your writing process

My question to you reviewers what is your writing process, here is mine


1. Get a piece of paper
2. Fold in half
3. Fold it in half again
4. Unfold the paper
5. You will see 4 sections, Write the top things that come to your mind when thinking about the movie, write at the top of the section
NOTE: If more than four comes to mind feel free to write on the back.
6. Now let's say, I loved the set designs for 'Atonement', below the section with the 'I loved the set designs' I would write why I liked it, such as 'The war scenes looked really, real.'
7. Now type the topics, and the reason why you loved them, each in different paragraphs.
8. Now post it.

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I used to be addicted to crystal meth, now I'm just addicted to Breaking Bad.

You're very...meticulous...

Here's mine:
Go to thread
Press New reply
Write whatever comes to mind
F**k around with the image tags for the next half hour...

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http://www.last.fm/user/diezelpower/

Well, that works too

I always go to "Quick Reply" unless I'm quoting another post. I first have to pick a film, but once that's done I just jump in head first on the keyboard. I hope I have some hook to draw you in, but often it takes awhile for me to even find one. That's OK though because I feel a movie is a journey so a review should be one. The thing is that if I'm writing a full-on review, you may not see them because I post all over the forums. I have a few reviews at Movie Tab II, although most of those I'd consider "minis". I'm basically writing my non-new release reviews over at mafo's MoFo Top 100 right now, and when I write those, I do throw in extra images.

Anyway, I'm basically finished now. I don't compose anything on paper or even plan anything before I start typing though. Just like now, it can sometimes get pretty boring...

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Step One - watch the movie twice. Nearly always, I watch it for myself the first time, and for analysis the second time.

Step Dos - get an overall sense of what the film was about, and write down what was put in the film that supported that meaning/message/experience.

Step C - address elements of the production that didn't do what they might have to support the story, or worse yet: detracted from it.

Step Zed - write it in a way that flows, and make the review visually interesting.

Step Creme Brulee - discussion with others who've seen the film.

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Review: Cabin in the Woods 8/10

If it's for my own thread I'll have to watch it at least twice but I never set out to watch a film in order to specifically review it. If it moves me in some way (necessitating the need for another watch, natch) I'll take more time over writing about it, otherwise it goes in the Movie Tab.

Nothing is ever drafted before posting, however, as I've written enough nonsense in my time to trust my gut.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

Step One - Watch the movie once

Step Two - Write the review. Common factors I include are:

- What motivated me to go and watch the movie
- What's it about
- What I thought was good/bad about it

Step Three - post.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

What Iro said.

Read what other people have said (Don't shout at me yet!)

If I like the movie (there are only 3 movies I've seen which I dislike so........yeah)

Then argue with them, because surely this movie is the greatest film of all time ever!

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And lo the whispering wanderer weeps
what whit to whom did my life keep?

I just wing it. Then I edit it. Then I look at it from the readers perspective as if I never wrote it in the first place and see what needs be done to make it beter and then I do it.

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1. Watch movie
2. Wait approximately 12-48 hours
3. Hit "New Reply" button
4. Write down what sticks in my mind and what my impressions are
5. Hit submit
6. Repeat

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"As I was walking up the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today,
I wish, I wish he'd go away."
-From Identity

on the rare occasions that I write reviews I do what I usually did for my 1st draft papers in college: Come up with a list of general "themes" and specific parts of the movie I would like to talk about and flesh each one out, trying to connect them or rearrange them into the order that makes most sense as I do. Often some of them become redundant as I go along, some get combined, while others branch into new topics, and a couple come out basically as I thought they would before I started writing. I'm never satisfied with the finished product, but if my past writing experience taught me anything, I won't be satisfied until at least my 3rd draft, so if I can get away with it I'll always turn in the 1st draft, same as I did in school. That gives me more time to watch movies. They're not written in any really logical fashion and if I start out with an argument or a logical conclusion it often changes by the end.

You guys are very methodical.

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MY Work!

Well, the guy did ask us what our methods were so of course we come off as being methodical...

I've written hundreds of reviews, and interestingly, I've never once committed myself - casually or creatively - to describing a plot to my audience. If someone has taken the time to sale themselves to something for which they'll agree or disagree with, then I'm quite positive and/or hopeful they've concluded their considerations of cast, the course the story may carve for itself, and even the length of the film by exploring trailers and other forms of media. If they, by some chance, haven't realized these things for any reason, I tend to doubt they'll realize where my watered review may render itself. Frankly, I prefer, as you may or may not notice, to riddle my readers with a racial range of sorts, or personality in my writings. Otherwise, you stand as information, not a writer, or even a verbalized makeshift of the subject in discussion.

I try to compose all my collective compositions as though they were tongue-candy, yet legibly related to the reader's interest. I think that's what makes one reviewer more important than the other; when you're satisfied with their formula, their favorite facilities forcing you in or out of a possible experience.

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"Pork the pain past the point of pleasure; pen piss on a pink paw, for peace pours plain."

Ok - do you even need to state 1. as being you watch the movie? Come on! Of course you do.

I liked the four square approach - nice way to organize thoughts.

I write my overall opinion of the movie, whether is was great or just ok or not even worth watching, etc. Then I explain my justification for my opinion by listing what was good and what was bad.

I do think an important step is to read it again as a "first-time" reader an then make changes if needed. I think they teach you to always proof read when you are 9 years old.

Normally, I'll have paper and pen at my side whilst watching the film if I'm at home.
I'll write little notes and reminders, then really just write what comes to mind whilst looking at my notes.
A lot depends on the mood I'm in as to how specific and detailed my review will be, but I always try to keep it relatively short and avoid spoilers or going into too much depth, as I prefer to let others make up their own mind, one man's art is another's trash!!

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Toga, toga, toga......


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