script (if it’s something that hasn’tbeen done before) and sound/music. For books, consider the plot and story, characterisation, the dialogue, etc. And just because the main character was incredibly unlikeable (and you can’t stand unlikeable characters) consider why the author chose to create a character like that, how did that help with the overall story? Step back from your initial thoughts and create that distance to be an objective critic.