Skip to content

features

No, There Are NOT ‘Loads’ Of Great Screenplays Waiting to Be Made. Here’s Why

Wanted: Great Screenplays ‘There must be LOADS of great screenplays in the pile just waiting to be made!!!’ I hear this, constantly. It’s a lament from wannabe screenwriters that NEVER goes away, it seems. But I can tell you, as a script reader & editor, IT’S NOT TRUE. Here’s why … First off, define ‘great screenplay’ Do you mean WRITTEN WELL? Hah, good luck. Finding well-written screenplays in the pile is harder than you think, especially when what constitutes ‘good writing’ means different things to different people. ‘Great screenplays’ #2 Do you mean a KILLER CONCEPT? Yeah, this shit is… Read More »No, There Are NOT ‘Loads’ Of Great Screenplays Waiting to Be Made. Here’s Why

Share this:

Why Remakes And Reboots Are Here To Stay (And No, It’s Not A Bad Thing)

The Pain of Remakes And Reboots Whenever I teach a screenwriting class, it won’t be long before someone brings up remakes and reboots. This person will most often* be a middle-aged white man at the beginning of his screenwriting journey. (*But obviously doesn’t have to be). Anyway, he will confess that remakes and reboots make him very angry … Hell, he may even GET angry just talking about them. Then he will insist that remakes and reboots are enemies of creativity and that Hollywood shouldn”t be so ‘risk averse’. When I ask him how many movies he’s watched this year… Read More »Why Remakes And Reboots Are Here To Stay (And No, It’s Not A Bad Thing)

Share this:

The 10 Most Iconic Teachers in Movies, TV and Literature

Iconic Teachers In media, teachers are often relegated to secondary character status. They may appear onstage to inspire their students, drop a pearl of wisdom, and disappear from whence they came. And while this can be an accurate of the fleeting presence of teachers in our own lives, it doesn’t do justice to the impact a good (or bad!) teacher can have on us. With that in mind, I wanted to pay homage to the most iconic teachers from movies, TV, and literature in true Bang2Write fashion. Consider this a star-studded teacher’s lounge, featuring some of the most memorable mentor… Read More »The 10 Most Iconic Teachers in Movies, TV and Literature

Share this:

5 Top Tips From The Black Phone Writers Can Learn

Watch & Read The Black Phone Now The Black Phone is a movie adaptation of the 2004 short story of the same title by Joe Hill. Directed by Scott Derrickson, the screenplay is written by Derrickson and his long-time collaborator C. Robert Cargill. I’m a HUGE fan of both Hill and this duo’s previous output including Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, so I was keen to watch the movie regardless. The logline for The Black Phone on imdb reads, “After being abducted by a child killer and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls… Read More »5 Top Tips From The Black Phone Writers Can Learn

Share this:

It’s Never ONLY About The Story In Screenwriting – And That’s A GOOD Thing

‘It should ONLY be about the story!’ I often talk to writers about the commercial aspects of screenwriting. As someone who has seen lots of deals happen, I know that money talks. The industry is NOT a patron of the arts. It follows the $$$ because it’s ‘show BUSINESS’ after all. This means … Remakes and reboots are here to stay Great TV shows get cancelled if they don’t get enough views in the first few weeks (yes, really!) Why badly-written movies may still earn stacks Or why indie productions can sink without a trace if they don’t have enough… Read More »It’s Never ONLY About The Story In Screenwriting – And That’s A GOOD Thing

Share this:

Is Your Story A Mystery, Horror or Thriller? Here’s How To Tell

Mystery, Thriller or Horror? Mystery, Thriller and Horror novels and screenplays do BIG business as they have high ‘adaptability’. Readers and viewers love them … plus there’s a lot of convergence between them. This is because the Mystery, Horror and Thriller genres have lots of elements that cross over. However, lots of writers run into trouble because they’re not really sure what their story *is* at foundation level. Whilst many writers know mystery usually involves some kind of twist, they often don’t know how to get there. As a result, writers may make their mystery too easy to guess, or… Read More »Is Your Story A Mystery, Horror or Thriller? Here’s How To Tell

