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Top 5 Concept Mistakes Writers Make

Concept IS Story Concept aka ‘premise’, ‘controlling idea’, ‘seed of the story’. Whatever you want to call it, that concept is the FOUNDATION of your story, whether you’re writing a novel or screenplay. Contrary to the popular belief amongst ‘aspiring’ screenwriters on social media that it’s ‘the execution that counts’ (newsflash: it’s NOT), concept is actually the MOST IMPORTANT BIT. Why? Because if your concept does not sound interesting from pitch level UP, then no one will invest their time or money in your work – whether they are agents, producers, publishers, viewers or readers.  It’s not rocket science!!! Concept… Read More »Top 5 Concept Mistakes Writers Make

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38 Good Reasons Your Script Might Get Rejected

Has Your Script Been Rejected? If your script has been rejected, you may be feeling confused and despondent right now. Often it’s hard to know why your script did not advance … especially when we compare our scripts to friends’ work, or produced stuff. You may remember this infographic from when it was doing the rounds three or four years back. I thought I’d revisit it and see if anything has radically changed in how I view it from B2W’s POV as a script reader and script editor. Since this blog always posits there’s no ‘right’ way to write (just… Read More »38 Good Reasons Your Script Might Get Rejected

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THIS Is The Difference Between Amateur And Pro Writers

Amateur Concepts I’m not a big fan of the notion of ‘the amateur or aspiring writer’, or professionals only being counted if they earn money from their writing. As far as I am concerned, if you write, you are a writer. End of. But every now and again I will see a writer post about their work in progress, asking for feedback for their story/concept. It might be a novel or a screenplay. Hell, it might even be a half-decent pitch in terms of actual layout, language. Probably because of this, my heart will sink even further for them. Why?… Read More »THIS Is The Difference Between Amateur And Pro Writers

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An Epic Rant On Why You NEED Writing Craft

Rules, Schmules Writing craft gets a bad rap. After all, it’s  just ‘rules’ right?? And rules are made to be broken! NO. A million times, multiplied by infinity crossed with eternity into Dante’s 7 circles of Hell — NO!! Writing craft is NOT about rules. Hell, writing craft is not even about guidelines. These things are non-negotiables and frankly, THE VERY LEAST YOU CAN DO. But do YOU know which parts of craft you’re missing, under-utilising or plain misunderstanding in terms of your writing craft? Do you know what to do about it? Do you understand how thee craft elements… Read More »An Epic Rant On Why You NEED Writing Craft

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Help! My Story Is Unclear – What Do I Do???

Every week I come across a writer who is confused and despondent about their draft. This is more often than not because their story is unclear on the actual page, yet it’s clear in their head. There will be a disconnect between what they want to write and it hitting the ‘bull’s eye’ for the reader. Supersadface. Nine times out of ten, a draft’s story is unclear because the writer has some kind of craft problem. This will usually relate to concept, character and structure. Basically, these are the ‘holy trinity’ in terms of making your potential audience UNDERSTAND what… Read More »Help! My Story Is Unclear – What Do I Do???

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5 Steps To The Perfect Elevator Pitch

Whether you’re writing a TV script, a book or perhaps designing the next must-have app, executing your idea is only the start of a rocky (but enjoyable!) journey. The simple truth is, investors won’t know about your product until they’re told – and you might only get one chance to tell them. It’s for this reason that you have to nail your elevator pitch – the pitch that perfectly sums up your product or idea so succinctly, you could tell an investor all about it during an elevator ride. Here’s what you need to do: 1) Go straight to the… Read More »5 Steps To The Perfect Elevator Pitch

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7 Simple Things ALL Writers Should Know

Thanks to the internet and the plethora of advice around (like on this blog!), anyone can become a writer. But this doesn’t mean writers’ lives have become easy. Writing still requires dedication, persistence, and hard work! So, whether you’ve just decided to become a writer, or are a seasoned veteran – or somewhere in-between! – then remember these 7 crucial things: 1) The Basics ALWAYS Matter It might be tempting to simply start writing. However, this could be a mistake in the long run. While some writers think typos and grammatical errors are insignificant, readers actually pay attention to these… Read More »7 Simple Things ALL Writers Should Know

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How To Win At Screenwriting Competitions

Many thanks to Phil Gladwin for this GREAT insight into the Screenwriting Goldmine contest, which is open for submissions at the moment. Phil is a script editor and fab champion of writers, so make sure you check out his previous articles on B2W too before you submit: Is Your Writing READY? AKA 12 Questions To Ask Of Your Writing How To Beat The Gatekeepers – Terrifying Case Study From Screenwriting Goldmine And if you enter the contest, GOOD LUCK! Over to you, Phil … It’s that time again. Scripts from new writers from around the UK are dropping into my… Read More »How To Win At Screenwriting Competitions

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The 1 Thing That Makes Stories Crash And Burn

A little recap So, at base level, we know we need to be able to identify our story concepts. If we can’t do that as the writer, no one else can either. In short, without an identifiable concept, we got nuthin’! What’s more, we all know our story concepts need to be marketable, if we’re going to stand our best chance of our scripts and novels getting produced or published. But how do we make sure? Well, we road test our concepts of course! But–But–But … … Sometimes it still goes wrong, even if we’ve tried doing the above. Supersadface.… Read More »The 1 Thing That Makes Stories Crash And Burn

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11 Questions To Ask when Starting Your Screenplay

Many thanks to Aaron Mendolsohn who’s sharing a 20% discount with you lucky Bang2writers on his book, The 11 Fundamental Questions: A Guide To A Better Screenplay. Now, I’ve read Aaron’s book and what I like about it is how it’s so short and to the point, yet breaks down some really valuable pointers for any writer putting their concept under the microscope. It’s just 41 pages and illustrated, so not a tough read; plus it also relates all Aaron’s pointers to produced content, both recent and classic, so you can see his advice ‘in action’. I’ve written about the… Read More »11 Questions To Ask when Starting Your Screenplay

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5 Lessons I Learned Pitching

As an unrepresented writer (and even one WITH an agent!), it’s essential to do your own groundwork to get your first foot in this business … And there’s no bigger step you can take than pitching your own material, the baby you’ve nurtured so tirelessly since its conception! It should be noted that every pitch you ever perform will be different. No two execs are ever the same. However, there’s some universal insights that will greatly benefit you. These following lessons relate to a project of mine, The Nth Degree, which is an espionage thriller with a sci-fi twist. This… Read More »5 Lessons I Learned Pitching

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How NOT To Pitch Agents: 21 Tips For Writers

How Not to Pitch Agents If you want to pitch agents, you have come to the right place. One of the most oft-hit articles on B2W is 29 Ways NOT To Submit To An Agent by BFLA’s Carole Blake. So, with LondonSWF around the corner, I thought now was a good time to invite another agent to give her tips … So please welcome Jennifer Johnson-Blalock! Jennifer is a lit agent in New York and is offering her top tips on how NOT to pitch at conferences and pitchfests. There’s some stellar advice here on how to pitch agents, so… Read More »How NOT To Pitch Agents: 21 Tips For Writers

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