In this assignment, you’ll be creating an exciting review of your own. Your review should be about an idea, a place, or any kind of creative expression that captures your attention: perhaps your favorite movie, a wonderful restaurant, a unique tattoo, or a centuries-old masterpiece. In two to three organized paragraphs, you’ll describe your subject and the things you think are most important about it, using at least one quotation and one multimedia element to help you express your perspective in a dynamic way.
Make sure to address the following questions in your review:
- What are the most important aspects of this subject?
- How did this subject affect me emotionally or intellectually?
- When was this subject created and why?
- How has this subject affected other people or audiences?
The best way to begin a review is to choose a subject that has had a strong effect on you, maybe even changed you for the better in some way. Your goal is to help your audience see your subject the same way you do. To do this, you’ll want to choose the most important details and present them in a clear and engaging way.
Step 1: Choosing a Topic
Choose an idea, a place, or a creative work/performance to review. As long as it falls into one of these categories, you’re free to choose whatever subject you like. You could, for example, create a review of your favorite album, weekend getaway, or teacher — just make sure to select something that has fascinated you or enriched your life in a meaningful way.
If you’re having a hard time choosing your subject, the following brainstorming activity will help:
- On a piece of paper, quickly jot down the answers to the following questions:
- What is your favorite movie of all time?
- Name one person who has inspired you.
- Have you ever seen a painting, sculpture, or monument you wished you owned? If so, what was it?
- Do you have a favorite city, town, neighborhood, or street?
- What comes to mind when you think of “creativity”? A delicious dish? A tattoo? A novel? A website? Fire dancing? Write down a few of the most creative things you’ve experience recently.
- Now read over your answers. Which answer would you most like to write about and share with others? Write this answer at the top of a fresh piece of paper. For now, let’s say this is the subject of your review.
- Spend a few minutes (no more than five) coming up with as many questions as you can about your subject. You can ask questions about how the subject affects you and about the history or purpose of the subject. For example, you can ask questions like:
- How do I feel after seeing or spending time with the subject?
- What is it about my subject that makes me feel this way?
- What elements of my subject are most important and most exciting to me?
- How do other people feel about my subject?
- Why and when was the subject originally created?
Don’t worry about grammar or the order of the information. Just start writing. (Hint: If you’re getting stuck, try imagining yourself experiencing this work for the first time. What questions did you have when you first saw or experienced the subject? Do you have questions about the purpose of your subject or why your subject affects you the way it does?)
- Now spend another few minutes jotting down answers to your questions. You might not have all the answers — just answer the ones you can, recalling your own experience from the work. Again, no need to worry about grammar here.
- Good work! You probably have plenty of answers and some questions still left to explore. This is a great place to start with a review subject. You’re one step closer to creating your own dynamic multimedia piece. (If you decide you don’t want to review this subject, try the brainstorming process again with another one of your fascinating subjects.)
Step 2: Researching What You Don’t Know
Though you may already know some information about your subject, you will probably need to do some research using books, articles, and websites. There are three things you’ll most likely need to research.
First, you’ll need to know when and why your subject was created.
Second, you need to use at least one quotation that relates to your subject in some way. Here are a few ideas for quotation sources:
- Interviews with the creator/artist (if applicable)
- Published reviews from critics
- Famous people’s insights about the topic: For example, “Books are a uniquely portable magic,” which Stephen King wrote in his book On Writing: A Memoir on the Craft, might be useful to include in a review of a great novel.
Third, you need to know how your subject has affected other people.
As you come across answers and/or quotes about your subject, write them down. Also, don’t forget to make a note of where you found these answers, including the titles and the authors’ names. If you decide to use this information in your final review, you’ll need to know where it came from.
Step 3: Getting Started Writing
First, make a quick outline to help you organize your information. The following tips will help you draft an organized and cohesive two- to three-paragraph review:
- Your first paragraph should introduce your subject to the reader. Start with information about why and when your subject was created.
- In the second paragraph, explain how and why the subject has affected other people. Be sure to mention certain elements, traits, or characteristics of the subject that others found powerful.
- The third paragraph should focus on how and why the subject has impacted you. This information could possibly be combined with the second paragraph. Be sure to mention certain elements, traits, or characteristics of the subject that you found powerful.
Step 4: Drafting Your Creative Review
Now it’s time to begin writing your paragraphs. Using your own experience and your research, write at least two to three paragraphs about your subject. Try to engage your audience with examples and specific details, as well as a conversational tone. Feel free to have fun with this — select details about your subject that seem most interesting and important.
Use a separate piece of paper if you need more room.
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Step 5: Revising Your Writing
When you’re done writing, take a moment to read over your work. Does it read smoothly? Are the sentences complete and grammatically correct? Did you catch any spelling or punctuation errors? Have you included everything someone new to the topic should know? If you need to, now is a good time to make revisions.
Step 6: Adding a Multimedia Piece
Now for one of the best parts: What multimedia piece might help you communicate your perspective or make your review more engaging? Choose at least one image, audio clip, or video to add to your review. You might try exploring the web for images, video, or music. You can copy and paste these media pieces into your review, but make sure to include a caption stating the name of the creator.
Alternatively, you could also use media elements from the library or your own possessions. (For example, is there a picture in a book or magazine you could copy? Do you have a CD with a related song or lyric you could use?) If you aren’t able to include the exact media component you have in mind directly, create a written description or drawing of the piece you ideally want to use. Whatever format you use, be sure to include a caption that includes the name of the creator of the piece and where you found it.
Great — now take out your self-assessment checklist. Read and answer the assessment questions. Are there any final revisions you would like to make to your review now?
Good work! You’re finished! Now, if you want to, feel free to post this online in a blog.
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