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Top 7 Novel Writing Mistakes Writers Keep Making

7 Big Novel Writing Mistakes  One of the top Google searches leading to this blog is ‘novel writing mistakes’. Writers want to avoid the big novel writing clangers because writing a manuscript is a big undertaking. If we can avoid them, all the better! As someone who works one-to-one with authors all the time these days, I thought I’d highlight some of the most common novel writing mistakes here. You’ll also find out how to fix them. Ready? Then let’s go … Mistake #1: Weak or Confusing Premise It’s said in the screenwriting world that if your core idea is… Read More »Top 7 Novel Writing Mistakes Writers Keep Making

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How ‘The One with The Embryos’ Nails Stakes, Tension & Pay Off

The One With The Embryos (s4, ep12) The One With The Embryos (aka ‘the quiz episode’) is one of my favourite Friends episodes of all time. In fact, I just lovelovelove s4 of the show; it’s probably my favourite season. The trivia contest is hilarious, but other iconic s4 moments include: Ross saying ‘Rachel’ at the altar Monica getting stung by a jellyfish Chandler and Rachel’s fight over the handcuffs in Joanna’s office Phoebe’s pregnancy with triplets Joey saying ‘How you doin’?’ for the first time and of course ‘The Friendly Finger’ (Ross’ way of giving The Finger with two… Read More »How ‘The One with The Embryos’ Nails Stakes, Tension & Pay Off

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Why Female Characters Should Kill More People In Your Story

The REAL Battle of the Sexes Male characters kill all the time in stories, for a myriad of motivations. While Thriller and Horror are obviously the top genres for body count in TV, movies or novels, we may see killings happen in Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Drama and Literary Fiction too. Look, not everyone likes killing in stories and that’s fine. If that’s you, then you may want to skip this article. But in many genres, life or death stakes mean our characters’ lives are on the line … which means characters may be forced to kill. Male killer characters may be… Read More »Why Female Characters Should Kill More People In Your Story

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5 Tips For Pushing Past The Fear Of Never Getting Published

“What If No One Ever Publishes My Novel?” Worried that your novel might never get published? You’re in good company. Almost every writer I know has stared down that fear – and yes, sometimes it actually happens. It’s normal for a manuscript to be rejected dozens of times (at least!). Rejection tends to sting the most when we’re just starting out. Failing to get noticed right away can feel devastating, or like the universe is giving you a signal. You might even think: if writing is really my path, wouldn’t I get published immediately? Here’s the reality: a “no” doesn’t… Read More »5 Tips For Pushing Past The Fear Of Never Getting Published

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Inside The Spec Pile: Novel No-Nos To Avoid In Your First 3 Chapters

Novel No-Nos To Avoid The first three chapters are the main event when it comes to your novel submissions. (Want to know what else you should submit with your first three chapters? CLICK HERE). Yet as any script reader, sifter, intern or agent’s assistant can tell you, the average first three chapters simply don’t hit the mark. These ‘novel no-nos’ can be varied, so I’m going to list the most common here with links to help. Ready? Then let’s go … 1) Starting with the weather Uh oh! This is one of classic author Elmore Leonard’s Top 10 Writing Rules. Remember:… Read More »Inside The Spec Pile: Novel No-Nos To Avoid In Your First 3 Chapters

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Into The Spec Pile: 12 Quick Tips On Making Your Submission Stand Out

Into The Spec Pile I’ve been diving into the spec pile of screenplays and novels for 20+ years now. ‘Spec’ is short for ‘speculative’, meaning no one in the industry has asked the writer to create that story. Instead, the writers have done it themselves ‘on spec’. I always call it the SPEC pile rather than the more common ‘slush pile’. To me, ‘spec pile’ is much more neutral, whereas ‘slush pile’ seems very derogatory. It is essential to remember that ANY story – script or novel – is someone’s hopes and dreams. However, I also like to shine a… Read More »Into The Spec Pile: 12 Quick Tips On Making Your Submission Stand Out

