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Cop Week, Part 2: Inspiration For Your Own Cop Story

Your Own Cop Story ConsultingCops.com are back for part 2, this time with inspiration for your own cop story. I think these snippets of info and suggestions are fascinating and offer some real food for thought. If you are writing a cop story, make sure you check them out … they’re the real deal! Don’t forget you can read read part 1, HERE or by clicking any of pics in the article. 6) Kim Booth (@K_B_Author) “Fraud can be a great source material for your cop story” I think the tip I would give is that anything is possible in… Read More »Cop Week, Part 2: Inspiration For Your Own Cop Story

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Cop Week, Part One: How Police Work

All About Cop Stories  Want to write a cop story? One of the most popular posts on B2W in the past six months has been Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Police Characters. Since cop dramas and novels are so popular and savvy Bang2writers prize both accuracy and authenticity, it’s not difficult to see why. So when Lyndon from ConsultingCops.com got in touch to offer more insights into how police work, I said YES PLEASE! Here’s the first 2 parts and a whopping NINE cop experts who can shine a light on cop procedure. This post contains the first five.… Read More »Cop Week, Part One: How Police Work

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Police Characters

Writing Crime Many thanks to Stuart Gibbon today for his thoughts on avoiding the top mistakes when writing police characters. Stuart used to be a police officer, plus he now advises writers about police procedures and crime investigations. When authenticity AND accuracy is so important in our writing, Stuart’s is an invaluable service. I have used his advice in my writing. Be sure to check out his writers’ consultancy and books at the bottom of the post. Over to you, Stuart! Police Characters People often ask me what it’s really like in the police and whether fiction books and the… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Police Characters

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Jed Mercurio:‘Storytelling Is About Creating A Chain Reaction’

Jed Mercurio And LINE OF DUTY Jed Mercurio’s work always seems to be a talking point with the Bang2writers. Whether it’s his use of tech in his storylines; those iconic interrogation scenes; his much-lauded LINE OF DUTY finales; or his female characterisation, we always seem to be putting his writing under the microscope! The first four series of LINE OF DUTY recently hit Netflix. As any veteran of this site knows, I love structure and always thought it was a very tight show plot-wise. But since the show began in 2012, the TV landscape has changed considerably. We’re ‘binging’ content… Read More »Jed Mercurio:‘Storytelling Is About Creating A Chain Reaction’

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3 Tech Clichés That Will Kill Your Writing DEAD

High Tech World We live in a high tech world, which means tech inevitably impacts on storytelling. Writers often have to find ways to ‘get rid’ of tech, but this can lead to a plethora of cheesy tropes and writing fails. But what if I told you tech was like anything else in storytelling? You CAN use it whenever you want, however want … You just have to make it authentic and twist it, so it works. Let’s go. 1) Facebook & Twitter In my other life as an author, I write crime fiction in the domestic noir subgenre. For… Read More »3 Tech Clichés That Will Kill Your Writing DEAD

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25 Female-Centric TV Pilots Coming To A Screen Near You

Following my round up posts on female characters at the weekend, I’m delighted to say Hollywood Development Exec Steve La Rue decided to let me know how TV Pilot season is coming … and it’s going female centric, which is GREAT news! Check out these 25 loglines for size … Will be really interesting to see which ones make the cut through the infamous US “Pilot Season”! I’m gratified to see a fair amount of diversity to the list, with careers ranking as highly as parenthood … Plus of the “usual” roles (ie. Mom), we’re seeing characterisation left of the… Read More »25 Female-Centric TV Pilots Coming To A Screen Near You

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3 Reasons Why BBC’s HAPPY VALLEY Scared Me Shi*less

As a child, I dreamt of being a cinematographer in Hollywood (as you do) but then real life got in the way (as it does), so I put my creative genius (!) to other uses. Then I woke up one morning a few years back, with a movie playing in my head, a story I was desperate to tell. I told myself, “This HAS to be a screenplay so I better learn how to write one.” Since that creative bomb went off in my brain, I have worked hard to expand my knowledge of the industry and develop my writing… Read More »3 Reasons Why BBC’s HAPPY VALLEY Scared Me Shi*less

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What Script Editors Do AKA 5 Tips To Edit Your Own Screenplay

So, I’m in/famous for insisting there’s too much dialogue in *most* spec screenplays AND that scene description AND format can be a major issue in a huge proportion of them, too — yet many of my Bang2writers confess they’re not really sure what to do about the first two issues in making their screenplays’ stories “flow” better for the reader. So major kudos to plucky Bang2writer Kym Wimbus who has very kindly stepped in and provided me with a scene from his Thriller screenplay, MAINTAIN THE RAGE which I will duly script edit for you*, right on this blog, so writers can… Read More »What Script Editors Do AKA 5 Tips To Edit Your Own Screenplay

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What’s The Difference Between A Prologue & A Teaser?

Prologues and Teasers play a very big part in the spec screenplay pile – but all too often, scribes aren’t too sure of the difference. Here are my thoughts: Very **Generally** speaking: i) Movies will have prologues: think the arrival of the (unseen) velociraptor at JURASSIC PARK; the crash in PITCH BLACK; the shooting in THE SIXTH SENSE or the Barracuda attack in FINDING NEMO. These moments act as a catalyst for the characters to become embroiled in the story, but also an introduction to the characters and/or story world for the audience. (This latter point is especially important for… Read More »What’s The Difference Between A Prologue & A Teaser?

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Women & Writing # 4: Sally Abbott, TV Screenwriter

Delighted to have the brilliant Sally Abbott on the blog today to tell us about her work as a TV screenwriter in continuing drama – amongst other things! Sally is a real powerhouse and has been involved in all SORTS of things over the years and this summer dips a toe in feature filmmaking too. She offers some fab insights into the industry and writing that I really agree with, but I won’t spoil it for you. Read and enjoy! 1) If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be and why? Obsessive – which is a polite… Read More »Women & Writing # 4: Sally Abbott, TV Screenwriter

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Writing a 60 min TV Pilot (Returning Drama Series)

Just a quick one today, for the lovely Soulla: I am writing a pilot for TV. Any golden rules/tips/do’s or don’ts to keep in mind for first ep of a series? Here are my thoughts, in no particular order: DON’T write “for the market”. Supernatural stuff might be hot at the moment, but don’t try and shoe-horn some vampires or the like in for the sake of it. Stay true to your story and yourself. DO know your audience. Knowing who you are writing for is key in TV. It’s no good writing a sex fest and saying it’s aimed… Read More »Writing a 60 min TV Pilot (Returning Drama Series)

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This Is A Call: More Sex, Please

Okay, I gave you guys fair warning. Back in December 2008 I drew attention to the lack of sex scenes in the scripts I see. 2008! And have you lot listened? In the last two and a bit years, have I been treated to MORE nice, juicy sex scenes??? No. Oh, I get plenty of rape scenes – **thanks** for that (bleeurgh). But rape is not sex. I find it deeply depressing rape and sexual violence is so prevalent in specs and produced films – but even more so that scribes will think nothing of including rape AS A MERE… Read More »This Is A Call: More Sex, Please

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