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Pro Writer ‘Rules’

1 Important Thing To Remember About Rejection

All About Rejection The thing about rejection is, IT STINGS. When we put all our hopes and dreams into a piece of writing and it gets rejected, it can feel devastating. What’s more, rejection happens to ALL writers. It’s not something that ever magically goes away. Even if a successful pro writer gets most of his or her projects greenlit, there’s still some that will fall through the net. Also, there’s no guarantee of success with target audiences! Pro writers’ work may fail at the box office, bookshops or streaming. That’s just the way it is. Basically, rejection is part… Read More »1 Important Thing To Remember About Rejection

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In The Spotlight: Stephen King’s Top 10 Writing Rules

On Writing, Stephen King Style School’s out for the Summer! But does that mean we throw away the rule book in favour of creative freedom? After all, we’re writers, aren’t we? Who better to consult than Stephen King. This prolific author has a reputation for being one of the hardest working and most successful writers in modern history. King has dedicated his life’s work to the craft. Although he admits he doesn’t always follow his own rules, I think  King’s tips are a pretty good place to start for all writers, new or veteran. Here’s what the master has to say …… Read More »In The Spotlight: Stephen King’s Top 10 Writing Rules

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In The Spotlight: Kirsten Smith’s Top 10 Writing Rules

All About Kirsten Smith Kirsten Smith and her co-writer Karen McCullah are trailblazers in the Rom-Com genre. They are the screenwriting duo behind classic teen movies Legally Blonde and 10 Things I Hate About You, to name just a few. But just what is the secret behind their success? What are the rules, tips or best practices they swear by?Smith in particular has been open with her advice for screenwriters. Here’s what she has to share … Enjoy! 1) Conflict is key “Conflict, conflict, conflict between characters. Although we try to avoid it in life, it’s essential to embrace it in… Read More »In The Spotlight: Kirsten Smith’s Top 10 Writing Rules

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In The Spotlight: Jordan Peele’s Top 10 Writing Rules

All About Jordan Peele Jordan Peele is one of the hottest writers in Hollywood today following the meteoric success of Get Out and Us. Starting out in comedy and now mastering horror, Peele has an original, distinctive style. But just how does he do it? Check out his tips here. Enjoy! 1) Write For Yourself “First off, write your favourite movie that you haven’t seen. Don’t worry about whether it is going to get made. Write something for yourself. After you have that draft, then worry about what you need to do to sell it.” 2)   Learn from the classics “It’s… Read More »In The Spotlight: Jordan Peele’s Top 10 Writing Rules

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In The Spotlight: Shonda Rhimes’ Top 10 Writing Rules

Learn From Shonda Rhimes! So, B2W is the first to say there are no writing rules … But there ARE things we can learn from the best writers working today. TV writing goddess Shonda Rhimes is obviously one of them! So whether you call them ‘rules’, ‘best practices’, ‘guidelines’ or something else, she has plenty of great writing advice for us. B2W’s new intern Alice has rounded up some classic Shonda for us to consider in honing our craft and getting our own writing off the ground. Enjoy! All About Shonda Rhimes Shonda Rhimes is one of the most successful… Read More »In The Spotlight: Shonda Rhimes’ Top 10 Writing Rules

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In The Spotlight: Elmore Leonard’s Top 10 Writing Rules

Elmore Leonard’s book, 10 Rules For Writers was published in 2010. But it’s a summary of that book, Top 10 Writing Rules has become one of the most popular shares and memes amongst online writing groups. No doubt you will have seen this list and been tagged in it many times! (As any veteran Bang2writer knows, I prefer to call them ‘best practices’ rather than rules, but whatevs). Regardless of what you call them though, it’s not difficult to see why the summary of Elmore Leonard’s tips does the rounds so often. It is a short and to-the-point list, plus any… Read More »In The Spotlight: Elmore Leonard’s Top 10 Writing Rules

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Top 10 Rules Writers Love To Hate

Love to Hate Writing Rules? Me Too! Okay, okay I love to hate writing rules as every Bang2writer knows … But there ARE phrases and adages that seem to pop up, over and over. So I decided to put 10 under the microscope and work out if they’re TRUE or FALSE. Do you agree … do you love to hate these rules too?? Let us know in the comments. Let’s go … 1) Show, Don’t Tell First, the biggie. I love to hate this one because As I’ve written before, this has become a feedback ‘catch all‘  – writers can’t even… Read More »Top 10 Rules Writers Love To Hate

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5 Reasons Why The ‘Rules’ Will Kill Your Writing DEAD

No more writing rules (seriously) Ah, the ‘Rules’ … Every single time I write about there being NO writing ‘rules’, yet more writers come rushing out the woodwork with counter-arguments on why there ARE. Look, I understand. When someone says you can do WHATEVER YOU WANT, it can feel weird and scary. But what if I told you the ‘rules’ are just considered BEST PRACTICES … and even then that can depend. Eeek! Human beings are pack animals, so it makes sense to stay with the crowd doing what is considered “common sense” rather than forging out on your own and… Read More »5 Reasons Why The ‘Rules’ Will Kill Your Writing DEAD

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On Writing “Rules”: 8 Things I Remember

On Writing ‘Rules’ One thing that never goes away is the mythical notion that there are writing ‘rules’. No … just NO! There’s no such thing as writing ‘rules’. All I (or anyone) can offer is what we’ve seen work. In return, we also have to remember there’s always going to be someone who does the exact opposite (and it’ll STILL work!!). But this got me thinking … what would MY top tips, pointers, advice (even writing ‘rules’! :P) be? So here’s a round-up of some of the insights and philosophies I’ve had rammed home to me (fnar) in my own career, time… Read More »On Writing “Rules”: 8 Things I Remember

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