In either case, enrolling in “The Reel Deal: Writing about Movies,” an online course offered by the new Long Story Short School of Writing and taught by film critic and author Betty Jo Tucker, is a good place to start. This six-week course will cover the areas described below.

First Session: Developing a Reviewing Philosophy.

This session explores the role of the critic and his/her responsibility to readers as well as objectivity vs. subjectivity, film knowledge and ethical concerns related to film criticism.

Second Session: Deciding What Matters about a Film.

The second session examines such important topics as: art vs. business; universal themes; personal and social impact of films; plot and character arc; production values; directing; cinematography; background music; editing; music; and actors’ performances.

Third Session: Organizing and Writing the Review.

This session covers the basic steps involved in writing a cohesive, insightful and entertaining review.

Fourth Session: Dealing with Negative Feedback

Most critics receive their fair share of “hate mail.” The fourth session provides tips for appropriate responses to such messages. This is the most fun session – and a prize will be awarded to the student who writes the best reply to a hypothetical “hate mail” message.

Fifth Session: Conducting Celebrity Interviews

The fifth session offers suggestions for questions to ask actors and other film personnel when interviewing them about their movies. It also includes information about how to obtain such interviews.

Sixth Session: Finding Outlets for Your Articles.

The final session provides advice on how to get movie reviews/interviews published in print and on the Internet.

Registration is open until September 28, and LSS classes start on October 5. For more information, click on the link below.