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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Diverse Characters

Wanted: Diverse Characters Diverse Characters were in demand in my latest experts panel … Producers, Agents, Publishers, Script Editors and Script readers all said they wanted more of them in the year to come. This is no real surprise, since ‘more diverse characters’ has been on the the industry’s wish list for a good while now. I am pleased to say most Bang2writers have picked up the mantle on diverse characters. Whilst there is a contingent of writers who believe diverse characters are a ‘fad’, they are mostly confined to ranting on Facebook. In the past two years in particular,… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Diverse Characters

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7 Things I Learned At The Comedy Awards

The Comedy Awards Earlier this week the best movie, TV and radio writers came together for The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards 2019. You don’t often see writers at televised awards ceremonies. We’re an unloved category on most glitzy nights. Our natural inclination to introversion and perceived lack of dress sense define us as bad telly. The awards aren’t televised but they do attract some of the biggest names in the business, while reminding producers, agents and commissioners how great stories and the people who tell them remain at the heart of our creative industries. There are now three… Read More »7 Things I Learned At The Comedy Awards

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Why FRIENDS Has An Awesome Pilot (And What It Can Teach Writers)

Rise of the Spec TV Pilot Every screenwriter alive wants to write a great pilot episode of their own, if the spec pile is anything go by. When I started B2W back in the day, I hardly ever saw spec TV pilot episodes of any kind. Fast-forward fifteen years and I would venture I read more spec TV pilot episodes than anything else! It also means THE most popular article on this entire site is How To Write TV Series Bibles – over 130K+ unique hits now. Wow! That said, spec TV pilot episodes are notoriously difficult to write. Whilst… Read More »Why FRIENDS Has An Awesome Pilot (And What It Can Teach Writers)

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7 Casting Debates That Need To Die The Death

Casting Trouble Casting controversy … It seems hardly a month goes by without some! What’s more, the same-old arguments and responses get wheeled out every time. Sometimes, writers may have trouble separating their own feelings about various casting troubles from the realities of the industry … Plus other times, the realities of industry actively entrench those same-old problems. Now what?? Well, here’s a round up of the consistent casting mistakes, misgivings and confusions writers have when diverse characters and the actors who play them intersect. Enjoy! 1) “It should be the ‘best actor for the job’ You’re right, it absolutely… Read More »7 Casting Debates That Need To Die The Death

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25 Epic Years of JURASSIC PARK: What Can Writers Learn?

Jurassic Snark Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom came out last week to coincide with 25 years of the franchise. Needless to say, many official critics gave the new instalment a kicking, plus there was the inevitable cries on social media about it ‘not being as good’ as the original. But love or hate the new Jurassic Worlds, there’s plenty for us to learn as writers from the franchise. You ready for another instalment of Movie Lessons For Writers? OBVIOUSLY there will be *some* spoilers for the franchise as a whole,  but only mild ones. So let’s go … 1) Entertainment first, ALWAYS… Read More »25 Epic Years of JURASSIC PARK: What Can Writers Learn?

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We Need To Talk About Lionel Shriver

Shriver Roars Again Is Lionel Shriver okay? The reason I feel I have to ask is because she’s been making waves AGAIN about diversity in the arts. So much so, it would seem she’s got herself booted off the judging panel of the Myslexia short story contest, as you may have seen on social media yesterday: (Being so against the concept of diversity I’m only surprised Shriver ever wanted to be part of a judging panel that ‘favours’ female writers when they ‘should’ be picked SOLELY ON THEIR MERIT, but moving swiftly onwards). But Who Is Lionel Shriver? But okay,… Read More »We Need To Talk About Lionel Shriver

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Happy Cultural Diversity Day. Will You Pledge?

It’s Cultural Diversity Day! It’s May 21, which means we are celebrating cultural diversity today, as set up by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). But what does the term culture mean? Well, that can depend on who is using the term, but one commonly-used definition is: “[Culture] is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by [a human] as a member of society.” In other words, culture is a people’s ‘way of life’ meaning HOW they do things in their group. This group may be… Read More »Happy Cultural Diversity Day. Will You Pledge?

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The Truth About People Of Colour In Historical Stories

Living Colour NEWSFLASH: people of colour lived in Europe in medieval times and beyond. In some cases, they were born and died here, too. Who knew? Well, people of colour living in Europe in medieval times of course, because they were VERY DEFINITELY here. Not to mention all my British and European Bang2writers here today who are descendants of said people.  Doh! Where does this ridiculous assumption come from? Well, white people of course, some of whom appear to assume the first migrants who made it to Britain were The Windrush Generation (currently in the news, if you’ve noticed). Not only is this… Read More »The Truth About People Of Colour In Historical Stories

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Top 5 Memorable Western Women In Movies

Western films have seen periodic resurgences but nowadays they tend to be relegated to the cable channel movie of the week, direct to DVD, or video on demand. The Western has always been a boys’ club and the great bastion of the Madonna/Whore trope; the woman as either a representation of sexless social virtue or a baseless woman driven by it.  The genre is famous for men who are vagabonds, drifters and gunslingers while the women exist in a state of near invisibility. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t memorable female characters in Western films but the ones you remember… Read More »Top 5 Memorable Western Women In Movies

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Why Strength Is The Missing Ingredient In Female Leads

Strength And Female Characters … Strength is something everyone seems to want for their female character … But what does this mean, EXACTLY?? Plus, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: ‘strong female character’ and ‘kickass hottie’ DON’T have to be mutually exclusive. Sure, there are some great ones out there. B2W isn’t one of those whiney sex negative crit sites that says a woman is diminished by her sexuality. As if! But it’s not difficult to see why the laydeez in the audience – especially those who love action, like moi – feel a teensy weensy short-changed… Read More »Why Strength Is The Missing Ingredient In Female Leads

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