Movie Review Writing Prompts PDF for Writing Groups and Teachers

Movie Review Writing Prompts PDF for Writing Groups and Teachers

Movie reviews might be good writing practice for either groups or classrooms, whether or not they are actually posted. Maybe extra credit if it is posted? It is always helpful when people tell what they liked and cover one critical point for other potential film viewers. This free PDF is open-ended so writers may select a film or just the genre to review. Writers may add specific titles or a genre, then assign a star value. Writing responses might be timed or not, and shared or not.

What made me think of this idea? Oh, we received such sad news about a friend's daughter who has been fighting cancer for a long time and is spending her days in bed. She watches movies part of each day and even continues to write movie reviews. Being taken care of well, it is good she has such a hobby to occupy her time. I'm sure others may have similar hobbies, but this story today hit especially hard during the holiday season. I wish everyone was well, happy, and secure in housing/food/health. But of course, that is not probably true. It sure would be nice. 

Science Fiction readers might enjoy using this page, either to write about a specific title or just the genre. Tell us what you really think!

Watching Hallmark movies in December? The guy from the city is old news when the charming small-town guy in a flannel shirt is helping everyone and is ever so romantic. Think of a certain film or write about romance movies in general. How many stars?

Some people like horror or scary movies. If so, this picture prompt might be just the thing to get the creative juices flowing. 

Do you know of a just really good movie that you can't stop thinking about? So enjoyable and captivating? This page might be used for such a title. 

Travel or nights out on the town type films might be rated with this page. 

Well, sometimes we all wait patiently through a show another person likes. Has this happened to you? This page might be a good one for writing about such events. 

Documentaries are good for people who want to relive history or have some understanding of the topic before watching. Some people prefer nonfiction, are you one?

Ghost story films can be in a different category than horror as they may encompass the supernatural. People probably have definite opinions on this category. 

Any old plain movie review for people not inspired by the other pages might be used to pen thoughts before posting online. 

And, as always, a coloring page for any children who may have to attend a writing group or session. 

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm, Wise Owl Factory (author of the educational site with hundred of freebies for elementary education)

Links to the full list of past writing downloads, below.

The prompts are on Carolyn Howard-Johnson's Sharing with Writers and Readers Blog and post about the 15th of each month. 

Adding Color Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Camping Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Comedy Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Cyber Crime Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Fantasy Writing Prompts post and free instant download

February Days Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Halloween and October Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts post and free instant download

January Any Year Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Lighthouses through Life post and free instant download

Magical and Magical Realism Writing Prompts post and free instant download

March Days Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Motherhood and May Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Music Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Mystery and Thriller Writing Prompts post and free instant download

November and Fall Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Pandemic People Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Road Trip Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Royals, Monarchs, Kings, and Queens Prompts post and free instant download

Social Media Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Summer Evenings Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Traveling Abroad Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Twitter Writing Prompts  post and free instant download

Western Romance Picture Only Writing Prompts post and free instant download

Women Theme Writing Prompts post and free instant download

What if? Writing Prompts post and free instant download

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), now offered in its third edition by Modern History Press. Carolyn's latest is in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers is How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. She has two booklets in the #HowToDoItFrugally Series, both in their second editions from Modern History Press. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and The Great First Impression Book Proposal (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. The Frugal Editor (https://bit.ly/FrugalEditor), now in its second edition, is the winningest book in the series. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow for news on her new releases direct from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Sample of Great a Book's Backmatter Review Request

When I was reading Karina Bartow's new book, Forgetting My Way Back to You, I was taken with the very last page where she and her publisher did something I have long advised. That is, let your reader know you would appreciate a review--especially one on Amazon!  I asked for permission to reprint it here for you because it is one of the best I have seen because it offers other possibilities first and the gratitude and wisdom of it show!  Both authors and readers will also love Karina's biography. Nice!
Here is the reprint from that last page:




MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF FORGETTING MY WAY BACK TO YOU

Karina Bartow's Fogetting My Way Back to You was just released and is available on Amazon. It is available in paper or as an e-book.  Her website is KarinaBartow.com and you can follow her on Twitter @KarinaBartow.  

