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Script Reading: 25 Experts Share Their Expectations Versus Realities

  • May 16, 2022May 17, 2022

All About Script Reading Script reading can be a VERY misunderstood job. Writers often have beliefs about script readers that don’t even vaguely match what REALLY happens ‘behind the scenes’! Some common wrong beliefs about script readers include … They enjoy tearing writers down It’s an easy job They don’t really care about the scripts They make megabucks They’re jealous of writers who do well None of the above is true in my experience. This is one of the reasons I launched this blog … I wanted to demystify the submissions process for writers. After all, the more writers understand what… Read More »Script Reading: 25 Experts Share Their Expectations Versus Realities

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Hey Writers: Here’s Why You Haven’t Scored Representation Yet

  • April 24, 2022May 10, 2022

Looking for Representation? There’s something that’s #1 on most writers’ wishlist: representation. The search term ‘how to get an agent‘ brings hundreds, if not thousands of writers to this blog every single month. It’s not difficult to see why. Gaining representation FEELS like the ultimate validation for a writer. After all, your screenplay or novel MUST be *good* if someone is willing to stand up and try and sell it, right? It’s also arguably better to have representation than not … Even though B2W is the first to say not every writer needs an agent, having representation can mean certain… Read More »Hey Writers: Here’s Why You Haven’t Scored Representation Yet

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1 Killer Screenwriting Trick From Walter Hill (ALIEN)

  • April 3, 2022April 27, 2022

About Walter Hill Walter Hill is a director, screenwriter and producer with a super-shiny resumé. He is the writer-director of the classic gang warfare movie The Warriors, an adaptation of the novel by Sol Yurick. Known primarily for the action genre, Hill has worked with all kinds of Hollywood royalty such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (Red Heat); Eddie Murphy (48 Hours and Another 48 Hours); Sylvester Stallone and Jason Momoa (Bullet to The Head); and even Steve McQueen and Sam Peckinpah (Hardboiled crime author Jim Thompson’s The Getaway). But even with all that in mind, Hill is perhaps most famous for producing… Read More »1 Killer Screenwriting Trick From Walter Hill (ALIEN)

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Javier Grillo-Marxuach: ‘Lost Was NOT Purgatory’ (And Other Tales)

  • March 13, 2022March 14, 2022

About Javier Grillo-Marxuach Javier Grillo-Marxuach is a screenwriter and producer. He has the kind of resumé most Bang2writers would kill for, including iconic shows like Charmed and Lost. He’s continued with fantastic modern TV such as The Witcher, The 100 and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance as well. Wow! I was delighted to Zoom with Javier recently. I love high concept, dystopian and post-apocalyptic story worlds. He’s literally worked on some of my favourite shows that have influenced my own writing! Javier also wrote the AMAZING 11 Laws of show running, an online essay/memo which really requires its own post.… Read More »Javier Grillo-Marxuach: ‘Lost Was NOT Purgatory’ (And Other Tales)

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Cobra Kai: 5 Lessons In Turning A Movie Into A Great TV Series

Karate Kid Becomes Cobra Kai Everyone seems to be talking about Cobra Kai. Except for the scene of Mr. Miyagi catching a fly with his chopsticks and the iconic “Wax On, Wax Off” I never thought Karate Kid was a movie worth revisiting. The original movie of 1984 turned into a franchise of Karate Kid 2 (1986) & Karate Kid 3 (1989). A remake in 2010 was not proof it was worth reconsidering my verdict. However, the last few months I kept hearing about how Cobra Kai is such a great series. Netflix kept popping it up as a suggestion for… Read More »Cobra Kai: 5 Lessons In Turning A Movie Into A Great TV Series

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Top 5 Tips For Writing A Compelling Antihero

All About The Antihero In recent years, audiences and readers have really got behind the antihero character. I love to write antiheroes in my own work, plus I love to watch them on television and in movies. I also read them in novels too. In short, I am OBSESSED with them just like everyone else! For a long time, protagonists were super-good and antagonists were super-bad. This worked at the time because it’s what audiences wanted … BUT it raised a lot of issues, too. Because of the lack of general diversity, antagonists were often villains that were coded as… Read More »Top 5 Tips For Writing A Compelling Antihero

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30 Top Tips For Your Younger (Writer) Self

  • January 31, 2022January 31, 2022

Advice For Your Younger (Writer) Self Got some advice for your younger (writer) self? It’s so easy to look back with hindsight and go ‘Ooops! My younger (writer) self was a bit of a tit.‘ Yup … Been there, done that! I sat down and identified a whopping 30 pieces of advice for our younger (writer) selves. Have I missed any?? Be sure to add your own in the comments. Let’s go … 1) Start NOW Seriously … now. Don’t wait. Conditions will always be impossible and the odds will never get better. So get going! 2) Follow your passion Never… Read More »30 Top Tips For Your Younger (Writer) Self

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5 Things I Learned From Screenwriter Stephen Beresford (PRIDE)

  • January 23, 2022January 24, 2022

Talking To Stephen Beresford Stephen Beresford is an actor and screenwriter, who wrote the award-winning British lgbtq+ movie Pride. I had the pleasure of talking with him about getting the film made, his writing process, and any tips he had. Here’s what I learned. 1) There’s value in truth While the UK film industry is only roughly half of its American counterpart ($6.4bn compared to $11.4bn), there’s always something quite special when a new British film comes out, perhaps because the industry is so incredibly choosy. According to Stephen, the UK film industry is very conservative, but having something based… Read More »5 Things I Learned From Screenwriter Stephen Beresford (PRIDE)

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3 Top Tips From Hardboiled Writer Jim Thompson

  • January 16, 2022January 16, 2022

All About Jim Thompson (1906 – 1977) Jim Thompson may not be the most immediately recognisable of famous novelist names, but he’s my favourite writer of all time. A screenwriter as well as author, Thompson wrote over thirty novels. Known for hardboiled crime fiction (my ultimate fave subgenre by the way), Thompson received positive critical acclaim, but little commercial notice in his lifetime. His best-received novels include The Killer Inside Me, The Getaway and Pop. 1280. My personal favourite of his is The Grifters. I love Thompson’s work because nearly every person in his stories is not just an antihero,… Read More »3 Top Tips From Hardboiled Writer Jim Thompson

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5 Times It’s Okay To Write Stereotypes (Really!)

  • January 10, 2022May 9, 2022

Writing Stereotypes So it’s accepted modern writing wisdom that writers should never, ever, ever, ever write stereotypes. A stereotype is a simplification, a short-hand if you will. It’s generally thought nowadays that only BAD writers use stereotypes. But what if I told you stereotypes are a writing TOOL like any other … it just depends how that tool is USED??? Really!! Writers can use stereotypes whenever they want … as long as it’s ON PURPOSE, not by accident. But what does ‘on purpose’ mean? Check out the below and pass it on to your writer friends and followers. Let’s go! 1) For… Read More »5 Times It’s Okay To Write Stereotypes (Really!)

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