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Movie Lessons For Writers

What 5 Classic Horror Movies Can Teach Us About Theme & Structure

Horror Is In Big Demand In The 2020s Classic horror movies are not just entertaining, they can teach spec screenwriters and filmmakers A LOT. As most of us know, good horror is in demand in the 2020s. Budgets are being cut to the bone right now, thanks to the political and technological furore that has dogged the industry in the post-Covid era. In addition, horror is one of the few genres that can stand up in contained spaces easily, plus a lack of star power … IF it’s done well. I wanted to look at five of my personal favourite… Read More »What 5 Classic Horror Movies Can Teach Us About Theme & Structure

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Top 5 Monster Moments Of All Time In Movies

Iconic Monster Moments The best monster moments don’t always involve blood, screaming or a full reveal. Sometimes it’s a face behind someone who hasn’t seen it yet. Sometimes it’s a still image that moves when it bloody shouldn’t. These five scenes got under my skin and stayed there. Here’s why they work, and what horror writers can steal from them … Ready? Let’s go! 1) Ripley comes face to face with the Xenomorph  (Alien 3) Whaaaaaaat you say?? How about ‘Get away from her, you BITCH!’  Look, Ripley in the robotic loader versus the Alien Queen in Aliens is a… Read More »Top 5 Monster Moments Of All Time In Movies

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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 To Write An Interrogation Scene (And What Most Writers Get Wrong)

All About Interrogation Scenes Interrogation scenes can be exceptionally powerful in our stories. They can be tense, adding to cause and effect, escalating the story towards the showdown. They can also be the moment one character – on either side of the table! – can move from one state of being to another (whatever that means for the story). When writers hear the word “interrogation”, most of us immediately think of police procedurals. Detectives sitting under fluorescent lights trying to get a suspect to crack. Yet interrogation scenes crop up in virtually every genre and type of story imaginable! Such… Read More »How To Write An Interrogation Scene (And What Most Writers Get Wrong)

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What Writers Can Learn From The Short Film That Launched a $1 Billion Franchise

Selling, Not Selling Out ‘Write me a low-budget screenplay that launches a $1 billion dollar franchise.’  A producer said this in a room full of writers I was in, back at the very beginning of my career. To say it landed with me BIG TIME is an understatement. It made me realise that story is not the only thing writers must contend with. As a collaborative medium, it’s also our job to come up with ideas that SELL. Of course, this is where writers might say: ‘But I don’t want to sell out!’ I totally get this. It can seem… Read More »What Writers Can Learn From The Short Film That Launched a $1 Billion Franchise

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5 Reasons Why You Should Build Fear Into Your Story’s Turning Points

Why You Should Build Fear into Your Turning Points When it comes to storytelling, fear is more than a feeling; it’s an underlying force that runs through multiple story elements. Influencing plot, character arc and development, conflict, and theme, fear draws readers in and makes the story feel human and authentic. This emotion is at its most potent when plot and character arc dovetail to create the question readers most want to answer: Will the character surrender to their fear or master it? Using Turning Points to Plot a Character’s Fear Journey Turning points – those pivotal events or complications… Read More »5 Reasons Why You Should Build Fear Into Your Story’s Turning Points

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6 Of The Best: What The Music of Hans Zimmer Can Teach Writers

The Complete Hans Zimmer Narrative Storytelling Arc Playlist Hans Zimmer is probably the most prolific musician working in film and TV today. So many of his soundtracks are absolutely iconic. You likely have a favourite piece of his, even if you don’t actively listen to OSTs yourself. Humans love music, but what many writers don’t realise is that musicians are storytellers just like us. That is most obvious when a piece of music has lyrics, but it’s also the case for music WITHOUT words. Music and TV have music for mood, tone and genre, but it also tells a story… Read More »6 Of The Best: What The Music of Hans Zimmer Can Teach Writers

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5 Male Tropes Audiences And Readers Just Can’t Get Enough Of

Male Tropes To Watch Out For This blog may be known for critique of female characterisation, but that doesn’t mean male tropes don’t get a look in! I’ve been working on a new novel for 2026, so I’ve been researching male characterisation A LOT recently. Ready? Let’s go … 1) The Gentle Monster Example: Kofun in See (Apple TV+) Kofun is an outsider in his own world. He is physically powerful, raised in violence, but seeks connection over destruction. He is deeply sensitive and doesn’t want to harm anyone. Kofun’s refusal to lean into brutality makes him quietly radical in… Read More »5 Male Tropes Audiences And Readers Just Can’t Get Enough Of

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The Genius of THE SHINING: Foreshadowing and Dramatic Irony Done Right

Happy Halloween From B2W The Shining is one of my favourite movies of all time. You may have noticed my fab poster in the background of my Zooms, livestreams and selfies (below). One of the reasons it is one of my favourites is because it was part of my own writing journey. I first watched the movie when I was a teenager. I was a strange kid who loved to watch things over and over in a loop. In doing so, I realised there were a variety of ‘giveaways’ of what would happen in the story. I was confused at… Read More »The Genius of THE SHINING: Foreshadowing and Dramatic Irony Done Right

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The Curse of Plot Armour: Why Some Characters Can’t Die (and Why It Matters)

What Is Plot Armour? Plot armour is when a character cannot die in a story, no matter what happens to them. It’s … The smooth-talking hero who survives falling off skyscrapers, cliffs, out of planes without a parachute Villains who appear to be dead, yet inexplicably come back to life Kickass hotties who can stop bullets hitting them by being super-fast Characters with supernatural or scientific abilities that stop them dying (including superheroes) Hitmen who have a ‘bulletproof suit’  (hello, literal plot armour in John Wick 4!) Plot armour is most obvious in horror, fantasy or science fiction, though it… Read More »The Curse of Plot Armour: Why Some Characters Can’t Die (and Why It Matters)

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Destroy Role Models: Why Female Characters Don’t Need to Be ‘Good’

Female Characters = Role Models?? NO THANKS If I never hear the term ‘good role models’ applied to female characters ever again, it won’t be a moment too soon! When was the last time you heard a male character described as a good role model? Yeah, exactly — it doesn’t happen. Male characters are allowed to be whatever the story needs them to be. Good, bad or ugly, that male character doesn’t have a ‘standard’ applied to him.   This is especially true if the male character is white, straight, and able-bodied. Somehow, this ‘default guy’ is STILL given the… Read More »Destroy Role Models: Why Female Characters Don’t Need to Be ‘Good’

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