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5 Things I Learned From Being A Script Reader At A Film Festival

Film Festival Script Reader Twelve months I began reading scripts for a film festival. What started as a volunteer script reader gig of maybe 4-5 scripts per week, eventually morphed into an average of 9 scripts per day. This became just under 450 scripts in the last eight months alone. So what did I learn in that time? Quite a bit. 1) There are No Mistakes So let’s start with the first lesson I learned as a film festival script reader. First up, there’s arguably no such thing as a mistake in storytelling. There have been times where I have… Read More »5 Things I Learned From Being A Script Reader At A Film Festival

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How To Write A Protagonist Who Is A Total Asshole

Asshole, NOT Antihero So, you want to write a protagonist for your screenplay or novel that is a total asshole. There’s nothing wrong with doing this … but first, let’s identify what actually makes up an asshole protagonist. I’d first say an asshole character is NOT an antihero. As we know, antiheroes are in demand in the 2020s, both for male and female protagonists. An antihero is defined in the dictionary as simply ‘lacking traditional heroic attributes’. What this means is left open to interpretation. That said, since The Hero’s Journey is still super-popular, we can assume those traditional attributes are… Read More »How To Write A Protagonist Who Is A Total Asshole

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Should I Publish My Unproduced Screenplay To The Kindle?

Unproduced Screenplays You need to get your unproduced screenplay out there …  Every savvy Bang2writer knows this. But beyond building your own online platform, how can you get that unproduced screenplay in front of the people who matter? Recently I’ve had a number of enquiries from writers asking if they should publish their unproduced screenplays to Amazon Kindle. (They didn’t mean adapting their unproduced screenplay into a novel by the way … We’re talking straight-up publishing of the actual script to the Kindle). On the face of it, this might seem like a good idea. After all, Amazon is a… Read More »Should I Publish My Unproduced Screenplay To The Kindle?

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9 Massive Career Mistakes to Avoid Making as a Writer

How To Avoid Career Mistakes Afraid of career mistakes? You are not alone … Being a writer is not the easiest of career path choices. You can be the most talented and hardworking writer out there, but if you make any of these ten career mistakes your career will hardly get off the ground. Here is our best advice for writers attempting to get off the ground. Ready? Let’s go … Mistake #1: Forgetting to Forge Connections One of the biggest mistakes that writers can make is to isolate themselves. Even though the job can be done in isolation, it… Read More »9 Massive Career Mistakes to Avoid Making as a Writer

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5 Lies Writers Torture Themselves With About Their Careers

Lies, Lies, Lies Following my previous post about the lies writers tell themselves, I thought it would be good to do a follow up. This time I’m concentrating on the lies writers tell themselves about their CAREERS. Ready? Then let’s go … 1) ‘I’m running out of time’ Lots of Bang2writers fret about this very obvious lie. Now, if you’re on a deadline, that’s obviously different … But if you’re writing a spec screenplay or uncontracted novel? You have all the time in the world. Seriously! Don’t worry about what other writers are doing or how many birthdays you’ve had. Just… Read More »5 Lies Writers Torture Themselves With About Their Careers

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How To Build Your Self-Esteem As A Writer: 5 Top Tips

How To Build Your Self-Esteem You may think building your self-esteem as a writer is very difficult. Working as a professional writer can be challenging as there are so many talented writers all over the world. Being confident in what you do is one of the most important things you will need to excel. This means you need to build your self-esteem as quickly as possible. To help you overcome this feeling, here are some important steps to follow. These can help you you’re your self-esteem and become more confident in your writing skills. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Get… Read More »How To Build Your Self-Esteem As A Writer: 5 Top Tips

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5 Lies Writers Torture Themselves With About Their Projects

Writing Torture Do you torture yourself as a writer? If you do, you’re not alone. Working with writers, I hear about all kinds of worries and insecurities they have on a DAILY basis. Hell, sometimes hourly! Obviously the kinds of things writers torture themselves about will depend on the individual. That said, I have noted some significant patterns over the years. Writers may even say the same phrases, again and again. With this in mind, I have rounded up the top five lies writers torture themselves with about their projects. Ready? then let’s go … 1) ‘I’m being STOPPED from… Read More »5 Lies Writers Torture Themselves With About Their Projects

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10 Top British Writers Share Their Tips For Writing Success

Best of British Ask any writer how they approach writing and they’ll all give you different answers. Quentin Tarantino insists on writing drafts of his screenplays in long hand without outlining plot twists … But that approach definitely wouldn’t work for those more methodical planners! But whether you’re the kind of writer who likes to wing it as you go along, or prefers to write a detailed outline before you get started, there are some things successful writers often have in common. With this in mind, here are ten top British writers on their tips for success! 1) Just Get… Read More »10 Top British Writers Share Their Tips For Writing Success

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10 Quick Tips From Michaela Coel (I MAY DESTROY YOU)

All about Michaela Coel Michaela Coel – producer, director, screenwriter, actor – is about as hot a writing property as you can get. Despite being overlooked by the Golden Globes for I May Destroy You, Coel’s star is on the up, both in the UK and America. Despite recent successes, it’s not been an easy ride for Coel, and her time spent cutting her teeth means she has plenty of advice for aspiring writers trying to make their way in the business. Let’s check out Coel’s writing wisdom for some inspiration! 1) Always be yourself “I think you just have… Read More »10 Quick Tips From Michaela Coel (I MAY DESTROY YOU)

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How Not to Be Afraid of Criticism As A Writer

Criticism And Writers Criticism can scare writers. Every human has an inherent fear of stepping out of their comfort zone. Yet, this is exactly what every person needs to do in order to grow. This why you need to overcome your fear of criticism and start taking risks as a writer. Here’s my top tips on dealing with criticism. Let’s go! 1)   Acknowledge Impactful Work is Bound to Attract Admiration *and* Criticism Understanding that criticism is recognition for your work enables you to control how you handle feedback. You will no longer beat yourself up when people comment negatively about… Read More »How Not to Be Afraid of Criticism As A Writer

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What You Can Learn From These 4 Bestselling Authors

Advice From Bestselling Authors If you’re thinking of becoming an author, a screenwriter, a non fiction or ebook writer, or starting a side hustle doing some freelance work, there’s one thing you need to be good at … writing! It’s easier said than done, of course, because the one thing writing demands is discipline. If you aren’t dedicated to the craft, you can forget about writing the next great American novel or its equivalent. If you’re looking for some tips and guidance from bestselling authors, read on. 1) Hugh Howey Bestselling author Hugh Howey is no stranger to fame and… Read More »What You Can Learn From These 4 Bestselling Authors

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A Step By Step Guide To Get Started Making Money Writing Online

Getting Started Bang2writers often write to me, asking how they get started writing online articles for money. Such articles are often called ‘content writing’.  These can be a great way for writers to start their writing careers because … Writers have to pitch their ideas for articles (like they would screenplays & novels) They have to consider target audience (‘WHO is this for? WHAT am I trying to say?’) They make useful contacts who can connect them to other useful people Writers add to their online reach (so agents, producers and publishers will see their writing) It’s a good way… Read More »A Step By Step Guide To Get Started Making Money Writing Online

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