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An Interview with Mark Leigh by Samuel Caine

All this talking about 50 Shades has stirred up some very interesting questions about the future of publishing and e-books. Although I’d be more than happy to speak about the shifts in the publishing industry, I felt it’d be better to hear from someone a little more qualified. I donned the internet equivalent of a safari helmet and set off into the wilds, where I found Mark Leigh. He’s been writing since the late 1980s and published a whopping 45 books. He’s been extremely helpful and agreed to answer my questions about writing, publishing and the future of e-books. Sam… Read More »An Interview with Mark Leigh by Samuel Caine

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How Do I Become A Freelance Writer?

Updated for 2017 Writing and making money from it is probably everyone’s dream … and we ALL dream of the six figure deals for our novels and screenplays! But before we get to that fabled return, we have to earn money – so it feels like we may be stuck in the boring day job FOREVER. Yet it IS possible to make money writing in OTHER ways while we write our specs and unpublished novels – welcome to the wonderful world of the freelance writer! Freelance writers are available to hire for any number of writing jobs, small, medium or… Read More »How Do I Become A Freelance Writer?

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How To Work From Home by Kate Croston

Bang2writer Kate reminds us freelancers and those of working on projects like the upcoming Script Frenzy of some simple tricks to ensure we get all we need done. Some of these are simple, yet hard to do – like “leave”! Broken that one many times… And whilst I don’t have the room for my own office, I think it’s important everyone has their own space that’s JUST theirs. Thanks Kate! ———————————–When working from home it is really easy to fall into a lazy routine: waking up later, not getting dressed, work scattered over the entire home. Being able to work… Read More »How To Work From Home by Kate Croston

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How To Put Together Your Writer’s Resumé For Submissions

What should you put in your writer resumé? “How do you put together a writer’s resumé? What should go in, what should be left out, what counts as relevant experience?” This is a great question I get all the time, so warrants a lengthier post. Many thanks to Gail over on the B2W Facebook page for asking. First up, the usual disclaimer … This post is based on my experience of writing my own resumé and reading other people’s ONLY. There is no *set* way of creating your writer’s resumé. However I’ve seen some very good CVs and I’ve seen… Read More »How To Put Together Your Writer’s Resumé For Submissions

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How To Become A Script Reader

How I became a script reader One question I get asked all the time is, “How do I become a script reader?” So, once and for all – here is the lowdown on how my consultancy Bang2write started – plus make sure you check out my course, Breaking Into Script Reading, back for its seventh year in 2021! As I’ve said before, I never actually SET OUT to become a script reader. I did the BA (Hons) Scriptwriting for Film & TV course at Bournemouth University and part of the course covered it. As I also detail in this post, when… Read More »How To Become A Script Reader

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How Do I Format A Quote At The Beginning Of A Script?

How To Format A Quote ANOTHER scriptwriting-related question – it’s been quite the week for them – but this time, just a kwikkie on format from Wade Glenn: I’ve seen a lot of films end their opening credits sequences with famous quotations that are thematically relevant to the film. I want to do this but I’m wondering … How do you format a quote in a script? and If I decide to use a quote, do I have to mention a credits sequence? Or do I just put it somewhere after “FADE IN”? There’s no real “rule” for quotes generally. That… Read More »How Do I Format A Quote At The Beginning Of A Script?

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Higher Education: Worth The Money?

So before Christmas I wrote to my MP Connor Burns about the changes to HE funding and what it could mean for my kids going to university in the future, creatives like my Bang2writers on low wages and people from poorer backgrounds, especially those with dependants like I was when I went to university. As mentioned on Twitter yesterday then, he has responded to my email: Read it here. For the record, I have no personal beef with Connor Burns and have had my views and questions entertained by him not only here, but “off blog” on a personal concern… Read More »Higher Education: Worth The Money?

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Letter to LV Hay from MP for Bournemouth Connor Burns Re: Higher Education Funding, dated 14th January 2011

Dear Ms Hay, Thank you for contacting me about Higher Education funding. I am sorry you have not received an earlier reply. With both Bournemouth & Poole College and Bournemouth University sitting within my constituency, I am only too aware of the importance of supporting higher education and ensuring those from poorer backgrounds are given equal opportunity to go to university. Universities play a huge role in both our local and national economies, and it is in all of our interest to ensure places of Higher Education and their students flourish. In order to achieve this, we need to make… Read More »Letter to LV Hay from MP for Bournemouth Connor Burns Re: Higher Education Funding, dated 14th January 2011

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I’ve Written A Screenplay. Now What?

Updated So, You’ve Written A Screenplay ‘I’ve written a screenplay, now what?’ is one of the top Google searches that leads writers to this blog. Plus Bang2writers write to me, asking me for ideas on what to do / where to send scripts they’ve written, so I thought it was time I put my thoughts on this in one place, once and for all … Enjoy!  1) Get Some Screenplay Feedback i) Getting it – do peer review You don’t have to pay for this, though you can if you want to.  Alternatively, you can do peer review aka a… Read More »I’ve Written A Screenplay. Now What?

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How To Use Plot Devices – Voiceover, Flashback, Montage, Intercut and Dream Sequence

Plot Devices With A Bad Name … There are lots of plot devices in scriptwriting we hear are “frowned on”. We shouldn’t use voiceover or flashback is the usual (or voiceover WITH flashback!). I’ve also heard montage maligned in a similar fashion, as well as intercut and dream sequence. This is a load of rot as far as I’m concerned. You can use what you like. These accusations we see levied like “flashback is a lazy way of telling a story” is just another generalisation. Flashback can be an amazingly dramatic way to tell a story. … For A REASON!!… Read More »How To Use Plot Devices – Voiceover, Flashback, Montage, Intercut and Dream Sequence

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