ScuroFantasma
08.30.16 | Don't do a track by track first off. Try to describe the album as a whole, but use individual tracks or moments from songs as examples. Write about what you do and don't like about the album, even if there's just some minor nitpicks or you can only find a couple redeeming qualities, let the reader know.
Don't make your first review too long either, try to keep it concise and don't ramble on for a paragraph if it can be summed up in a sentence or two. If you'd like someone to go over it before you post it, there's a feedback thread on the community side where you can submit it and someone can proof-read it for you (hell I'll do it if you give me a heads up that it's there). Other than that, just relax with it and don't be too stiff/analytical because there is no scientific method for writing, let it come natural my friend :) |
iloveyouall
08.30.16 | dos:
put your thoughts into words
write about the album you intend to review
don'ts:
track-by-track
overzealous comparisons
word wank
stupid dismissive rant fuck cunt shit wank
|
ScuroFantasma
08.30.16 | Link to the proofreading thread if you need it: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=577035 |
Archelirion
08.30.16 | Do 11. I've been struggling with it for years now but it needs a review so badly :]
Both Scuro's and iloveyouall's points are excellent - one thing I've learnt to do is read it out loud when you've finished it. Helps to iron out long sentences. |
Jots
08.30.16 | find someone whose reviews you like to proofread your first few. you might get plenty of good tips in this itt but some of it might be superfluous depending on where your writing is currently at. don't worry about any "scientific method" as standardization shouldn't be your first thought; there's enough derivative writing styles in online music reviewing. |
elliootsmeuth
08.30.16 | Thanks for all the advice. |
AsleepInTheBack
08.30.16 | All good advice. Ensure each paragraph is about something rather than having an unstructured discussion (e.g. intro setting the themes of the review, a couple on pros, one or two on cons, conclusion (though you needn't take such a structure, just an example)). Also try tie everything together in the conclusion. But yeah there's no formula, just write one and the feedback off that and the experience of writing it will be better learning than these tips. |
iloveyouall
08.30.16 | i'm not a fan of explicitly structuring reviews tbh, because it lends itself to the writing becoming formulaic.
structure should come as it is written, not before. |
AsleepInTheBack
08.30.16 | nah i agree, I'm just saying ensure the ideas in the review are ordered in a structured manner. Often mine fall into a intro, double para on pros, para on cons, conclusion, but i start writing a review in a very unstructured way, just jotting down ideas and then roping them into some structure as i go |