Share this:

Your Antagonist DOESN’T Have To Be A Villain. Here’s Why

All About The Villain Most writers ‘get’ the villain archetype intuitively. At their foundation, stories are often about ‘goodies and baddies’. Just like every story needs a protagonist, it usually needs an antagonist of some kind … … and that antagonist is nearly always a villain. A villain may have relatable and understandable motivations for their ‘evil plan’. We may invest in their journey every bit as much as the protagonist’s … Alternatively, they may just be evil because that’s their personality. They may be criminals, politicians, narcissists, abusers, serial killers, actual monsters … it doesn’t matter. The villain role… Read More »Your Antagonist DOESN’T Have To Be A Villain. Here’s Why

Share this:

10 Tips On Getting An Agent (Or Doing Without One!)

How To Get An Agent Want an agent? Most writers do.  Julian Friedmann has been an agent for nearly 40 years, handling books and scripts. His TEDx talk on the mystery of storytelling has been viewed over 900,000 times. His new book MAKE MONEY SCREENWRITING: Creative Strategies, has just been published by Amazon. With all this in mind, B2W asked Julian’s advice on getting an agent … or doing without one. So without further ado, here’s his top 10 tips … pass them on! Julian’s Top Tips 1) Choose a saleable idea and format Killing Eve was huge, but it… Read More »10 Tips On Getting An Agent (Or Doing Without One!)

Share this:

10 Simple Steps For Revising Your Draft

So, You’ve Finished Your Draft! Congratulations, but you still have work to do: revising it!! But where to start?? If you are feeling overwhelmed, then check out these 10 revision pointers for novels or screenplays. They can act as a handy checklist for revising your draft. Good luck … 1) Wait! First up, do NOTHING. That’s right … Just let that novel sit in a drawer or on your computer’s desktop. Do absolutely zilch with it, for a couple of days (minimum) or weeks (preferred) or months (maximum). Let your subconscious bubble away, revising any of your story’s problems as… Read More »10 Simple Steps For Revising Your Draft

Share this:

10 Quick Tips On Writing Non Binary People

All about Non Binary People Lots of Bang2writers tell me they are interested in writing transgender characters, but perhaps don’t know much about non binary people … Enter Ugla! Ugla is non binary and the co-director of My Genderation, as well an author and trans advocate.  These great insights into what being non binary means, as well as its history and context, will help you on your way. Ugla and their partner Fox are currently fundraising for their documentary film Inverness Or Bust. Make sure you check out their project at the bottom of this post and please pass it… Read More »10 Quick Tips On Writing Non Binary People

Share this:

6 Top Tips On Writing Characters of Colour

Writing Characters of Colour Lots of white Bang2writers say they want to write characters of colour, but are afraid of ‘getting it wrong’. So I am delighted to welcome eight talented black screenwriters to the site today to share their top writing tips. The writers below all appear in the curated list Highly Recommended Scripts by Black Screenwriters, curated by @avishaiw. If you are a producer or filmmaker, make sure you check the list out! If you are not, please pass it on by sharing it via your profiles and pages. Thanks! 1) ‘Be open to others’ thoughts’ ‘My best tip:… Read More »6 Top Tips On Writing Characters of Colour

Share this:

How To Become A Better Writer In 10 Days

Become A Better Writer Want to become a better writer? Join the club! ‘How to become a better writer’ brings people to this blog every month, every single week and day of the year. Lots of people think becoming a better writer is down to some kind of special magic. This is not true. Whilst getting better is a lot of work, it’s actually just like anything … You have to PRACTICE! But how do we do this? Well, I sat down and put some thought into a short 10 day programme that will help you become a better writer.… Read More »How To Become A Better Writer In 10 Days

Share this: