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Writing Adages Explained: ‘Show, Don’t Tell’

Show, Don’t Tell “Show, Don’t Tell” gets a bad rap as far as writing advice goes. This is because frequently it becomes a “catch-all” for just about anything a feedback-giver feels is “bad”. As a result, this note can end up being frustrating, rather than illuminating. However, at its heart, it IS good stuff. It basically describes the sensation in the reader of feeling “placed away” from the events in the story. This is not dramatic, because the writer is not INVOLVING us *in* the story. It ends up feeling a bit, “And then … And then … And then… Read More »Writing Adages Explained: ‘Show, Don’t Tell’

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10 Screenwriting Lessons from THE EXORCIST (Part 1)

Happy Halloween! There are many seminal Horror works that have influenced cinema, but they probably don’t come any bigger than THE EXORCIST. Whether you love it or loathe it, over forty years on, this movie has made an indelible (bloody) stamp on the genre, so if you want to write Horror? You NEED to watch this film & learn from it! Here’s why, according to Dave at the fab new website, StoryBeats. Enjoy! 1) THE EXORCIST did it first Nearly every film convention, trope and cliché seen in horror films today was created in The Exorcist back in 1973. Bumps… Read More »10 Screenwriting Lessons from THE EXORCIST (Part 1)

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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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Top 7 Killer Couples of Cinema

All about Killer Couples Movie history demonstrates killer couples are a real favourite with audiences. There have been lots of memorable movies with killer couples in the driving seat … This list has at least 3 of my all-time favourites here! Yet in contrast, the spec pile tends to focus its serial killer stories on the ‘lone wolf’ male protagonist, acting alone. So, for a change, let’s take a look at killer couples from older films for our inspiration. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Bonnie and Clyde (1967) With the real Bonnie & Clyde gunned down eighty-one years ago, now seems… Read More »Top 7 Killer Couples of Cinema

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13 Experts Share What They’d Like To See Next In Diverse Literature

Check out the official site of #WeNeedDiverseBooks, HERE. After yesterday’s post where our experts gave us a GREAT reading list of diverse books to get stuck into, I asked them what they’d like to see NEXT from diverse books … Enjoy! 1) Jessica Reid, Legend Press. For more of diverse books to get noticed and receive the praise they deserve! 2) Oli Munson, Literary Agent, AM Heath. I’d like to see more literature representing the modern African experience IN Africa, not just the diaspora. Genuine African settings which avoid clichés LIKE THESE. 3) Paula Daly, Author. I would love to see a… Read More »13 Experts Share What They’d Like To See Next In Diverse Literature

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8 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Sci Fi Screenplay DEAD

I get a LOT of Science Fiction at B2W … It’s a genre that’s been cool for a good while now, especially in spec TV pilots. In addition, it’s a fab genre for writers to really show off how BIG they can think in their feature scripts, especially as samples but also for those writers wanting to crack the US studio system. Also, just because  Science Fiction is high concept doesn’t mean it *can’t* be low budget either, so it can work for short film too. In short, Sci Fi has got plenty going for it for spec writers. Yet… Read More »8 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Sci Fi Screenplay DEAD

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8 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Horror Screenplay DEAD

Horror is a high concept genre that can lend itself easily to low budget filmmaking (both feature and short film), so it’s no wonder I get so many of them across my desk via B2W and my industry clients. What’s more, audiences’ gore tolerance is on the UP, so television can be considerably more scary and violent than it used to be as well. Yet just there ARE some classic clangers scribes can fall into when attempting the horror genre, so check this out for size because they will kill your Horror screenplay DEAD: 1) Just write a string of… Read More »8 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Horror Screenplay DEAD

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1 Gender Swap That Could Make ALL THE DIFFERENCE In Your Story

On Gender Swapping When it comes to gender swap characters, we generally hear about … How Ripley was originally a male character How Lara Croft is a female Indiana Jones Or a single female in a team is THE GIRL CHARACTER (The Girl Character is invariably “There can be only one!” HIGHLANDER-style. So, there is a woman in this storyverse but her FEMALE-NESS is what defines her, whereas individual men can be The Funny One; The Clever One; The Hard Nut; The Geeky One and so on and soforth. UGH). In other words, it’s the same-old, same-old and frankly I… Read More »1 Gender Swap That Could Make ALL THE DIFFERENCE In Your Story

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6 Tips To Write Science Fiction On A Budget

As emerging screenwriters, there’s no point writing a science fiction short, right? We can’t hope to get it made. It’s all CGI talking monkeys and Interstellar spacecraft. Yeah? Well if you think like that you might as well give up now. Your job is to think outside the box. Your job is to make it work. 1) Don’t Overdose on SFX You’re making your film to convince people you can be taken seriously, so it’s better to avoid asteroids on strings unless you are shooting a ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’. Do you want a film that has people talking… Read More »6 Tips To Write Science Fiction On A Budget

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7 Tips On Sci Fi Arenas / Worldbuilding In Your Screenplay Or Novel

On Worldbuilding When it comes to worldbuilding and writing, I think this definition from Wikipedia is actually pretty good … Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a whole fictional universe. The resulting world may be called a constructed world (or conworld). Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task for many science fiction or fantasy writers. Worldbuilding often involves the creation of maps, a backstory, and people, including social customs and even in some cases an invented language, for the world. So with this… Read More »7 Tips On Sci Fi Arenas / Worldbuilding In Your Screenplay Or Novel

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How Does Exposition Work? AKA 9 Common Exposition Qs Answered

All about Exposition I’ve been talking a lot recently with Bang2writers about exposition and its place within their stories, whether novel or screenplay. As I’ve heard some common misconceptions, I thought it useful to put exposition under the microscope and really consider WHAT exposition is and HOW we can use it, framed as questions to answer. Enjoy! 1) Isn’t exposition a **bad** thing? No. Exposition in all stories – whether novels or screenplays (or something else) – is 100% necessary. Exposition is basically just the background information a reader or viewer needs in order to be able to understand the… Read More »How Does Exposition Work? AKA 9 Common Exposition Qs Answered

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What Does “The Same … But Different” Mean? A Case Study

** No Real Spoilers ** So last weekend I watched DOM HEMINGWAY (2013) with @BrideofChrist, who despite her Twitter handle is actually one saucy little minx. It’s definitely a “Marmite” kind of film: you’re bound to love it OR hate it – and a lot of people hated it, apparently  (but let’s face it, as I always say, a reaction is better than “meh”), so rather predictably then, I LOVED IT. What was perhaps most interesting about DOM HEMINGWAY however was the fact I was aware of just how *different* it was, right from the very first second. It’s these… Read More »What Does “The Same … But Different” Mean? A Case Study

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