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How Intercut Can Help Tell Your Story In Just 8 pictures

All About Intercut Whether you’re writing a screenplay or a novel, intercut can help you tell your story. An intercut is a storytelling technique used to rapidly switch back and forth between two different locations. This might be during a phone call, text message conversation, or parallel action. An intercut frequently plays around with the sense of time in your story, too. They may reference something that has happened in the past. However, intercuts can also reference to the future, to different versions of ‘now’ (whatever that means), or even thoughts and feelings. When Intercuts Go Wrong While intercuts are… Read More »How Intercut Can Help Tell Your Story In Just 8 pictures

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Short Films

Short Film Mistakes Writing short films is exceptionally difficult. In recent years, many film festivals have started to prioritise short films that are ten minutes or under. Telling a story in such a short timeframe is a big challenge. As a script editor, I’ve spent a lot of time in the world of short films. In the past 20+ years I have been … Involved with numerous produced films, including award winners & nominated ones A judge for Shore Scripts’ Short Film Fund A mentor on numerous screen agency short film schemes, including BFI New Voices Part of the steering… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Short Films

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How Mystery Works: 7 Steps For Writing One In Your Screenplay or Novel

Writing A Mystery Writing a mystery is HARD. I’ve published ten novels now, many of them crime fiction. However, any genre in any medium can benefit from a mystery component. Police procedurals and domestic noir are the key subgenres that use mystery components. There have been over two hundred years of detective novels, plus modern psychological thrillers are super-popular with readers. On TV and in movies, there are frequently mysteries at the heart of thrillers, political or otherwise. We may see them in workplace shows (such as police, but also medical shows in which finding a diagnosis is key). They… Read More »How Mystery Works: 7 Steps For Writing One In Your Screenplay or Novel

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Overwhelmed With Writing? Stop Screwing Around and Do These 3 Things

Feeling Overwhelmed With Writing? If you’re feeling overwhelmed with writing right now, you’re not alone. But let’s cut the crap. If you’re a writer saying things like: “I have so many ideas, but I can’t commit to just one.”  “I just don’t know which idea will help my career the most.”  “I start writing, then realise I hate my story.” Then you do NOT have a special, rare creative problem. All of the above is NORMAL. So here’s a response that might make you mad AF at me, but here goes … … You have AVOIDANCE Avoidance is probably the… Read More »Overwhelmed With Writing? Stop Screwing Around and Do These 3 Things

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Into The Spec Pile: 12 Quick Tips On Making Your Submission Stand Out

Into The Spec Pile I’ve been diving into the spec pile of screenplays and novels for 20+ years now. ‘Spec’ is short for ‘speculative’, meaning no one in the industry has asked the writer to create that story. Instead, the writers have done it themselves ‘on spec’. I always call it the SPEC pile rather than the more common ‘slush pile’. To me, ‘spec pile’ is much more neutral, whereas ‘slush pile’ seems very derogatory. It is essential to remember that ANY story – script or novel – is someone’s hopes and dreams. However, I also like to shine a… Read More »Into The Spec Pile: 12 Quick Tips On Making Your Submission Stand Out

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5 Pitch Deck FAILS That Make Industry Pros Say, ‘I’m Out’

Pitch Deck FAILS I’ve seen a LOT of pitch deck fails in my time as a script editor here at B2W. And whether it’s film funds, script labs or co-production markets, the same problems show up again and again. Here are 5 red flags that make professionals quietly close your deck before you’ve even got to the good bits. Ready? Let’s go! 1) Opening with a bloody quote Look, I get it: you love storytelling. You’re deep, poetic, meaningful. Maybe even a bit mystical. But that’s not what your pitch deck is for!! Agents, investors, broadcasters, producers want clarity and… Read More »5 Pitch Deck FAILS That Make Industry Pros Say, ‘I’m Out’

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#1 Error That Kills Interest In Your Pitch 100% Of The Time

#1 Error That Kills Your Pitch Obviously there are lots of ways to kill your pitch, but there’s a #1 error I see most often. This error is so widespread and so simple, you’ll kick yourself once you see it … … HIDING your story behind intangible, thematic stuff. In other words, writers go for VIBES over the actual events of the story. Instead of being overt about what literally happens, the writer will fall back on that #1 pitching error like this … A retired bodyguard faces his demons from his traumatic past as he guides a kidnapped girl… Read More »#1 Error That Kills Interest In Your Pitch 100% Of The Time

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3 Top Tips On Querying Via Email (Plus 3 Cringey Things to Avoid)

Query Via Email Email is a much abused and misunderstood tool when it comes to querying. Yet sending query emails is your first line of attack and is a great way of getting your writing solicited. Sadly, most query emails however are badly worded, weird and/or generally needy. This makes it very easy for agents, producers and their assistants to delete or send that “no unsolicited material” link back to writers. Supersadface. But as we know, it’s perfectly possible to get your screenplay solicited, EVEN IF that company’s official line is “no unsolicited material”! So how do we do that?? Model… Read More »3 Top Tips On Querying Via Email (Plus 3 Cringey Things to Avoid)

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How To Write A Logline: 5 Key Tips To Remember (And 5 To Avoid)

How To Write A Logline ‘How to write a logline’ brings Bangers to this blog every single day.  Here’s a round-up of the topic, divided into DOs and DON’Ts. Ready? Let’s go … A logline is a one-sentence summary of your story that outlines the conflict and sets up the stakes. It’s the boiled-down version of your story that you use to sell your script or project to industry pros like agents, producers or investors. Here are 5 key tips on how to write a logline … and 5 to avoid! 1) DO: Keep it short and sweet! Remember, a… Read More »How To Write A Logline: 5 Key Tips To Remember (And 5 To Avoid)

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Top 5 Reasons Producers Don’t Like Your Pitches

Your Next Step: Finding Producers You’ve got the script. You’re ready to get it made. Finding producers is your next step. But nobody seems to want to work on it with you. In fact, a lot of producers aren’t even replying to you!  So let’s see where you might be going wrong … Ready? Let’s go!  5) You didn’t make it personal Quite simply, you’re contacting a producer with no personal connection or interest in what you’re pitching. A producer will likely spend 6 months – 3 years devoted to a short film, and much longer for anything else. They’re… Read More »Top 5 Reasons Producers Don’t Like Your Pitches

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5 Simple Steps To Getting Your Draft Written

Writing The First Draft Feeling stressed because you can’t move forwards towards your draft? You’re not alone. When we first conceive of an idea for a screenplay or novel, we often falter. This is because we are not used to being able to write whatever we want. This means we can get overwhelmed quickly. In addition, if no one is waiting on our draft, it can be hard to focus. This is one of the reasons I pulled together The B2W Screenwriter’s Roadmap (though you can use it to write novels too – I do!). But Bangers got in touch… Read More »5 Simple Steps To Getting Your Draft Written

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FREE RESOURCE: The Screenwriter’s Road Map

Ever feel in need of some direction? Bang2writers often tell me they feel they need a road map to help them with their projects. One common issue many writers have is the fact we can write ANYTHING … and that lack of clear perimeters can feel very daunting indeed. Add to that other challenges like neurodivergence, family commitments, or day jobs … well it’s obvious that focusing on our writing can feel like an impossible task. Introducing: The Screenwriter’s Road Map Free Resource The Screenwriter’s Road Map is a new FREE resource for you to download. After chatting with Bangers… Read More »FREE RESOURCE: The Screenwriter’s Road Map

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