MORE ABOUT THE SHARING WITH WRITERS  BLOGGER



Howard-Johnson is the author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers including the award-winning second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter (where she talks more about choosing and the advantages of winning contests and how to use those honors)  and The Frugal Editor. Her latest is in the series is  How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. Learn more on her Amazon profile page, http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers is one of her booklets--perfect for inexpensive gift giving--and, another booklet, The Great First Impression Book Proposal helps writers who want to be traditionally published. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it will help them convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. In addition to this blog, she helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs at all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor (http://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com )

Disagreeing with Publisher's Weekly on Bezos' Most Recent Click on the "Buy" Button

It's only a few hours after the face and we all probably know that Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon) bought The Washington Post for 250 million.  Publishers Weekly weighed in on how Bezos might use the post to benefit and Amazon--and, by extension--book sales. I was personally most interested in their take on how their book review policies might change--or not.  

Here's the PW take on it: "… Amazon has become more aggressive about buying content and the creation of a relationship between Post columnists and reporters with Amazon Publishing is one possible move as is using the archives of the Post to create new print and digital offerings. (The Post already has a deal with Diversion Books for e-book originals). Bundling content exclusively for sale through Amazon is considered another possibility. Like most all newspapers, the Post drastically reduced its book review coverage several years ago, but upping the number of reviews is not seen as a priority."

The last part is discouraging, but I wouldn't bet on it. Further, I think that review policy may be made more egalitarian—that is they may be more inclusive of releases from indie publishers and individual authors.

 

What do you think?   

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  Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . 

Carolyn Corrals Fave Old Review--Most Helpful Reference for Writers

 

Indispensible! A Book
That Can’t Be Replaced by Online Searches

 

 Roget’s Thesaurus and I never much got along. When I am sure there is a better word for something than the one in my head, it never agrees. When I can’t think of the word I want or one even close, it isn’t any help at all. So I didn’t hold out much hope for The Describer’s Dictionary by David Grambs when my fellow author, JayCe Crawford recommended it.

I’m glad I didn’t let my former prejudices color my new book-buying decisions. I like this reference so much because if I don’t find exactly what I’m looking for, I may very well find something I like better. Further, this is the kind of reference you can actually read. Open this book to any chapter (segment) on, say, “hair.” You’ll find several quotes about “hair” that are entertaining and may stir your own creative juices before you even get to the part that that lists adjectives for all kinds of—ahem—tresses, locks, strands, shocks, hanks, coils, tendrils, curls, ringlets or swirls.

 My favorite quotation was this:

“The skinny girl with fiery, chopped-off red hair swaggered inside, and stopped dead still, her hands cocked on her hips. Her face was flat, and rather impertinent…”

                        Truman Capote, Other voices, Other Rooms

As you can see, this offering gives an author an idea of how the best might have handled the same problem she faces. Many are mightily amusing.

So, if you don’t just keep reading instead of handling the problem at hand with the first word you fall in love with, you might eventually find adjectives for some ninety-six possible “hair situations” and one of them may be even better.

Grambs also usually divides each segment into several parts so you’ll get substitute nouns but also possible adjectives. So for “oiled hair” you will find, “greased, slicked, slick, pomaded , brilliantined, plastered, pasted.”

Choose one. Or let one speak to you so you can come up with a simile or metaphor.

When I get into a writing snit, it’s often this book to my rescue. And, by the way, I’ve found no free article with an online search—absolutely nothing—that can replace the inspiration and wisdom in this book.

