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Yes, Male Writers CAN Write Fantastic Female Characters

Not ALL Male Writers It’s true, male writers can get a bum rap when writing about female characters. As the headline of this article suggests, OF COURSE male writers can write great female characters. In fact, some of my all-time favourites have literally been written by male writers!!! From my time as a script reader, I’d venture there’s no correlation between gender and talent of writers. This obviously means there will be GREAT writers who happen to be female … But it ALSO means a female writer will not automatically write a great female character too. No one knows where talent comes… Read More »Yes, Male Writers CAN Write Fantastic Female Characters

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5 Expert Writers Share Their Awesome Short Story Tips

All About The Short Story There is magic in a great short story.  Short stories can capture your imaginary like nothing else, and in as short a time as your morning coffee break.  How do you write a great short story that moves someone in just a few pages?   We’ve gathered 5 world-famous authors on just that!  Here’s 5 authors on the craft of writing short stories. Enjoy!  1) Stephen King on Writing Short Stories ‘And the real short stories, that really good writers are able to do, are like an art of miniaturisation.’ ~ Stephen King Stephen King wrote his… Read More »5 Expert Writers Share Their Awesome Short Story Tips

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3 Quick Tips On Writing Diverse Characters

Want To Write Great Diverse Characters? Every day I hear from Bang2writers who want to write great female leads, characters of colour, or characters from the LGBT and disabled communities … but they’re scared of ‘getting it wrong’. If this is you as well, I have great news. It’s possible to write great diverse characters AND avoid the mistakes that worry you in advance. So let’s skip the fluff and go straight to those actionable quick tips that you can implement immediately. Quick Tip # 1: Avoid those ‘samey’ stories for diverse characters When writers want to attempt a diverse… Read More »3 Quick Tips On Writing Diverse Characters

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B2W FAQs – Writing Craft Edition

Questions on Writing Craft How do I write a good character? This is a real ‘how long is a piece of string’ question, since everyone has VERY different ideas on what ‘makes’ a good character! Consider instead two things – your character’s role function and motivation. Here’s Top 10 Links To Help You With Characterisation. I want to write more diverse characters, but I am scared of getting it wrong. Any advice? You just need to do your due diligence. This means doing proper research, across a wide cross-section of people who live lives *like* the character you want to… Read More »B2W FAQs – Writing Craft Edition

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Writers, This Is The Very Least You Can Do

Newsflash! Good screenplay format is the VERY LEAST expected of a screenwriter. Yup, it’s true … Writing craft doesn’t mean what you think it does. Too many spec screenwriters OBSESS on format, thinking that equals good craft. NOPE!!! Seriously wish this was the least we need. Eek. So by all means study screenplay format and “reader proof” your script … If your script looks professional, this might get you through the door. That’s the good news. The bad news? You ARE NOT going to stay there if your concept, characters and story ain’t up to scratch. Hashtag facts! It’s different for… Read More »Writers, This Is The Very Least You Can Do

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Top 20 Screenplay Contest Tips From Scriptapalooza

Screenplay Contest Tips From Scriptapalooza Many thanks to The Scriptapalooza Screenplay competition for today’s post. There’s some straightforward gold here that can provide a powerful reset and act as a really useful checklist. If you’re planning on entering contests this season, be sure to check out Scriptapalooza at the bottom of the post. Ready? Then let’s go … 1) Read the Submissions Guidelines Each competition has its own guidelines/rules. Make sure you read them and submit exactly what each competition suggests. 2) Always spell check your script Nothing is more frustrating than a producer reading your script and seeing mistake… Read More »Top 20 Screenplay Contest Tips From Scriptapalooza

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Top 10 Essential Creative Reminders From Chadwick Boseman

Losing Chadwick Boseman Last week the creative world was rocked by the unexpected passing of Chadwick Boseman due to colon cancer. Known best internationally for his powerhouse performance in Black Panther (2018), Chadwick has an impressive CV. Starting out in bit parts in television, Chadwick rose through the acting ranks very quickly once he’d achieved his breakthrough role in 2013 in the Jackie Robinson biopic, 42. He continued to portray historical figures, starring in Get on Up (2014) as singer James Brown and Marshall (2017) as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Tributes have poured in for Chadwick all week. It’s clear to see how much… Read More »Top 10 Essential Creative Reminders From Chadwick Boseman

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Why Your Story Will Fail if You Don’t Use Structure

Your story needs a backbone to survive Hey Bang2writers, hold on to your seats. We’re swooping in to change the stigma behind structuring your stories. At Prewrite, we consider it a useful (and absolutely necessary) tool for writers. Structure doesn’t hinder originality; it actually moves it along in such a way to make your story comprehensible for the reader. So, we get it. Many writers cringe at the idea of using story structure. Such critics seem to believe it implies a rigid formula, undermining their creativity. We understand that you may just want to immediately dive in and immerse yourself… Read More »Why Your Story Will Fail if You Don’t Use Structure

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7 Important Writing Lessons From The Simpsons

The Simpsons Gets An A+++ One of the most popular posts on B2W is my case study of two episodes of The Simpsons. Both from season 10, I break down the plotting of two classic Simpsons episodes, Lard of The Dance and Maximum Homerdrive. You can find that post, HERE. Since it’s been a few years now, I thought I would revisit The Simpsons and make another case study. Regardless how you feel about the show, most writers have seen multiple episodes, plus at only approx. 20 mins long it is useful for watching in the classroom. As a result,… Read More »7 Important Writing Lessons From The Simpsons

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4 Reasons Notebooks Are The Best Tools For Writers

Why Notebooks Are Great In the age of technology, where digitalisation is king, simple paper notebooks can be powerful tools for writers. Sure, our smartphones can do just about anything at the touch of a button, sending emails, responding to texts, and receiving phone calls all day long … … Or at least, until the battery runs out. Or the screen breaks. It’s easy to think of notebooks as ‘junk’ that piles up in your living space, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, notebooks are able to enhance your mental, emotional, and physical life in several… Read More »4 Reasons Notebooks Are The Best Tools For Writers

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