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8 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Comedy Screenplay DEAD

Being gifted at comedy always makes people popular. Why? Because no one EVER says, “You know what I need to do LESS in my life?? Laugh.”  On this basis then, writing comedy is a great way to get you and/or your work noticed. But, just like other genres that have their own specific pitfalls, comedy is no different. Feast your eyes on these issues that can make your comedy craptacular and your funny fizzle out in your spec screenplay: 1) Forget Physical Comedy Funny dialogue is absolutely essential in comedy screenplays, whether feature, TV pilot, sitcom or short film. However,… Read More »8 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Comedy Screenplay DEAD

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Top 10 Writing Misconceptions

Whenever anyone asks what I do and I reply, “I’m a writer” and/or “I’m a script editor“, they’ll reply, “Wow! How interesting.” My reaction to this is always an indulgent, “Awwwwwwwww …” because as anyone knows, there’s a STACK of misconceptions laypeople (and indeed other writers!) have about writing in general. Here’s just ten of them … Enjoy! 1) Writers love writing Hahahaha. No. And Yes. And NO NO NO NO … just no. I hate writing SO MUCH. Except when I don’t and it’s awesome. MORE: 7 Writing Reminders 2) Writing is all about talent Some of us are uber-talented.… Read More »Top 10 Writing Misconceptions

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10 Common Errors In Your Writing You Need To Fix Right Now

Common Writing Errors When it comes to common writing errors, there are PLENTY doing the rounds in the spec pile. Rightly or wrongly, this is how ‘professional writing’ is perceived … Professional formatting + Professional layout + Professional grammar, spelling & punctuation = Professional writing. It’s not rocket science. Look, the odd mistake or typo will always slip through. NO reader, agent, producer or assistant worth their salt will ever care about that. What we’re talking about are the CONSISTENT CLANGERS that can get you marked down, or worse, thrown in the dreaded OUT tray! So here’s a list of those… Read More »10 Common Errors In Your Writing You Need To Fix Right Now

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3 Reasons You Are NOT Your Writing

Writing. It’s part of us, we give it life; we sweat and bleed it out on to the page, regardless of *what* we’re writing, screenplay or novel. Some even liken the writing and editing process to giving birth (though I have to say, giving birth is distinctly more painful in my experience; as is parenthood itself, but moving on). So it’s not difficult to see why so many writers believe they ARE their writing …. Especially (but not limited to) the unproduced and unpublished. I will confess, even I find it a romantic and appealing notion; perhaps even a reward… Read More »3 Reasons You Are NOT Your Writing

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3 Ways To Transform From “Self Publisher” to “Indie Author”

   Self-publisher. Vanity Press. Independent Author. You say tomater, I say tomato, right? Not at all. Unless you’ve been locked in Christian Grey’s Red Room of Pleasure for the past few years, you’ll be aware of the self-publishing revolution. The success stories are fifty shades of publishing folklore – but it isn’t universally good news. Now that any muppet with opposable thumbs can become a published author, it’s incredibly hard to make your work stand out. Assuming you haven’t chosen traditional publishing – or it hasn’t chosen you – there are broadly three ways to get your book out there:… Read More »3 Ways To Transform From “Self Publisher” to “Indie Author”

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What Does “The Same … But Different” Mean? A Case Study

** No Real Spoilers ** So last weekend I watched DOM HEMINGWAY (2013) with @BrideofChrist, who despite her Twitter handle is actually one saucy little minx. It’s definitely a “Marmite” kind of film: you’re bound to love it OR hate it – and a lot of people hated it, apparently  (but let’s face it, as I always say, a reaction is better than “meh”), so rather predictably then, I LOVED IT. What was perhaps most interesting about DOM HEMINGWAY however was the fact I was aware of just how *different* it was, right from the very first second. It’s these… Read More »What Does “The Same … But Different” Mean? A Case Study

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Top 5 Tips On Becoming A Great Content Writer

Some great writing tips today if you want to be a content writer – and even if you don’t, they’re STILL applicable! Thanks Austin! Whenever I tell someone what I do for a living, 9 out of 10 times they give me a blank look. Unless you work for an online business, very few people actually know what a “content writer” is.  A content writer or a website content writer is someone who specializes in providing relevant content for websites. If you want to write for a living or need some extra cash, this is a great job. All you… Read More »Top 5 Tips On Becoming A Great Content Writer

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10 Of The Worst Screenplay & Novel “Fillers”

Okkkkkkkkkk, so we all know “scene description is scene action” in our screenplays and that we should be kickstarting the prose in our novels, right? RIGHT??? Um, no. We don’t it seems, which is why there’s a stack of scripts and novels with what I call “Fillers” in them … those “actions” and moments that AREN’T REALLY ACTIONS AT ALL, but just a way of breaking up dialogue in screenplays, or filling up space in novels, just for the sake of it rather than any “real” character or story-based reason. Now, we’re ALL guilty of shoving a “Filler” in an… Read More »10 Of The Worst Screenplay & Novel “Fillers”

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7 Ways To Name Your Characters

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”  Names. They’re important. They’re not important. It depends. For me, names are important. I spent a long time choosing my children’s. I had various reasons for this and the names I chose (and I did choose them all; my Husband had power of veto, but we came to the agreement I carried the babies, so I named them. And no, don’t feel sorry for him – he suggested this!). Ultimately, I wanted a name for each of the children with a meaning… Read More »7 Ways To Name Your Characters

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8 Ways To Jump Start Your Novel’s Description

All About Novel Description The quality of your novel’s description can make or break your book. Novel description is one of the most important elements to be judged when you send it to an agent or publisher (or direct with a reader if you’re self publishing). Yes, yes we all *know* this … Yet STILL all too often writers do not invest in their novel description adequately. As a result authors drop a multitude of description clangers. This serves only to dissuade agents, publishers or readers from engaging with the story in front of them. So what to do? Don’t… Read More »8 Ways To Jump Start Your Novel’s Description

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5 Killer Errors That Will Sink Your Reputation … And Ways You Can Fix Them!

Killer Errors No one likes to think about spelling and punctuation errors in their writing. It’s the story that’s important. No-one’s gonna care about typos when it’s the content that counts. It’ll get corrected when it’s typeset. Yada yada yada. You can make excuses until you’re blue in the face, but the fact remains that literary professionals (including script readers) like to read well written English and if you’ve got pesky errors you will set off their grammar police sirens. Thing is, though, these mistakes are far easier to check for and to correct than you think. It just takes… Read More »5 Killer Errors That Will Sink Your Reputation … And Ways You Can Fix Them!

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5 Tips For Writing Period Movies

I love being transported by movies, not just entertained, but transported, moved up the ladder to a different reality. I love walking out of the cinema with a story and storyworld still sticking to me, like napalm in the morning. This explains why I’m attracted to period pieces (and “period piece” also includes science fiction films, which are period pieces that look forward rather than backward). A lot of my screenwriting – paid gigs and spec work both – has focused on slips up or down the timeline. So here are a few guideposts that have been helpful to me… Read More »5 Tips For Writing Period Movies

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