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Philosophy

30 Quotes Writers Need To Know To Keep Motivated

Keeping Motivated Keeping motivated is hard … Whether you are stuck on the last chapter of your novel, or you’re just sitting down to write the first, a little motivation can go a long way. If you need a little extra help in staying motivated, this is just the article for you. Below are some of the best quotes from your fellow writers to inspire you to set aside self-doubt and just keep writing. 1) Anne Lamott “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” MORE: 7 Motivational Quotes From Shonda Rhimes  2) Mary Lee Settle… Read More »30 Quotes Writers Need To Know To Keep Motivated

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4 Things I’ve Learned From Beta Readers

Beta readers are so important (also known as ‘peer reviewers’ in there screenwriting world)! Many thanks to screenwriter and novelist Keith Ndenga Kinambuga today. He’s written a great article about what we can learn from beta readers. Be sure to check out his books at the bottom of the post. Don’t forget too you’re welcome to look for beta readers and peer reviewers in The B2W Facebook group, that’s one of the primary purposes of the group. Enjoy! All About Beta Readers One of the toughest things for anyone to accept is criticism. It is especially tough for the createive… Read More »4 Things I’ve Learned From Beta Readers

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Feeling Blocked? How To Get Through It

Blocked City Welcome to Blocked City. Population: you. And the rest of us writers. This place is very busy!!! You may have heard that ‘there’s no such thing’ as Writer’s Block. I beg to differ.  I hear from Bang2writers all the time about how they feel blocked … And if that is how they feel, then it’s real to them! I have also felt the anxiety and pressure of deadlines, which in turn has made me feel less creative. It can be a vicious circle. This is why I like the infographic below, which puts the whole problem under the… Read More »Feeling Blocked? How To Get Through It

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7 Things I Learned As A Writer From Reality TV

This Is Reality? Reality TV gets a bad rap. You don’t have to go far to discover people denigrating it, both online and in real life. It’s considered the opiate of the masses, sometimes exploitative and/or generally not very stimulating in any meaningful way. In fact, this is such a popular opinion that comedian Bill Hicks’ infamous Executive 11110 (‘You are free, to do as we tell you‘) skit could replace ‘American Gladiators’ with, ‘Here’s reality TV! Here’s 56 channels of it!’ some twenty five years on, easily. (Though in real terms I suspect there there would probably be more than… Read More »7 Things I Learned As A Writer From Reality TV

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We Need To Talk About Lionel Shriver

Shriver Roars Again Is Lionel Shriver okay? The reason I feel I have to ask is because she’s been making waves AGAIN about diversity in the arts. So much so, it would seem she’s got herself booted off the judging panel of the Myslexia short story contest, as you may have seen on social media yesterday: (Being so against the concept of diversity I’m only surprised Shriver ever wanted to be part of a judging panel that ‘favours’ female writers when they ‘should’ be picked SOLELY ON THEIR MERIT, but moving swiftly onwards). But Who Is Lionel Shriver? But okay,… Read More »We Need To Talk About Lionel Shriver

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7 Reminders To Cope With Non-Writers Who Just Don’t Get It

Non-Writers are THE WORST It might be harsh and really UNfair, but it seems like many non-writers *think* they know what this writing lark is all about! If your parents, siblings or spouse reckon you spend all your time mucking about the internet, you are NOT alone. One of the common laments I hear most often from my Bang2writers is their families don’t understand they’re WORKING when they’re on the computer, or that they’re not ‘playing’ at being writers. As if! With this in mind then, I went searching for some fun graphics online that will get you through it… Read More »7 Reminders To Cope With Non-Writers Who Just Don’t Get It

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Mental Health

All About Mental Health in Writing Good mental health is key in writing … not just for us as creatives, either! As writers we also need to represent mental health in authentic and meaningful ways in our writing too, as I described in my previous article on How To Challenge Stigma In Your Writing. So I’m delighted to welcome junior psychiatrist and author Rosie Claverton with some big NO-NOs and pitfalls to avoid in your scripts and novels. Over to you, Rosie … Mental Health Representations As we talk more about mental health, depictions of people with mental health problems… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Mental Health

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How To Challenge Stigma In Your Writing

Stigma Subjects Stigma is defined in the dictionary as ‘a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one’s reputation’. Sadly, there are many subjects and things that have a stigma attached, even in today’s more enlightened times.  Two such stigma subjects include suicide and rape, especially when it happens to young men. Did you know: That 84 men under the age of forty five in the UK take their lives per week? (Stats HERE). 75,000 men in the UK per year – yes, 75K! – were estimated to be sexual assault survivors, with 9K victims raped (or… Read More »How To Challenge Stigma In Your Writing

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6 Ways To Get Great Writing Ideas From Social Media

Social media gets a bad rap as a ‘time suck’ for writers, but as any Bang2writer knows, I think social media is BRILLIANT for us … Not only can we get ideas and inspiration, we can use it as a ‘water cooler’ to chat ideas through (either overtly or covertly). We can crowd fund for opinions and answers to our queries, as well as observe debates, talks and even flame wars too. What’s more, we can even find out what our potential audiences are interested in (or conversely, NOT interested in!) too — this is one of the main reasons… Read More »6 Ways To Get Great Writing Ideas From Social Media

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How BLADE RUNNER 2049 Confuses All Its Critics

Mild Spoilers Box Office Whoa In a week in which *that* news broke about movie mogul Harvey Weinstein broke, you’d be forgiven for missing that BLADE RUNNER 2049 apparently bombed at the box office. Of course, this may not be that big a deal in the long run … After all, the original also bombed back in 1982. What’s more, apparently the original didn’t review well, unlike 2049 which has that hallowed FRESH rating on Rotten Tomatoes (88%, no less). Once Awards Season and ancillary markets are factored in, there’ every chance 2049 will earn its place in popular culture… Read More »How BLADE RUNNER 2049 Confuses All Its Critics

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The Art Of The Unspoken: Give Your Reader A Chance To Fill In The Rest

If you want your readers to NOT get bored with a stereotypical ending and/or to keep them hooked, then it is high time for you to learn about The Art of the Unspoken! This technique can be hard to grasp and utilise effectively at first, but it means you will give your readers chance to fill in the rest WITHOUT you needing to be ‘on the nose’ with it. These 7 tips will make your journey to creating the breathtaking mysterious atmosphere easier. Chew on these for size: 1) Pacing With a purpose to create a mystery you need to control… Read More »The Art Of The Unspoken: Give Your Reader A Chance To Fill In The Rest

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How To Be A Successful Writer, Defined By 5 Facebook Memes

Do you love memes? If you love memes, join the club! They seem to be everywhere these days. ‘A picture tells a thousand words’ is an adage has always been a favourite of mine as a writer. Its application to screenwriting is obvious, but even as a novelist CREATING WORD PICTURES helps us keep own track so that we ‘show, don’t tell’. This is why memes are so popular in the internet age, especially on platforms such as Facebook. Memes are defined as: So, for the uninitiated, memes have always been here, it’s just now they’re much more obvious and in… Read More »How To Be A Successful Writer, Defined By 5 Facebook Memes

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