To use an
easy example, take
restaurant reviews. It's a relatively
new
medium for me and one that I found tends to pay more than the other types of
articles I like to write. So, I started to focus more on these.
My
restaurant
review template looks like this:
Intro: This includes things like
background on the establishment, what I personally like about it, how I
discovered it, etc.
The Food: Here, I discuss the
menu selections, dishes I recommend and the drinks.
The Price: Usually, this is a
few lines about the price (affordable, moderate, on the expensive side, gotta be
rich and famous to afford to
eat
here). I may break it down by specific price for a few dishes (eg, appetizer,
main course, dessert), or I may give an average
cost of a meal for two.
The Service: Here I discuss how fast or slow the service is, if the staff
is knowledgeable about the menu, do they easily allow for substitutions, and
maybe the uniform.
Other Items of Note: This section highlights things of interest I think
any first-time visitor might want to know. Eg, if the establishment has an
outside seating area, music, dance floor, special nights for things like
karaoke, menu specials, the parking situation (valet, not enough parking, etc.),
banquet rooms, on/off-site catering, etc.
Summary: This is usually a one or two liner about the establishment. Eg,
for a
fun night out with your gang, Pepper's is an easy-on-the-wallet rocking,
good time!
My reviews may or may not include all of these sections; it depends on the
establishment and my experience there.
BUT, having a template in front of me when I sit down to write seriously cuts
down on the time it takes to organize/edit material, which, as any writer knows,
can be more than half the time spent producing a piece.
A Note About Reviews: FYI, the crazy thing about reviews (product and
restaurant) is that they are usually written in 400-500 words and, with a
formula in place, can be completed in about 20 minutes (minus proofing and minor
editing). Most of my articles take 30 minutes to slightly more than an hour to
write (minus proofing and minor editing).