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The Genius of THE SHINING: Foreshadowing and Dramatic Irony Done Right

Happy Halloween From B2W The Shining is one of my favourite movies of all time. You may have noticed my fab poster in the background of my Zooms, livestreams and selfies (below). One of the reasons it is one of my favourites is because it was part of my own writing journey. I first watched the movie when I was a teenager. I was a strange kid who loved to watch things over and over in a loop. In doing so, I realised there were a variety of ‘giveaways’ of what would happen in the story. I was confused at… Read More »The Genius of THE SHINING: Foreshadowing and Dramatic Irony Done Right

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Top 10 Tips For Writing Powerful Genre Novels & Screenplays

Writing Powerful Genre If you want to write powerful genre novels and screenplays, you’ve come to the right place. Powerful genre is a non-negotiable in the 2020s in both screenwriting and publishing … but this means you really have to know what you’re doing! So if you want to harness the true power of genre, let’s go … 1) Know The Conventions Writers frequently try to write genres through the power of intuition alone. This means they simply decide their story IS a thriller, comedy, horror, romance etc and write it. But guess what? Genres have conventions! That means there… Read More »Top 10 Tips For Writing Powerful Genre Novels & Screenplays

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5 Steps To Writing Success (Or Why Optimism Bias Kills Your Chances)

What Is ‘Optimism Bias’? Optimism bias is the tendency of an individual to overestimate the likelihood of positive events and underestimate the possibility of negative events. I see it all the time in writers, who may feel their masterpiece novel or screenplay will get picked up right away … and when they don’t, they get VERY downhearted. All of us are vulnerable to optimism bias, by the way. It’s very easy to get carried away and imagine our futures accepting Oscars, seeing our books on shelves, our TV shows on Netflix, or movie posters in our mind’s eye! What’s more,… Read More »5 Steps To Writing Success (Or Why Optimism Bias Kills Your Chances)

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Mastering Deep Third POV: How to Write Stories That Feel Fully Immersive

All About Deep Third POV First up: NO, deep third POV is not some kind of porno act. Wash your brain out with soap. Outrageous. It is however something you’re going to want to know how to do if you’re writing a novel. Deep Third POV is a type of third person perspective (she, he, they) that creates an immersive experience. This is because Deep Third POV closely follows a single character’s consciousness, thoughts, sensory experiences and emotions. In short, the reader feels like they’re ‘behind the character’s eyes’ and even inside their body. Think of it like a video… Read More »Mastering Deep Third POV: How to Write Stories That Feel Fully Immersive

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Stuck On Act 2? 5 Tips To Take Your Story Towards A Great Ending

The Dreaded Act 2 ‘Slump’ Screenwriter or author, many – if not most? – writers fear Act 2. Lots of Bang2writers I’ve worked one-to-one with label it ‘The Wasteland’! It’s not hard to see why. While Act 1 is full of promise, plus Act 3 is the ‘wrap up’, so it’s easy (and normal!) to stall in Act 2. Many writers stall because they’re not entirely sure what Act 2 is for. So, breaking it down, Act 2 is for … Escalation of the conflict (with characters ‘climbing walls, each one bigger than the last‘) Development of character arcs, so… Read More »Stuck On Act 2? 5 Tips To Take Your Story Towards A Great Ending

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The Curse of Plot Armour: Why Some Characters Can’t Die (and Why It Matters)

What Is Plot Armour? Plot armour is when a character cannot die in a story, no matter what happens to them. It’s … The smooth-talking hero who survives falling off skyscrapers, cliffs, out of planes without a parachute Villains who appear to be dead, yet inexplicably come back to life Kickass hotties who can stop bullets hitting them by being super-fast Characters with supernatural or scientific abilities that stop them dying (including superheroes) Hitmen who have a ‘bulletproof suit’  (hello, literal plot armour in John Wick 4!) Plot armour is most obvious in horror, fantasy or science fiction, though it… Read More »The Curse of Plot Armour: Why Some Characters Can’t Die (and Why It Matters)

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