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10 Quick Tips From TV Showrunner Ashley Pharoah

About Ashley Pharoah  Ashley Pharoah is a British screenwriter and television producer. He is best known as the co-creator/writer of TV classic drama LIFE ON MARS and creator/writer of the family drama WILD AT HEART, BONEKICKERS and THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. He’s currently working on an adaptation of AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS with David Tennant playing Phileas Fogg. Lots of you Bang2writers love genre and television, so I thought I’d ask Ashley for his top tips on getting ahead. Ready? Let’s go! 1) Concept is key This is a tip after B2W’s heart … After all, as… Read More »10 Quick Tips From TV Showrunner Ashley Pharoah

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Women

Writing Women Character development is a part of writing mined with lethal pitfalls even at the best of times. But for male authors writing women, or vice versa, the challenge is made more problematic by one pretty large obstacle: gaining insight into the opposite sex. So in a bid to see more authentic women grace our pages, I’m here to address five common pitfalls authors run into when writing women, and how you can circumvent them! 1) Substituting appearance for personality The problems tend to fall thick and fast within the first few pages. Lots of writers introduce a female… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Women

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing School Scenes

Prepare To Get Schooled! You probably went through the school system, so that means you know how to write a school-based scene, right? Nope …. Even if you only left school recently, the chances are that things have already changed. It’s important to do your homework if you want to get 10/10 for authenticity. Here’s my top 5 mistakes I see in school scenes with suggested alternatives (FYI – this is based on the British school system, so be sure to do your research on your own country). 1) Teachers arriving and leaving school at the same time as their students… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing School Scenes

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6 Genius Writers Share Their Writing Secrets

Genius Writers Do you have a favourite genius writer? Genius writers are those we admire. We may admire them for their craft, their work ethic, their perspective on life … Maybe all of this and more! I’ve always believed it’s a good idea to check out what others who’ve gone before us think … We can then decide ourselves if we agree, disagree or are neutral. In turn, this helps us work out how we see our own writing craft working. Look, before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, let’s get one thing cleared up. As every Bang2writer knows, there… Read More »6 Genius Writers Share Their Writing Secrets

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What Writers Can Learn From 5 Unusual Male Characters

On Male Characters When I say ‘name an unusual male character’, who do you think of? Whilst it’s true male characters tend to have more variety as standard, it’s still very easy to fall into expected tropes and characteristics. ‘The usual’ as we know is BORING! Since B2W is always banging on about going against the grain, here’s 5 unusual male characters we can learn from. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Detective Loki, Prisoners (2013) Why he’s unusual: Morally ambiguous Written by Aaron Guzikowski and directed by Denis Villeneuve, Prisoners is an unusual beast … A vigilante story with a… Read More »What Writers Can Learn From 5 Unusual Male Characters

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10 Things Every Great Character Needs

Developing Characters’ Needs Whether you’re a plot or character-driven writer, every story needs fleshed-out characters to engage readers. Read below for an easy checklist to make sure your characters are real enough to jump off the page. What Every Character Needs … 1) A Positive Quality More than likely you’ve heard of the book Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder. The title alone shows the need for developing a positive quality in your character. Even if your main character is meaner than your Aunt Lyda without her Dirty Coke and cigarettes, give him something readers can appreciate. He can care about… Read More »10 Things Every Great Character Needs

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: 10 Screenwriting Commandments From William Goldman

About William Goldman William Goldman was a novelist and screenwriter. If you’ve never heard of him, then where have you been?? His contribution to the creative arts is phenomenal. He was also a huge influence on B2W!! Goldman’s works include his thriller novel Marathon Man and his cult classic comedy/fantasy novel The Princess Bride, both of which he also adapted for the film versions. Goldman also won Oscars for his screenplays Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and All the President’s Men (1976). He also did a brilliant job of illuminating the process for writers in his non fiction books… Read More »IN THE SPOTLIGHT: 10 Screenwriting Commandments From William Goldman

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Yes, Male Writers CAN Write Fantastic Female Characters

Not ALL Male Writers It’s true, male writers can get a bum rap when writing about female characters. As the headline of this article suggests, OF COURSE male writers can write great female characters. In fact, some of my all-time favourites have literally been written by male writers!!! From my time as a script reader, I’d venture there’s no correlation between gender and talent of writers. This obviously means there will be GREAT writers who happen to be female … But it ALSO means a female writer will not automatically write a great female character too. No one knows where talent comes… Read More »Yes, Male Writers CAN Write Fantastic Female Characters

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Relationships

All about Relationships Relationships are the best, aren’t they? Not always – fortunately – otherwise they’d be dull to write about. Creating modern relationships for modern audiences does require staying fresh and relevant, however. Here’s what to avoid to make sure your fictional relationships don’t crash and burn (unless you want them to…). 1) Love is only for the Young  Falling in love can happen to anyone, at any time. We’ve seen the ‘two star-crossed lovers’ storyline play out for eons, so if you want a fresher way to approach this trope, you might have to look a little higher up the… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Relationships

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No, Diverse Characters DON’T Have To Drive The Plot

Diversity Drive Calm down Doris I have not lost the plot! The drive for more diversity (*cough* variety) in all stories is still very much part of this website. Obviously B2W would never advocate ‘ignoring’ the politics of characterisation. It’s literally this blog’s remit … I wrote an entire book about this subject, FFS!  So, what am I banging on about? Well, there’s a common misconception writers have about diversity in storytelling … They think diverse characters can ONLY exist for **plot reasons**. I’m here to say NOPE. Here’s why.  A Quick History Lesson Not so long ago, diverse characters… Read More »No, Diverse Characters DON’T Have To Drive The Plot

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Rethinking Masculinity: How To Write A Memorable Male Character

How Can A Character’s Masculinity Make Them Memorable? We are hopefully moving to a world where the main characters are not male by default. But rather than limiting roles for men, this can make masculinity an important character trait. Here are some Alpha Male-style protagonists and antagonists whose masculinity makes them both memorable and engaging. Let’s go … 1) Negan from The Walking Dead Negan is a sports teacher turned post-apocalyptic gang leader who sells himself as the great protector, even calling his group ‘The Saviours.’ He also  sets himself up as a playboy, with a harem of wives, and… Read More »Rethinking Masculinity: How To Write A Memorable Male Character

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Top 10 Diverse Male Characters In Movies And TV

Diverse Male Characters When Lucy asked me to compile my top 10 diverse male characters, I said, ‘Only 10??’  There are so many great diverse characters, so getting it down to ten was incredibly difficult. In no particular order then, here are my Top Ten Diverse Male Characters from stories I have enjoyed over the years. Which are your favourites? Make sure you share in the comments … 1) Pray Tell, Pose  Pray Tell from the TV series Pose, is a ball emcee and fashion designer. The love of his life is taken by aids, his close friend tests positive for HIV,… Read More »Top 10 Diverse Male Characters In Movies And TV

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