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adaptation

4 Advantages of Adaptation

B2W has been interested in adaptation for a long time, so when Savannah and Alex from Foxcub Films got in touch about its own adaptation, I thought the Bang2writers would love to hear about it, plus why adaptation can be such a useful and interesting avenue to go, when filmmaking. FINGERS is a 1960s gangland adaptation of the story of Salome, the young Biblical princess who famously danced for her uncle/stepdad’s birthday. He was so delighted that he made a vow to give her whatever she wanted and her mother prompted her to ask for John the Baptist’s head on… Read More »4 Advantages of Adaptation

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6 Things You NEED In Your Dystopian YA Novel

My glamorous assistant Olivia is back today, with some GREAT thoughts on Young Adult novels, particularly dystopian ones that seem to be all the rage atm. If you prefer your YA set more in the real world, then check out my OWN YA, which confronts a female protagonist with ALL the potential outcomes of a single dilemma. Download The Decision: Lizzie’s Story and its companion novel, The Decision: Jasmine’s Story to your Kindle, HERE. Over to you, Olivia! There’s a certain formula that goes into creating a successful bestselling book series and franchise such as The Hunger Games, Divergent or The Maze… Read More »6 Things You NEED In Your Dystopian YA Novel

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Q: What Is The Difference Between A Remake & A Reboot?

I’m at the VERY LAST Guerilla Filmmaker Masterclass this weekend (sob)!! So if you see me, do come and say hello … I’m the shouty small one with flowers in her hair, who’s sitting down the front somewhere. On this historic two days then, I thought I’d take a look at audiences and how what they expect / want can change over time. This is never more obvious than with remakes and reboots. I talk a lot with Bang2writers about movie franchises and one question I get asked fairly frequently is, “What is the difference between a remake and a reboot?” It’s… Read More »Q: What Is The Difference Between A Remake & A Reboot?

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8 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Drama Screenplay DEAD

Drama can be ANYTHING. Literally, anything. So why am I reading the same stuff??? Whether short film, TV pilot or feature, here’s how to KILL your drama screenplay’s chances in the spec pile: 1) Write about the same-old, same-old These are the facts. Everyone writes dramas about: i) depression/suicide ii) addiction iii) domestic violence iv) terminal cancer v) poverty Sometimes ALL of these in one piece! True story. Now, you CAN write about these things, but you gotta have some authenticity and emotional truth, otherwise DON’T BOTHER (see number 2). Also, make sure it’s not written the same way as… Read More »8 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Drama Screenplay DEAD

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5 Times It’s OK To Sacrifice Facts For Drama

Getting Your Facts Right Writing historical fiction, I have come to learn, is like navigating a slippery slope along a precarious cliff. God forbid you get facts wrong. Anyone who knows anything about the time period you are writing about will let you know that you did: in the reviews, on the internet, for all to see. Let’s face it. Getting the clothing down, the setting, the politics and social graces of the times is the easy part. Keeping people entertained in another time period is what makes the story a story. So I have had to take liberties with… Read More »5 Times It’s OK To Sacrifice Facts For Drama

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5 Reasons Why Gaming Has Its Place In Literature by Christina Lewis

Video games don’t get much of a mention here on B2W, so I was interested to hear from Christina on her thoughts about gaming and literature, especially as they chime with our previous posts on transmedia. I agree mediums are NOT as far apart as writers might first think, which in turn enables a lot of NEW opportunities. Some good food for thought for Writer Wednesday … enjoy! With the world of paper books and print media crumbling all around us, it’s hard to believe that there will be an existing industry for publishing in a few years’ time. Everywhere… Read More »5 Reasons Why Gaming Has Its Place In Literature by Christina Lewis

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6 Things Olivia Hetreed Can Teach New Writers

A fantastic post from KT Parker again, this time about top screenwriter Olivia Hetreed. B2W was privileged to do a script report on Olivia’s screenplay for WUTHERING HEIGHTS many moons ago (find out what other produced films I have done coverage for or consulted on, HERE). Olivia is a writer who really knows what she’s talking about craft-wise, but she also has some particularly good advice on go-getting for female writers too. Enjoy … For most of us, Olivia Hetreed will have first come onto our radar when she was BAFTA-nominated for her screenplay of Tracy Chevalier’s best-selling “Girl With… Read More »6 Things Olivia Hetreed Can Teach New Writers

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4 Reasons **That Moment You Don’t Like** Is NOT A Deus Ex Machina

So, the Deus Ex Machina. What is it? Well to know a word or phrase is to be able to define a word or phrase (as my English teacher always used to say), so here is the dictionary’s definition: Pretty straightforward, tbh. In other words, by today’s standards, it’s *something* that’s parachuted in to a story to SAVE characters in some way and/or SOLVE a problem FOR THEM. Obviously, the Deus Ex Machina is lame. No one wants to put one in their stories. Oh, except those using it for comedic effect of course, like we see in DODGEBALL (the… Read More »4 Reasons **That Moment You Don’t Like** Is NOT A Deus Ex Machina

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Inconceivable! 14 Reasons To Love THE PRINCESS BRIDE

The other day, someone asked me what my favourite film is and I immediately replied, “The Princess Bride!” I work in a cinema so this isn’t an unusual question to be asked but it did get me thinking about why The Princess Bride is my favourite film, and what I, as a writer, can learn from it. 1.  “As You Wish.” At heart, the plot is a simple love story between Buttercup and Westley. Their love is established within two scenes before Westley leaves, and the rest of the film shows the couple trying to overcome various obstacles so they… Read More »Inconceivable! 14 Reasons To Love THE PRINCESS BRIDE

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2 Laws Every Screenwriter Should Know

Laws You Should Know There is a lot of legal groundwork to cover before writing a script – anything you create which goes into the public eye will come under scrutiny from a number of organisations, and any breaches could land you with serious legal and financial troubles. Of course, these kinds of issues may also prevent your work from ever being produced or may even inhibit screenings once a film has been made. Understanding the legal implications of screenwriting before proceeding is the best way to prevent any future issues. We know this sounds pretty daunting, but the pieces… Read More »2 Laws Every Screenwriter Should Know

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5 Tips For Writing Period Movies

I love being transported by movies, not just entertained, but transported, moved up the ladder to a different reality. I love walking out of the cinema with a story and storyworld still sticking to me, like napalm in the morning. This explains why I’m attracted to period pieces (and “period piece” also includes science fiction films, which are period pieces that look forward rather than backward). A lot of my screenwriting – paid gigs and spec work both – has focused on slips up or down the timeline. So here are a few guideposts that have been helpful to me… Read More »5 Tips For Writing Period Movies

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7 Big Mistakes In Unpublished Novels

Unpublished Novels I’m reading more and more unpublished novels these days for Bang2writers. Just like the screenplays, I’m seeing lots of the same mistakes. So, here’s a round up of things to check out, so you can avoid those common pitfalls when you make your submissions: 7. Consistency of Tense & Mixed Tenses When I read unpublished novels for Bang2writers, one of the biggest issues is consistency of tense. This means the writer will chop and change from tense to tense, seemingly on a whim. Whilst this is not automatically incorrect, it frequently is … Particularly if you’re swapping tenses… Read More »7 Big Mistakes In Unpublished Novels

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