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Boy Meets Girl: How To Write Romance That Impacts Your Reader

All About Boy Meets Girl ‘Boy Meets Girl’ is a plotting archetype that underpins probably 90% of romance stories. Across all subgenres and cross-genres of romance, we can see it in action because that’s what our readers and viewers WANT. I thought I would trace this powerful archetype and what makes it hit so hard. Ready? Let’s go … ‘Boy Meets Girl’, Beat for Beat 1)  The Set Up Like all stories across all mediums and genres, this archetype begins with the set up. We join the protagonist in their normal life and understand what missing there on an emotional… Read More »Boy Meets Girl: How To Write Romance That Impacts Your Reader

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5 Reasons Why You Should Build Fear Into Your Story’s Turning Points

Why You Should Build Fear into Your Turning Points When it comes to storytelling, fear is more than a feeling; it’s an underlying force that runs through multiple story elements. Influencing plot, character arc and development, conflict, and theme, fear draws readers in and makes the story feel human and authentic. This emotion is at its most potent when plot and character arc dovetail to create the question readers most want to answer: Will the character surrender to their fear or master it? Using Turning Points to Plot a Character’s Fear Journey Turning points – those pivotal events or complications… Read More »5 Reasons Why You Should Build Fear Into Your Story’s Turning Points

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5 Top Tips For Writing Romantasy That Bites Back

How To Write Romantasy That Bites Back I was at London Screenwriters Festival this weekend just past, where I did a masterclass on writing romantasy. This subgenre has exploded in the past three or four years across all media, yet many people get it wrong on why it’s so popular. Romantasy is NOT just fantasy with some kissing. The romance angle powers the story, while giving us brutal worlds, high stakes and love that complicates everything. It is all about danger and desire, fused. Ultimately, good romantasy is all about that core promise: if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not romantasy.… Read More »5 Top Tips For Writing Romantasy That Bites Back

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Ink and Emotion: Tracing The Path Of A Romance Novel

From Idea to Page: Tracing The Journey Tracing the path of a romance novel is all-important in understanding what your target reader wants. The latter is not about ‘selling out’, but selling. It’s what professional writers DO. As I’ve written before on this blog, romance is the #1 genre of all time. Whether you love it or loathe it yourself, it’s fair to say readers LOVE it! Tracing what they enjoy and why does not have to mean writing solely for the marketplace. It’s possible to give readers what they want, while also writing what YOU love too. It may… Read More »Ink and Emotion: Tracing The Path Of A Romance Novel

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Self-Editing Your Draft: From “WTAF?” to “Hell Yes, I Wrote That!”

All About Self-Editing Your Draft Whether you’re writing a novel or a screenplay, self-editing is key. Yet many writers don’t realise self-editing is even a thing! They may get in contact with a script editor like me to tell them what to do. Yet as I always say on this blog and the B2W social media, self-editing is a great idea. Doing this first is always going to get you better, more robust results than going straight to paid-for feedback-givers like B2W. It’s also A LOT cheaper! But how, exactly, do writers self-edit? Here’s my checklist, step by step. Ready?… Read More »Self-Editing Your Draft: From “WTAF?” to “Hell Yes, I Wrote That!”

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6 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Female Leads Who Made Their Mark On Storytelling

All About Fantasy & Sci-Fi Female Leads It’s fair to say female leads have come a LONG way in the past 15-20 years. This is never more obvious in fantasy and sci-fi. From romantasy to sci-fi – and everything in between – these female leads exemplify sacrifice, bravery, skill and fierce independence. As a huge fan of both fantasy and sci-fi, I thought I’d put 6 of my fave modern protagonists from these genres under the microscope. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Bella Swann, The Twilight Saga A fish out of water when she stays with her father Charlie in… Read More »6 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Female Leads Who Made Their Mark On Storytelling

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Top 10 Women in Male-Dominated Character Archetypes

All About Male-Dominated Archetypes This list includes Women in fictional media whose personalities and characters are usually reserved for male-dominated roles. In recent years, writers have become more and more interested in writing female characters. However, female leads are sometimes boxed into tropes that are stereotypically ‘girly’. Yet these male-dominated archetypes do not have to be just about male characters. Writers can use them as a starting point for female characters as well. 1) Buffy Summers (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) Buffy redefines the heroic warrior archetype, which is traditionally male-dominated. As well as that, she’s shown to be ‘the chosen… Read More »Top 10 Women in Male-Dominated Character Archetypes

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6 Of The Best: What The Music of Hans Zimmer Can Teach Writers

The Complete Hans Zimmer Narrative Storytelling Arc Playlist Hans Zimmer is probably the most prolific musician working in film and TV today. So many of his soundtracks are absolutely iconic. You likely have a favourite piece of his, even if you don’t actively listen to OSTs yourself. Humans love music, but what many writers don’t realise is that musicians are storytellers just like us. That is most obvious when a piece of music has lyrics, but it’s also the case for music WITHOUT words. Music and TV have music for mood, tone and genre, but it also tells a story… Read More »6 Of The Best: What The Music of Hans Zimmer Can Teach Writers

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Top 10 Badass Animated Female Leads You Should Know

Animated Female Leads Female leads have grown increasingly popular in animation over the past decade. While researching my book The Art of Writing Animation, I came across a few of these incredible ladies… and even met some of their creators! Out of the many animated films and TV series I watched, here are my top 10 badass female leads, in no particular order (may contain spoilers): 1) Merida, Brave (2012) Bang2writers may know Merida as a fearless female archer, but there’s more to her character. She’s the first female lead in a Pixar movie. Brave’s writer-director Brenda Chapman, wanted to… Read More »Top 10 Badass Animated Female Leads You Should Know

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Top 10 Dastardly & Deadly Female Villains In Movies & TV

All About Female Villains Remember when female villains were just jealous queens asking mirrors about their looks? Yeah, we’ve come a long way, baby. Over the past two decades, storytelling has given us female villains who are so deliciously complex, so brilliantly twisted, that we can’t help but be fascinated. These aren’t your grandmother’s wicked stepmothers; these are CEOs of chaos, architects of revenge, and women who make us think, “Okay, I shouldn’t root for her, but …” Let’s dive into 10 female villains who prove that being bad has never been so good … 1) Serena Joy (The Handmaid’s… Read More »Top 10 Dastardly & Deadly Female Villains In Movies & TV

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5 Top Tips Crime Writers Can Learn From BBC1’s THE TRAITORS

What Crime Writers Can Learn from The Traitors The Traitors has been sweeping the UK. Three times a week, millions of people take time out of their day to watch a bunch of regular folks trying to solve an Agatha-Christie-style murder mystery. What is it that works for this series? 1) Everyone Wants To Be A Traitor It has to do with the format, of course. At the beginning of the show, Claudia Winkleman, the host, interviews each player and asks whether they would like to be a Faithful or a Traitor. Very few want to be Faithfuls. First, it’s… Read More »5 Top Tips Crime Writers Can Learn From BBC1’s THE TRAITORS

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5 Reasons Your Script Is a “Zombie” (And How to Fix It)

Is Your Script A ‘Zombie’? You followed the rules. You hit the beats. Your structure is technically sound …. So why does the script feel dead when you read it back? If your story makes sense but doesn’t move you, you may be dealing with what I call a Zombie Script. This is a term I developed while analysing the gap between Western cause-and-effect plotting (as seen in models like the Three-Act Structure) and Eastern emotional design. A Zombie Script walks, talks, and functions, but it has no pulse. Here are five common reasons scripts go zombie, and how to… Read More »5 Reasons Your Script Is a “Zombie” (And How to Fix It)

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