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7 Tips On Sci Fi Arenas / Worldbuilding In Your Screenplay Or Novel

On Worldbuilding When it comes to worldbuilding and writing, I think this definition from Wikipedia is actually pretty good … Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a whole fictional universe. The resulting world may be called a constructed world (or conworld). Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task for many science fiction or fantasy writers. Worldbuilding often involves the creation of maps, a backstory, and people, including social customs and even in some cases an invented language, for the world. So with this… Read More »7 Tips On Sci Fi Arenas / Worldbuilding In Your Screenplay Or Novel

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On Writing: The 3 Cs Versus The 3 Ps

Bang2writers ask me quite frequently for my “top tips” on  surviving the writing process and this industry. Before now I always felt that it depends on the person, what they’re doing, how they work and who with. But actually, having worked on a variety of projects now with various people over the last ten years, I think there are 6 things all writers of ALL formats need to know and live by, whether they’re screenwriters, novelists, playwrights, journalists, transmedia writers, the works. That’s right – just 6. But they mean SO much – literally everything. 1. THE WRITING You need the… Read More »On Writing: The 3 Cs Versus The 3 Ps

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3 Reasons Someone Might Not Read Your Script

Many thanks to Max Adams aka CelluloidBlonde for today’s shot in the arm – I recognise everything she describes here, having probably done them myself years ago AND having been on the receiving end now! Go Max …!!! 1) You Have No Idea In Hell Whom You Are Talking To – And You Don’t Try To Find Out Before Shooting Off Your Mouth This just happened to me recently. I have been working on and researching the updated expanded edition of Screenwriter’s Survival Guide, so I have been showing up in person in forums online. Partly to get a feel… Read More »3 Reasons Someone Might Not Read Your Script

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Top 3 Ways Technology Screws Up Your Story (And How Not To Let It)

Technology exists … And it’s creating ISSUES for us writers. How do I know? Because, in my notes for Bang2writers – screenwriters OR novelists – I frequently end up writing one of these three questions: 1) Why don’t they call somebody? Okay, okay … this one’s easy: they have no signal. Or credit. Yes, it’s become a cinema cliche, particularly in Horror movies as this fantastic montage demonstrates, but who cares, really? All we need to do is forget about the phone in a single, throwaway moment – “No signal” does that. But writers seem to want to draw attention to… Read More »Top 3 Ways Technology Screws Up Your Story (And How Not To Let It)

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Phew

My number one fave article of all time, Bill Martell’s “16 Steps To Better Scene Description” on The List of Wonder disappeared off the face of the internet this week – not only did I have a heart attack, I got a bunch of emails panicking about it too! Frantic Googling revealed little – just dead links to my list. Noooooooooooooooooo! But here it is. Phew. Thanks to Bill Martell for the link. You really are a prince among screenwriters. Worship him over at his website now, bitches! Oh – and have a lovely weekend.

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Something For The (Bank Holiday) Weekend

I’m quite used to people dropping by this blog looking for “werewolf sex” and “talking dirty scripts” by now: you’re even welcome to “take a bubble bath with no pants on” whilst “having flashbacks all day.” Please – make yourselves at home. Could this be, however, the craziest Google Search ever? “The horse’s bits were covered in foam.” WTF? What in the name of all that is holy could this Googler actually be looking for? And how on earth did Google direct them to MY BLOG? I have no recollection of dicussing foam or horse’s bits or covering any bits… Read More »Something For The (Bank Holiday) Weekend

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The Story Of My Blog… Told in Bizarre Keywords

All these are 100% GENUINE: what’s scarier: the fact Searchers find these words on my blog or the fact that I’ve collected all of these SINCE ONLY LAST WEDNESDAY? [Nb. Actual keyword searches are in italics.] Enjoy…———————————————————-Mistress Vee A dominatrix Tell us like it is Because I’m f***ing Matt Damon and Mrs. McClusky while taking another bubble bath with my pants on. I must Kill Dave Because I’m a Triad Manchester Chinese And if Monster movies reflect current social fears then what a travel agent might say at work suddenly becomes super sexual dialogue for talking dirty scripts and werewolf… Read More »The Story Of My Blog… Told in Bizarre Keywords

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More Stuff: Life, Contests, A Question and Naked Googlers

I had a rubbish week last week. If I hadn’t lived it, I would have thought it was one of those bad rom-coms where everything goes wrong for the protagonist in Act 1, culminating in the ultimate cliche of getting home early from work and finding your wife in bed with another bloke. Luckily I was spared this, since I don’t have a wife and I work from home, but hey ho. But this week is another week and I have many plans. I got ten rejections last week, working out at approximately 2 a day (though I got 3… Read More »More Stuff: Life, Contests, A Question and Naked Googlers

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Royal Tapes: Power of 3 Alert

Hi Peeps, it’s that time again where you have the opportunity to extract your revenge and tear MY work to bits. It’s a radio play for The Royal Tapes, something I’ve never attempted before, so anyone who has written for this medium (in the so-called real world, or at uni) is especially welcome, but to be honest anyone can read it since I have no idea what I’m doing here. Only stipulation: gotta have it back ASAP please, since it’s gotta be in next Friday at the latest. As always, email or leave a comment and I’ll get back to… Read More »Royal Tapes: Power of 3 Alert

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Bits and Bobs

Right, I have 1401 things to do before the end of the week (really), so here’s a random mess of stuff that has or will be happening in the next 24 to 48 hours. Starting with the “has happened” first then: The writer, producer and director JK Amalou has launched himself as a script reader and editor as well as mentor and wants me to tell all you lot. He’s a quality guy and has worked for the likes of Polygram, Studio Canal, Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese. He’s also a lot of fun and I’ve had a great time… Read More »Bits and Bobs

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Cyber Weirdoes Strike: Episode 3

How exactly does one spell the plural of “weirdo”? This is a matter of hot debate within my tiny mind, so I consulted my many grammar books. The good news is, no one knows. One school of thought (and the one I think looks best) says a writer should add “e” as in “do” becoming “does”, though of course “does” is not actually a plural but a past tense of the verb “do” and “weirdo” is a noun. Another school of thought says it should be spelt “weirdo’s” with an apostrophe, since it could be argued that it is in… Read More »Cyber Weirdoes Strike: Episode 3

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