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(Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an award-winning poet and novelist. She has been a columnist for the Pasadena Star News, Home Décor Buyer , the Glendale News-Press and has also written for Good Housekeeping Magazine. She is also the author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers including The Frugal Editor (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor). Reviews like this and other articles are available for bloggers to use as guest posts at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/free_content.htm

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:

IBPA Offers NetGalley Benefits to Members

Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) members get real help using the benefits of NetGalley.com. They say, "[with Netgalley] you can share galleys electronically, securely, and instantly with reviewers, media people, booksellers, librarians, bloggers, and other contacts. You save the expense of processing, and shipping and mailing galleys: IBPA does the work, including uploading your galley to the NetGalley catalog and advising you when reviewers request your title." Here is the page for NetGalley info: https://www.ibpa-online.org/benefits/marketing-programs/netgalley-book-review-express/#.UQBuSuiNzbI

And this page has some helpful FAQs: https://www.ibpa-online.org/benefits/marketing-programs/netgalley-book-review-express/ibpa-netgalley-program-faqs/#.UQBuyuiNzbI

And here are some testimonials from IBPA members who have used it:

From a publisher: “Loving working with you guys. One of the best investments we’ve made.” ~ Charles, Melville House Publishing”

From some reviewers: “I love Net Galley! Being a bookseller, this really helps me recommend books to customers and lets me know they’ll be happy with their purchase. Net Galley works wonderfully with my Nookcolor as well so that makes it so convenient.”
~ Rachel Shell Vance, via NetGalley Facebook Page

From a librarian: “I was exploring NetGalley last night and I am in love with it! It is so nice to be able to read ahead titles that are being published—especially in the Teen genre. And logging into NetGalley makes it that much easier for me to track! Thanks again for making my week!” ~ Amanda Tehonica, Reference/Teen Librarian, Flower Memorial Library

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Template for Book Review that Touts Reviewers Own Book

I wanted you--my visitors and subscribers--to see this review because it is an example of how reviews can be used by authors to help promote their own books. Of course, as I mention in The Frugal Book Promoter (http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo), it's also great for networking with editors, other authors, publishers of journals, etc.  Just a caveat, though. This technique of mixing information about your own book only works well with reviews you use on your Web site or blog. Don't try it with a review you post on an online bookstore or you may get banned for life!

Here is the example, one of my favorites!

Book Review: The Frugal Book Promoter

By Karen Fisher-Alaniz

Hi there. I’m going to veer way off track with this post. I don’t usually do book reviews, but as I’ve spoken to many, many readers who are also writers, I often field their questions about the publishing industry, marketing, and publicity. There are a few books that I have found so valuable that I want to share them with you.

I read the first edition of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s, The Frugal Book Promoter, long before my book came out. It was a great way to educate myself. Then I reread it when my book was about to be released. Well, she now has a new edition. I didn’t think there was much to improve upon, but she’s done it again

Whether you’re self-published or traditionally published, Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s book, The Frugal Book Promoter is a must-read. It is so full of useful and practical information that I could easily read it in one sitting. But I didn’t. Why? Because this is not a book to be read passively; it’s a book of action. Written in way that motivated me to immediately apply my new knowledge, the book quickly rose to the top of my pile of author self-help books. Many, many times I not only took notes, or put a sticky note in the margin, but I also opened my laptop and immediately applied the new knowledge to my own book. And I’ve seen results.

Here are a few things I implemented:

Unique Uses of Book Reviews: Reviews by the big reviewers like Kirkus are great. But the average reader has no idea interest in those. My memoir, Breaking the Code: a Father’s Secret, a Daughter’s Journey, and the Question That Changed Everything, had been out for about six months when I started reading Carolyn’s book. I’d had some really nice reviews; some from NY Times Bestselling authors, and others by ordinary people who read my book or heard me speak. Using Carolyn’s book as a guide, I gathered up the reviews to put them in one place. Always asking permission first, I took reviews from blogs, websites, newspapers, professional review sites, and even personal letters I received from readers. Then I not only created a Reviews page, but also interspersed them on many of the pages on my website, depending on what the review was about. The result is a website that is vibrant and full of what other people have to say. I love it!

Contacting Authors in Related Genre: Again using Carolyn’s advice, I contacted an author in a similar genre and offered to send her a book. She read it and loved it, so I asked her for a review. Not only did she post it on her social media sites, but I then advocated for that review to be a blurb on the back cover of my book, when it went into a second printing. Perfect!

Increase Your Books Visual Recognition: Because my memoir is about my father, a WWII veteran, it was important to hyphenate my name. So, my author name became Karen Fisher-Alaniz. That’s a lot to remember and I fretted over whether people would be able to remember it. But as Carolyn so aptly points out, the cover of the book is just as important; it’s so much more visual. The Frugal Book Promoter is all about taking your book promotion into your own hands.

