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On Writing: The 3 Cs Versus The 3 Ps

Bang2writers ask me quite frequently for my “top tips” on  surviving the writing process and this industry. Before now I always felt that it depends on the person, what they’re doing, how they work and who with. But actually, having worked on a variety of projects now with various people over the last ten years, I think there are 6 things all writers of ALL formats need to know and live by, whether they’re screenwriters, novelists, playwrights, journalists, transmedia writers, the works. That’s right – just 6. But they mean SO much – literally everything. 1. THE WRITING You need the… Read More »On Writing: The 3 Cs Versus The 3 Ps

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3 Killer Typos That Blow Writers Out The Water

I have an imaginary friend who wrote a 900-page novel about a secret war in a remote land under the snows of the Arctic; a land where five-year-olds carry mammoth-killing swords, all dwarfs speak with a Glaswegian accent, and warrior women wear chain-mail bikinis to the beach. Let’s call my friend Hubert. Hubert Q. Wetherill. Hubert’s novel, Age of Chronicles: Dragons of the Dark Demonic Kingdom of Frostbitten Darkness, took him seven years to write. Hubert is now in the market for an agent. But one piddling detail is going to sink his plans for total fan-girl domination at the… Read More »3 Killer Typos That Blow Writers Out The Water

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Published!

My first novel is out! It’s YA and about the fates of Elizabeth, a teen girl who is presented with ALL the scenarios of what *could* happen should she continue with her unplanned pregnancy … or not. Think SLIDING DOORS with a teen girl at the helm who has to make the biggest decision of her life! The English Title was BUT WHAT NEXT? but my German publishers Rowohlt have called it BAUCH-ENTSCHEIDUNG or GUT DECISION, which I love. I could’t be happier with the cover, either. German speaker? Then buy it on Amazon, today via this link or click… Read More »Published!

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The Best Worst Year

There are only so many days of your life. We all know this. But we don’t KNOW it … Not until it smacks us in the face. And if you’re lucky, then you will still have chance to have more days – because of the efforts of clever people like doctors & nurses; or because a hero or heroine has stepped in and saved the day. And you will be okay after all and you thank God or fate or just plain luck for it. But in those moments of realisation – I could have died just then – there… Read More »The Best Worst Year

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Top 7 Writing “Debates” To Avoid

I love the internet. Writers can plug in and get access to all the people, information and opportunities they could ever need. They can even create a whole career out of it via blogging and social media – that’s what I did. I didn’t even live in London. As I always say: anything is possible. But even an Internet Die Hard like me can get sick of the web, due to the SAME writing “debates” rolling around and around, two, three or even *more* times a year – and some of them NEVER seem to go away, despite the fact… Read More »Top 7 Writing “Debates” To Avoid

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Stuck In A Rut: 7 Ways You’re Sabotaging Yourself (And 1 Thing That Will Set You Free!)

Stuck In A Rut Is your writing stuck in a rut? You’re not alone. It’s  been a week since I posted *that* post about avoiding low budget depressing drama & high budget science fiction/fantasy spec scripts if you want to stand out from the crowd … And what a week! Some writers have been expressing: AMAZEBALLS! I TOTALLY GET IT! INVEST IN IDEAS! YAAAY! Others have been decidedly lukewarm: *Grumble grumble* MY SCRIPT IS ONE OF THOSE AND I HAVEN’T GOT ANY LEADS SO I “SPOSE” YOU “COULD” BE RIGHT *Grumble* … And others have said, point-blank: YOU’RE TOTALLY WRONG, GET… Read More »Stuck In A Rut: 7 Ways You’re Sabotaging Yourself (And 1 Thing That Will Set You Free!)

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Why Won’t My Spec Sell??

Every day people find this blog via the search, “Why won’t my spec script sell??” Once upon a time I would have sympathised and said a fair amount of luck comes into it. Whilst true, having been on enough projects that have sold now (and seen a disproportionate amount go down the flusher having never come close to selling), I think I get why, now. End of the day, it all comes to this: Are you writing your concept to FIT the industry? Or expecting the industry to FIT your concept? If the former, CONGRATULATIONS. You realise that it’s concept… Read More »Why Won’t My Spec Sell??

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Get Out There And Do It

Writers. They’re ace. I love them. And they’re everywhere. Go on Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn. Visit sites like Talent Circle and Shooting People. Go to an event like London Screenwriters Festival. There you’ll find writers, clumped together in groups, chatting about all kinds of stuff. It’s great and you feel at home. I get it. You feel like they *know* what the struggle is all about; you can relate to them, it’s easy. Being with other writers is inspiring and fun. You feel like you can do anything when there are writers by your side. But can you actually do anything… Read More »Get Out There And Do It

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Dark Marks, “Engaging The Feminine Heroic”, LondonSWF Breakfast Club

Many thanks to Alison Lucy (who loves me so much she changed her name!) for reporting back on yesterday’s LondonSWF Breakfast Club which featured top script consultant Dara Marks, who will be at the main event London Screenwriters Festival at the end of this month (buy your ticket here, with £22 off, quoting BANG2WRITE). Can’t wait! —————————————————— This morning I went to The Breakfast Club, a screenwriting event ran by the team that bring you The London Screenwriting Festival. The formula is simple, a slap up breakfast and an interesting speaker, this time it was lauded script consultant Dara Marks.… Read More »Dark Marks, “Engaging The Feminine Heroic”, LondonSWF Breakfast Club

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5 Traits Of A College Novel by Barbara Jolie

Bang2writer Barbara has written today’s post which I think is a really useful round up of common characteristics found in novels set in college (or university, to us UK readers). Very often writers attempt to “reinvent the wheel” and try and come up with entirely new elements for a genre, when it’s those elements their audiences actually WANT. So next time you’re thinking of what elements the genre you’re writing for has, try and balance what you want versus the audience wants. Good luck! Thousands of new books hit store shelves each year, and despite authors’ greatest efforts, many of… Read More »5 Traits Of A College Novel by Barbara Jolie

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Mystery and Confusion

Often, when I read a spec script or novel, I end up confused. This isn’t because I can’t *actually* read – an accusation levvied at readers by many a writer – but because there is a lack of clarity to the plot or characterisation. In other words, what is clear to the writer does not translate on the page to the reader. But what causes this? After all, everybody knows a story needs a beginning, middle and end. Usually, it’s because a writer will keep *something* back in order to supposedly create mystery. What happens instead however is the story… Read More »Mystery and Confusion

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Your Book Is Movie …

… I heard this advice at a seminar at London Book Fair 2010. It was a real watershed moment for me. It was quite literally the best advice I ever heard, because it finally unlocked the idea in my head that had been percolating for about five years, which enabled me to craft my novel so that it sold. But what does it mean? Seems to me there’s two ways of thinking about “your book is a movie”: Your book will want to “unlock” all possible markets … In other words, if your book can be easily adapted INTO a… Read More »Your Book Is Movie …

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