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How Your Story’s Opening Tells Audiences What To Expect (And Why It’s SO Important)

Your Story’s Promise To Your Target Viewers Or Readers Most spec screenplays don’t have a strong opener Instead, they open with generic scenes that could belong to literally any story. Yet *produced* movies and TV shows tell us exactly what we’re in for from the very first moments. All we have to do is really LOOK. 1) Opening With Your Genre Check out these stills I’ve taken of NowTV’s FROM, starring Harold Perrineau. From left to right, top to bottom: 1) The first image is of evergreen trees This shows we are in a rural area, near a forest. It’s… Read More »How Your Story’s Opening Tells Audiences What To Expect (And Why It’s SO Important)

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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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3 Important Wake Up Calls For Screenwriters And Authors

Wake Up Calls For Writers One of the biggest wake up calls I ever had was realising I was a workaholic. We live in a hustle culture and we glorify the grind. I was used to people telling me how impressed they were by my output. It’s true I was prolific, but I was also completely and utterly burned out. Ironically, I was working so hard I couldn’t do my best work! That realisation changed everything for me. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your writing goals too, you’re not alone. Many writers struggle, feeling creatively ‘frozen’. They may be trying… Read More »3 Important Wake Up Calls For Screenwriters And Authors

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15 VERY Unpopular Opinions About The Craft & Business Of Writing

Unpopular Opinions About Writing Bang2write was built on ‘smack talk’, which means I’m known for my outspoken opinions. That said, I never *just* give opinions! I’ve always backed them up and based them on experience, with examples. So, looking for unpopular opinions about writing? You’ve come to the right place.  Bring it … Ready? Let’s go! The Craft Of Writing 1) Many first drafts are literally unfixable Hemingway got it right … Most first drafts are shit. Sad but true! Hell, even the ‘good’ ones will be full of missed opportunities and obvious issues. Also, don’t be afraid of going… Read More »15 VERY Unpopular Opinions About The Craft & Business Of Writing

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#1 Error That Kills Interest In Your Pitch 100% Of The Time

#1 Error That Kills Your Pitch Obviously there are lots of ways to kill your pitch, but there’s a #1 error I see most often. This error is so widespread and so simple, you’ll kick yourself once you see it … … HIDING your story behind intangible, thematic stuff. In other words, writers go for VIBES over the actual events of the story. Instead of being overt about what literally happens, the writer will fall back on that #1 pitching error like this … A retired bodyguard faces his demons from his traumatic past as he guides a kidnapped girl… Read More »#1 Error That Kills Interest In Your Pitch 100% Of The Time

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3 Examples of Great Author Brands (And Why You Need A Brand Too)

Why An Author Brand Is Important ‘What’s your brand?’ is a question that may seem like nothing to do with writing, but it’s super-important in the 2020s. Social media and blogging has democratised the writing industry, bringing down barriers. But this also means it’s harder than ever to stand out! Some reasons a brand is important include: It can help you connect with agents and publishers. Having a strong public image and great social media presence are keys when it comes to networking with professionals in the writing world or when pitching your projects to agents. Having a brand lets… Read More »3 Examples of Great Author Brands (And Why You Need A Brand Too)

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Top 10 Writers’ Resolutions for 2024 Writing Success

Your Writing Resolutions For The New Year So 2024 is around the corner … did you achieve everything you envisaged in 2023? I hate this question. There’s never any ‘right’ answer. If you didn’t, then it makes you feel bad. If you did, it invariably never feels ENOUGH. This is why I choose the following 10 resolutions, year on year. The resolutions are achievable and don’t require lots of equipment, money or time. I can do them, bit by bit and add to my writing craft and career as I do so. Low stakes cumulative build-up — what’s not to… Read More »Top 10 Writers’ Resolutions for 2024 Writing Success

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Your Ultimate Guide To Getting Representation As A Writer

Want Representation? Then Read THIS … One thing writers ask B2W about A LOT is how to get representation as a writer. Then Tom Vaughan popped up in my timeline recently with these gold nuggets below.  I particularly love his points about being ‘pre-scrutinised’. It’s SO true that relationships are the lifeblood of the industry. I just had to ask Tom if I could republish his pointers here on the main site. Luckily Tom agreed … and make sure you sign up for his awesome newsletter, HERE. Over to you, Tom! ‘How Do I Get Representation As A Writer?’ It’s… Read More »Your Ultimate Guide To Getting Representation As A Writer

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3 Top Tips On Querying Via Email (Plus 3 Cringey Things to Avoid)

Query Via Email Email is a much abused and misunderstood tool when it comes to querying. Yet sending query emails is your first line of attack and is a great way of getting your writing solicited. Sadly, most query emails however are badly worded, weird and/or generally needy. This makes it very easy for agents, producers and their assistants to delete or send that “no unsolicited material” link back to writers. Supersadface. But as we know, it’s perfectly possible to get your screenplay solicited, EVEN IF that company’s official line is “no unsolicited material”! So how do we do that?? Model… Read More »3 Top Tips On Querying Via Email (Plus 3 Cringey Things to Avoid)

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How To Write A Great Cover Letter That Gets Results

Why do writers need to write cover letters? It’s the 2020s and the digital era, so why do writers need to worry about cover letters? Well, these days cover letters are most likely cover EMAILS … but you’ll still need the basics of how to write them. The only thing that’s changed is the delivery, basically. This means you’ll usually write cover letters as part of your submission process. This will frequently be a requirement, even if you’re using an online submissions portal such as CoverFly, Submittable or QueryTracker. Other times you may be expected to use cover letters is… Read More »How To Write A Great Cover Letter That Gets Results

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Top 10 Myths about Sensitivity Readers (And Why They’re Wrong)

About Sensitivity Readers Sensitivity readers are never far from the news these days. There’s been countless articles and threads online decrying them, citing ‘cancel culture’ and ‘offended snowflakes’ supposedly ‘ruining’ writing in the 2020s. A sensitivity reader is someone who reads a literary work, looking for perceived offensive content, accidental stereotypes and bias. They then create a report for a writer, publisher or another industry pro with suggested changes. No more, no less. FYI, I actually don’t like the term ‘sensitivity reader’. I feel it plays into (some) writers’ belief the job is ‘pandering’ to various communities or cultures. These… Read More »Top 10 Myths about Sensitivity Readers (And Why They’re Wrong)

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Pitching Made Easy: A Foolproof Guide to Writing a Killer Pitch Deck

What Is A Pitch Deck? If you’ve been asked for a pitch deck and thought ‘WTAF is that??’, you’re not alone. One of the biggest issues with this screenwriting malarkey is the terminology seems to change every five bloody minutes. Put simply, a pitch deck is a short document that helps sell your story ‘off the page’. The idea is an agent, producer or script reader can assess your idea BEFORE they read your script. You may have seen them described online as … Series Bibles (for spec TV pilots) Treatment The Package (for spec and movies in production) A… Read More »Pitching Made Easy: A Foolproof Guide to Writing a Killer Pitch Deck

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