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5 Ways for Writers to Find Their Ideal Audience

All About Audience You’re a writer who needs an audience. You’ve conquered the dreaded writer’s block. You have content that you believe in. You want to share it with the world. So, what’s next? Well, it’s not just as simple as pressing PUBLISH or SEND and hoping for the best I’m afraid! Check out our compiled list of ways you can use to gain an audience for your writing. Ready? Here we go, friends! 1) Identify your ideal audience Spend some time considering popular culture, current events, genre-specific trends, and where your story lands within various demographics. Try out various… Read More »5 Ways for Writers to Find Their Ideal Audience

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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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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Plotting (According To A Script Reader)

Script Reader POV Following on from his first post, script reader Allan is offering his POV on common mistakes he’s discovered in the spec pile. For me, it’s SO interesting to see the same old issues rear their heads, even in 2021. It’s almost like the foundations of writing craft are timeless! Over to you, Allan … What I Learned From My First 300+ Scripts Out of a sample of 435 scripts, these were some of the most common structural and plotting errors in scripts sent to Film Festivals in 2021. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Ending Act 1 At… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Plotting (According To A Script Reader)

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Why Novelists Should Write Outlines Just Like Screenwriters

Outlines: For Or Against?  It seems every writer has an opinion on outlines! But often writers will fall into two camps … Those who do write outlines and those who don’t. Generally speaking, novelists who do outline tend to advocate the practice as the ‘common sense’ approach. Their outlines may be super-detailed or broad strokes.  The uber-organised authors may even use spreadsheets to keep track of every minute detail in their book … or they may use bullet points, notes to self or similar instead. In contrast, novelists who don’t outline are often very loud online. Such writers like Stephen… Read More »Why Novelists Should Write Outlines Just Like Screenwriters

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How To Become A Writer Without An Expensive University Course

Expensive University Courses If you want to become a writer but worry about how expensive university courses are, save your money. Learn what they teach you on a Creative Writing degree, without the expensive debt. Here are the top 5 things they teach on a Creative Writing BA … Ready? Let’s go! 1) Think like a writer It might sound strange but the first thing they teach you on a Creative Writing BA is how to “think like a writer”. That should go without saying you might think, but here are some handy tips they taught us … Make sure… Read More »How To Become A Writer Without An Expensive University Course

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How To Write A Protagonist Who Is A Total Asshole

Asshole, NOT Antihero So, you want to write a protagonist for your screenplay or novel that is a total asshole. There’s nothing wrong with doing this … but first, let’s identify what actually makes up an asshole protagonist. I’d first say an asshole character is NOT an antihero. As we know, antiheroes are in demand in the 2020s, both for male and female protagonists. An antihero is defined in the dictionary as simply ‘lacking traditional heroic attributes’. What this means is left open to interpretation. That said, since The Hero’s Journey is still super-popular, we can assume those traditional attributes are… Read More »How To Write A Protagonist Who Is A Total Asshole

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5 Reasons Why I Switched from Traditional Publishing to Self-Publishing

Traditional Publishing to Self-Publishing Two years ago, I thought all my prayers had been answered after landing a traditional publishing deal for my uplifting trilogy of novels. However, upon regular bouts of pulling my hair out and eye rolls a-plenty, I quickly felt the siren call of self-publishing. I took the leap earlier this year. Why would I do such a thing? Read on . . . 1) Creative control You won’t be surprised to learn that, as an author, I am a creative beast. Emphasis on the word ‘beast’. Even though my previous publisher was a huge advocate for… Read More »5 Reasons Why I Switched from Traditional Publishing to Self-Publishing

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Movies Have Always Been ‘Woke’. You Just Didn’t Notice

Another week, another message So, apparently B2W is too ‘woke’ so somebody’s unfollowing … blahblahblah. Seriously, this ain’t an airport, no need to announce your departure! I do have one query though: WHO THE HELL HAS THIS PERSON BEEN FOLLOWING BEFORE NOW??  This site and its accompanying social media has always placed the ‘woke’ at its heart, FFS. If this was apparently a problem, you gotta wondered why they followed in the first place. But anyway, no skin off B2W’s nose. ‘Wokism’: A Short History Hell, B2W is so ‘woke’ I actually don’t even use the word (except when critiquing… Read More »Movies Have Always Been ‘Woke’. You Just Didn’t Notice

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5 Lies Writers Torture Themselves With About Their Careers

Lies, Lies, Lies Following my previous post about the lies writers tell themselves, I thought it would be good to do a follow up. This time I’m concentrating on the lies writers tell themselves about their CAREERS. Ready? Then let’s go … 1) ‘I’m running out of time’ Lots of Bang2writers fret about this very obvious lie. Now, if you’re on a deadline, that’s obviously different … But if you’re writing a spec screenplay or uncontracted novel? You have all the time in the world. Seriously! Don’t worry about what other writers are doing or how many birthdays you’ve had. Just… Read More »5 Lies Writers Torture Themselves With About Their Careers

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5 Lies Writers Torture Themselves With About Their Projects

Writing Torture Do you torture yourself as a writer? If you do, you’re not alone. Working with writers, I hear about all kinds of worries and insecurities they have on a DAILY basis. Hell, sometimes hourly! Obviously the kinds of things writers torture themselves about will depend on the individual. That said, I have noted some significant patterns over the years. Writers may even say the same phrases, again and again. With this in mind, I have rounded up the top five lies writers torture themselves with about their projects. Ready? then let’s go … 1) ‘I’m being STOPPED from… Read More »5 Lies Writers Torture Themselves With About Their Projects

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15 Words You Never Knew Came From Literature

Literary words Did you know a lot of the words we use came from literature? That’s right, writers don’t just use words, sometimes they INVENT them too! I’m a big fan of made-up words (though aren’t all words made up??).  I always look forward to hearing about the additions to the English dictionary. Last year ‘hellacious’ made it in, which I absolutely love … 2020 sure was that! Of course, we don’t always know where the words come from … but sometimes authors coin a word that is so fitting, it ends up part of our culutral lexicon. Check out the… Read More »15 Words You Never Knew Came From Literature

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The Uncomfortable Truth About #OwnVoices Stories

What are #OwnVoices Stories? For the uninitiated, #OwnVoices is a hashtag created by YA author Corinne Duyvis in 2015. The purpose of the hashtag is to highlight books that are written by an author that shares a marginalised identity with the protagonist. As time has gone on, the conversation around #OwnVoices has expanded informally to include TV and film too. If you are part of the underrepresented group like your main character, you’re writing an #OwnVoices story. For example, if you’re a BIPOC, neurodivergent or disabled writer writing a character or story about the challenges you have lived experience of,… Read More »The Uncomfortable Truth About #OwnVoices Stories

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