Practicing what I preach – cover of my book!

One thing I quickly realized was that when I spoke at conferences, the pre-prepared placards and name tags focused on my name, not my book. 1) So, I began carrying one of those inexpensive plate holders, to every author event I participated in. When I was speaking or on a panel discussion, I set my book in the holder next to the placard, so the audience could see it as I spoke. Other authors, believing they’d been overlooked by the organizers, wanted to know where I got my book holder. 2) I also adapted the nametag that hung around my neck by gluing a small book image under my name. Funny thing is that again, other authors wanted to know how I got my custom nametag. When I told them I’d done it myself, I always heard an enthusiastic, “That’s a good idea!” And that’s just what Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s book is all about. Good ideas!

Conclusion: I’ve read through The Frugal Book Promoter a couple of times. What I find is that each time, I get something different out of it. Some new idea will resonate with me, and I’ll give it a try. I still have a lot to learn. But the most important outcome of reading The Frugal Book Promoter is that I know that there is a lot I can control about how far my book goes. The life of my book is not determined by statistics, or by what someone else does or doesn’t do. I know that there are steps I can take to ensure that my book stays fresh and continues to reach its audience. And that, my friends, is gold to an author!

~The blogger and reviewer is Karen Fisher-Alaniz. She is author of Breaking the Code: a Father's Secret, a Daughter's Journey, and the Question That Changed Everything (Sourcebooks). Learn more about her at http://www.storymatters2.com .

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

Four Ways To Fight the Review Trolls

How to Cope with Negative (or Even Cruel) Feedback

By Katherine Rivas

"It is advantageous to an author that his book should be attacked as well as praised. Fame is a shuttlecock. If it be struck at one end of the room, it will soon fall to the ground. To keep it up, it must be struck at both ends."-Samuel Johnson

Authors, understandably, are hurt by bad reviews. A book is a vessel of effort and emotion, a labor of love, practically like one’s own child. Editors and agents have always advised authors not to respond to (and sometimes not even to read) reviews, unless there was some particular and easily corrected factual misapprehension.

The Internet has given writers and readers a powerful and usually constructive tool to engage with one another. At the same time, the anonymity, or at least detachment, the Web offers has helped to foster a widespread culture of meanness. Though many responsible outlets (this blog, for instance) do their best to uphold high standards of civility among commenter, if you publish widely enough, the day will come when you receive feedback that is not only unappreciative, but even hateful.

There’s also the one-star/five-star problem to contend with: people who take to the Internet to write a review of anything, be it a hotel or a poem, typically do so either to boost the product, or (probably more often) to trash it.

So if you’re looking over your pride and joy on Amazon.com, and suddenly you see a review that hurts your feelings, what should you do? Here are a few pointers:

1. Don’t feed the trolls.

After you receive a harsh or vindictive review, your first instinct may be to fire off an angry response. Refrain. This is exactly what such people feed off of. You will be sucked into a vicious back-and-forth that will do nothing but deplete you emotionally, and perhaps also make you look unprofessional.

2. Try writing the response...on paper

And don’t send it. Composing letters in anger can be purgative, but sending them is almost always a bad idea. This way, you can achieve the emotional catharsis of a “comeback” without extending the nastiness.

3. NEVER pose as a reader to defend your own writing.

You may think this is a clever workaround. But it’s dishonorable and dishonest, and people have ways of finding out your identity. That’s what happened to romance author Candace Sams in late 2009, setting off a literary sideshow of the highest order. Don’t let it happen to you. Your true fans will stick up for you, unbidden. Stay above the fray.

4. Avoid your own reviews in the first place.

Abstinence is the best policy. Take it from William Faulkner: “The artist doesn't have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews. The ones who want to write don't have the time to read reviews.”

~Katheryn Rivas is a regular contributor to Online Universities.com, a leading online university student resource for those interested in pursuing a distance education. She welcomes your comments at katherynrivas87@gmail.com.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog: