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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 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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5 Steps To Writing A Novel: A Beginner’s Guide

Some great steps from Cressida today for those of you considering writing a novel for the first time. Thanks Cressida and good luck everybody who takes on the challenge! NOVEL FACTS The word “novel” is derived from Italian word “novella” which means “new”. The history of novel writing can be traced back to the medieval period, when novella was a more popular form of fiction writing. Novel has been a popular genre of fiction writing since its inception. This style of writing has been adopted by the likes of H.G Wells and Isaac Asimov. Check out The B2W Novel Writing Pinterest… Read More »5 Steps To Writing A Novel: A Beginner’s Guide

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5 Reasons To Hate BREAKING BAD — SPOILERS

Unless you have been hiding inside a gigantic money barrel or taking part in a one way trip to Belize, then I’m sure you have all heard of the ABC show BREAKING BAD, created by the definitive king of the Southern gents, Vince Gilligan. Vince Gilligan is a modern day Dr Frankenstein. As I’m sure you know, Frankenstein’s Monster was a freak of nature that struggled with a major identity crisis. In the same way, Vince Gilligan’s Monster was a mild mannered, under achieving chemistry teacher called Walter White. Diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer, White creates the identity of… Read More »5 Reasons To Hate BREAKING BAD — SPOILERS

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USP, Pt 1: Your Project

DISCLAIMER: If you think screenwriting is all about art or originality, talent or simply “great writing” (whatever that is), then go away. You won’t like this post. Don’t say you weren’t warned. Still here? Right. Here goes. … So, you’ve got a GREAT idea. What’s its USP? USP = Unique. Selling. Point. *This* is the point of screenwriting. It doesn’t matter how arty or original your idea is; it doesn’t matter how talented you are; it doesn’t matter how fabulously written your script is on the page. You could be all three of these things and if producers or financiers… Read More »USP, Pt 1: Your Project

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UK TV Spec Scripts

Vexentrix asked about TV Spec Scripts of existing shows this week on Twitter and it’s something I’ve talked about with British writers many times in the past, so I figured it was time to write an official post about it. In the US, it’s common for a writer wanting to break into TV to write a spec of episode of that actual show and send it in, in the hope of grabbing the producer’s attention and getting a commissioned episode. Here is a list of 2011 specced US Comedies and another list of 2011 specced US Dramas. We don’t do… Read More »UK TV Spec Scripts

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Round Up: Things I’ve learnt from TV…

If you follow me on Twitter or are a member of Bang2writers on Facebook, you will have seen my “Things I’ve learnt from TV” posts all this morning – and indeed others’ contributions too! Some of these are strictly tongue-in-cheek, but others are quite interesting as they reveal lazy and/or cliched ideas relating to characters, their motivations or even plot devices. Mine are those without the @ signs – if you like others’ ideas, why not look them up on Twitter or Facebook? Check out the round up: … ABOUT PEOPLE: Women only find bastards who treat them badly sexually… Read More »Round Up: Things I’ve learnt from TV…

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GUEST POST: Ben Stephenson Q & A by Jeremy Allen (Part 2)

Carrying on from yesterday, here’s the second part of Jeremy Allen’s run-down.—————————————————-How does the role of commissioner add to the creative process? Put simply, ‘commissioners are able to provide distance…they are able to stand back and ask questions’. This is because they see the script’s progress at intermittent stages. Ben describes these intermittent stages as ‘milestones’, which roughly break down into ‘commission, pre-production and edit’. A common flaw Ben sees in the journey of the script is that it can lose its original vision: what the writer wanted to say in the first place, or even what it was about… Read More »GUEST POST: Ben Stephenson Q & A by Jeremy Allen (Part 2)

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GUEST POST: Ben Stephenson’s Talk at De Montfort University by Jeremy Allen (Part 1)

Bang2writer Jeremy Allen is back, this time with a fantastic two-part run-down of Ben Stephenson’s talk at De Montfort University earlier this year. Jeremy has made sure Ben has approved these articles himself, so you can be sure of their accuracy and depth. Enjoy!———————————————–Ben Stephenson has been controller of BBC drama commissioning since September 2008, with an annual budget of around £200 million at his disposal and ultimate say over what gets aired. Yet he’s still a sprightly 33. So far Ben has presided over the commissioning of several critically acclaimed pieces, from last year’s sweeping adaptation of Andrea Levy’s… Read More »GUEST POST: Ben Stephenson’s Talk at De Montfort University by Jeremy Allen (Part 1)

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4 Big Non Linearity Mistakes In Screenplays

Non Linearity is big news I’d venture for every ten spec screenplays I read, at least three will feature non linearity. Renowned non linear movies include Pulp Fiction, Memento, Twelve Monkeys, The Bourne Supremacy, Slumdog Millionaire, Groundhog Day and Premonition. Non-linearity sometimes finds its way into TV spec screenplays too  – particularly of the supernatural genre – usually in the form of flashback. (For the purposes of this post, note that when I say “non linearity”, I mean the “beginning, middle, end” will not necessarily be in *that* order). I love non linearity. Done well, it can really add a new… Read More »4 Big Non Linearity Mistakes In Screenplays

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Screenplay Tips # 9: Advanced Characterisation

So, in the post about Character and Plot, I posted about the importance of having a protagonist with a definable goal and an antagonist with a need to get in the way of that goal. As mentioned in the post, those are the VERY basics – but all too often missing in the spec pile. If a reader hasn’t a clue who to root for, their interest isn’t going to be hooked; if their interest isn’t hooked — well, you know what happens. Applying the very basics then helps a writer understand where they could be potentially going wrong, especially… Read More »Screenplay Tips # 9: Advanced Characterisation

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