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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make That Get Them Rejected By Default

Getting Rejected For No Good Reason So script reader Allan’s back again, this time talking about the reasons writers may get rejected by default (aka for NO good reason!). As B2W always stresses, writers need to follow the submissions guidelines. Super-simple? Yes. Obvious? Absolutely. But when writers don’t, this is when they will get rejected by default. Fact. I always find it absolutely fascinating that writers fear getting rejected, but don’t always do the work to ensure this doesn’t happen. Often this is because they don’t know where to start. So check out this list of obvious clangers that can… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make That Get Them Rejected By Default

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5 Things I Learned From Being A Script Reader At A Film Festival

Film Festival Script Reader Twelve months I began reading scripts for a film festival. What started as a volunteer script reader gig of maybe 4-5 scripts per week, eventually morphed into an average of 9 scripts per day. This became just under 450 scripts in the last eight months alone. So what did I learn in that time? Quite a bit. 1) There are No Mistakes So let’s start with the first lesson I learned as a film festival script reader. First up, there’s arguably no such thing as a mistake in storytelling. There have been times where I have… Read More »5 Things I Learned From Being A Script Reader At A Film Festival

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5 Tips From Authors Shortlisted In The 2021 Kindle Storyteller Awards

The 2021 Kindle Storyteller Award The shortlisted for the 2021 Kindle Storyteller Awards this year has been released. The award, now in its fifth year, celebrates newly-published independent books by authors across any genre. The Kindle Storyteller Awards is a £20,000 literary prize recognising outstanding writing. It is open to writers publishing in English in any genre, who publish their work through Kindle Direct Publishing. Readers play a significant role in selecting the winner, helped by a panel of judges including various book industry experts. The 2021 Kindle Storyteller Awards shortlist is made up of … Escape to Hummingbird Hotel by… Read More »5 Tips From Authors Shortlisted In The 2021 Kindle Storyteller Awards

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B2W FAQs – Networking & Pitching Edition

Questions on Networking & Pitching How do I network effectively in real time situations (IRL, social media, Zoom events etc)? By asking questions! A classic fall-back networking question for your writing peers might be, ‘What are you working on at the moment?’ It’s a great ice-breaker. Here’s 15 more questions to help. Whatever you do though, avoid THESE terrible networking mistakes! How do I pitch to industry pros effectively? Being able to deliver your logline conversationally is an absolute MUST when pitching. Getting into the habit of being able to deliver the nuts and bolts of your story at foundation level… Read More »B2W FAQs – Networking & Pitching Edition

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Top 20 Screenplay Contest Tips From Scriptapalooza

Screenplay Contest Tips From Scriptapalooza Many thanks to The Scriptapalooza Screenplay competition for today’s post. There’s some straightforward gold here that can provide a powerful reset and act as a really useful checklist. If you’re planning on entering contests this season, be sure to check out Scriptapalooza at the bottom of the post. Ready? Then let’s go … 1) Read the Submissions Guidelines Each competition has its own guidelines/rules. Make sure you read them and submit exactly what each competition suggests. 2) Always spell check your script Nothing is more frustrating than a producer reading your script and seeing mistake… Read More »Top 20 Screenplay Contest Tips From Scriptapalooza

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A Screenwriter’s Guide to Navigating The Pandemic Lockdown

How to Navigate Lockdown: 3 Tips for Screenwriters What if you could get something good out of the lockdown? Your main priority should be to ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones. But the pandemic won’t last forever. Think about it like this: once the lockdown will be over, wouldn’t it be great to come out of it with a truly unique and exciting screen story? Maybe up until now, it was hard for you to focus on your fantasy world with all the everyday responsibilities and noise. Well, now there’s time to really dig deep into it.… Read More »A Screenwriter’s Guide to Navigating The Pandemic Lockdown

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10 Quick Tips On Entering Screenplay Competitions

Ann Marie Williams is the author of Screenplay Competitions: Tools and Insights to Help You Choose the Best Screenwriting Contests for You and Your Script. I read this book recently and was impressed by its detail and strategies. Please check out her book at the bottom of the post and grab your B2W discount. Over to you, Ann Marie — Here’s 10 quick tips on entering screenplay competitions. 1) Decide what you want out of the competition process Before you start researching screenwriting competitions, decide what you hope to gain from entering.  Do you want a competition that will launch your… Read More »10 Quick Tips On Entering Screenplay Competitions

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How To Structure Your Writing: 9 Top Tips On Acts

All About Acts People have been writing about story structure since the days of Aristotle’s tragedies. Though some of us resist structure in life, for writing screenplays it really serves an important purpose. More often than not, The Three Acts is the one most screenwriters choose to employ in creating the roadmap of their narrative so the reader doesn’t get lost. How does it work and what do these three acts need? Let’s start putting the pieces of the puzzle together. All About Act 1 SHORT VERSION: This sets up the story and hits the who, what, where, why and… Read More »How To Structure Your Writing: 9 Top Tips On Acts

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Rejected? Top 5 Tips What To Do About It

Rejected Again? Rejected Bang2writers seemed to be sharing their disappointment everywhere on social media last week, especially in the B2W Facebook group. This was because the results for the BBC Writersroom Spring Drama call were out and many of us (me included, by the way) did not advance, in either the first or second sifts. Savvy Bang2writers know we will get rejected. It’s not possible to move forwards in our writing careers without this happening. We also appreciate it (usually) hurts less and less each time we get rejected. So, by this logic, we have to just keep going. Right?… Read More »Rejected? Top 5 Tips What To Do About It

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Getting (And Taking!) Notes

1) Not realising that it’s NOT ABOUT YOU One of the most important things I learned about giving notes is to make it about the script and not the writer. This is not personal. This is about a piece of writing. This is about improving that writing and it’s not saying you’re a bad person or a bad parent or a cheating husband or any of that. I once had a client whose pilot was about a husband and wife divorcing and the notes wrote stated that the wife was unlikable and hard to connect to. He was furious and… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Getting (And Taking!) Notes

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10 Lies Writers Tell Themselves About New Projects (And How To Embrace Them)

If you’re a writer with a blank sheet of paper in front of you, chances are you’re currently optimistic. The possibilities stretch out in front of you, and the world you are about to craft begs to be written. But a word of warning. If you want to finish the story, you’re going to have to manage those expectations. This might seem like a negative post – but don’t read it that way! For all these lies, there are ways to fix them! 1) ‘This will be easy’ At the beginning of a story you’re convinced that you’ll get through… Read More »10 Lies Writers Tell Themselves About New Projects (And How To Embrace Them)

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Top 5 Screenwriting Contest Mistakes Writers Make

One of the remits of B2W is demystifying script reading, especially screenwriting contests, so I’m DELIGHTED to have Phil Gladwin of UK contest Screenwriting Goldmine back on the site. The contest is currently open for entries, so make sure you utilise Phil’s great insider info here before submitting your script. Don’t miss the extra links at the bottom, either. Good luck! 1) Miss the early bird entries A lot of contests, including Screenwriting Goldmine, reward early entries with a discount on entry fees. They do this because it helps them stagger the reading . If you miss out on these windows… Read More »Top 5 Screenwriting Contest Mistakes Writers Make

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