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Writing Fantasy: 10 Dos And Don’ts From Author Lucy Hounsom (Starborn)

Tips From Fantasy Author Lucy Hounsom I was lucky enough to meet fantasy author Lucy Hounsom at the recent Tiverton Literary Festival in my hometown in Devon. She spoke so well about the genre on her panel, I thought Bang2writers would like hear some of her top tips as well. Enjoy! Over to you, Lucy Hounsom … 10 DOs and DON’Ts Writing Fantasy Although the same general ‘rules’ of writing apply to fantasy, i.e. character creation, exposition, structuring, crafting dialogue, fantasy is a genre with roots in the ancient world and it’s important to be aware of its established themes,… Read More »Writing Fantasy: 10 Dos And Don’ts From Author Lucy Hounsom (Starborn)

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Win 10 Great British Crime Fiction Novels!

PLEASE NOTE: The contest is now closed  To celebrate the launch of BritCrime’s first free online crime fiction festival, 11-13 July, I have teamed up with @BritCrime authors to give away one fabulous prize. You could win a gift bundle of ten print books, including new releases by Colette McBeth and Sarah Hilary, and MJ McGrath’s Gold Dagger longlisted White Heat. This giveaway is open internationally. One lucky winner will win all ten books. Please complete the entries in the Rafflecopter before midnight 10th July for a chance to win. Click HERE or the big shiny red button at the… Read More »Win 10 Great British Crime Fiction Novels!

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Are YOU A Grammar Nerd? Find Out …

Many thanks to Grammarly, who have been in touch with this fab infographic, The Anatomy Of A Grammar Nerd. I love it and if anyone says “irregardless” around me?? I WILL PRESS THE RED BUTTON AND KILL US ALL. See below for more! Good grammar, spelling and punctuation can be a constant challenge to writers and readers alike, so it’s really important to ensure you can get a handle on this small, but significant element of writing. Check out these previous articles on B2W here for more: 10 Common Errors In Your Writing You Need To Fix Right Now 5 Killer Grammar… Read More »Are YOU A Grammar Nerd? Find Out …

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13 Experts Share What They’d Like To See Next In Diverse Literature

Check out the official site of #WeNeedDiverseBooks, HERE. After yesterday’s post where our experts gave us a GREAT reading list of diverse books to get stuck into, I asked them what they’d like to see NEXT from diverse books … Enjoy! 1) Jessica Reid, Legend Press. For more of diverse books to get noticed and receive the praise they deserve! 2) Oli Munson, Literary Agent, AM Heath. I’d like to see more literature representing the modern African experience IN Africa, not just the diaspora. Genuine African settings which avoid clichés LIKE THESE. 3) Paula Daly, Author. I would love to see a… Read More »13 Experts Share What They’d Like To See Next In Diverse Literature

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Top 10 Writing Misconceptions

Whenever anyone asks what I do and I reply, “I’m a writer” and/or “I’m a script editor“, they’ll reply, “Wow! How interesting.” My reaction to this is always an indulgent, “Awwwwwwwww …” because as anyone knows, there’s a STACK of misconceptions laypeople (and indeed other writers!) have about writing in general. Here’s just ten of them … Enjoy! 1) Writers love writing Hahahaha. No. And Yes. And NO NO NO NO … just no. I hate writing SO MUCH. Except when I don’t and it’s awesome. MORE: 7 Writing Reminders 2) Writing is all about talent Some of us are uber-talented.… Read More »Top 10 Writing Misconceptions

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10 Common Errors In Your Writing You Need To Fix Right Now

Common Writing Errors When it comes to common writing errors, there are PLENTY doing the rounds in the spec pile. Rightly or wrongly, this is how ‘professional writing’ is perceived … Professional formatting + Professional layout + Professional grammar, spelling & punctuation = Professional writing. It’s not rocket science. Look, the odd mistake or typo will always slip through. NO reader, agent, producer or assistant worth their salt will ever care about that. What we’re talking about are the CONSISTENT CLANGERS that can get you marked down, or worse, thrown in the dreaded OUT tray! So here’s a list of those… Read More »10 Common Errors In Your Writing You Need To Fix Right Now

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15 Fab Female Writers On Writing

 Sign up for the B2W Mailing List, HERE! It’s The Cannes Film Festival at the moment, so in honour of the occasion, not to mention HeelGate, I thought I’d round up some women writers’ thoughts on the process, writing female characters, strength and MORE … Enjoy! 1) Nora Ephron I try to write parts for women that are as complicated and interesting as women actually are. 2) Shonda Rhimes You can’t tell stories and really walk in someone’s shoes and not have a love for them, even if they’re doing horrible things. 3) Tina Fey I like to write about women,… Read More »15 Fab Female Writers On Writing

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Top 7 Writing Tips For Great Characterisation

One thing Bang2writers ask me all the time is, “HOW do I write a great character?” and many of them get frustrated when I say, “it depends”. But it does! On any number of things, not least of all: 1) WHAT you’re trying to achieve  Look. It’s very fashionable to say “character is everything”, but we know it’s not really:  a character-led drama is NOT the same as a high octane genre piece; literary fiction is NOT the same as genre fiction. That’s not to say characterisation doesn’t matter in the latter because that’s clearly not the case. But what you’re trying… Read More »Top 7 Writing Tips For Great Characterisation

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5 Times It’s OK To Sacrifice Facts For Drama

Getting Your Facts Right Writing historical fiction, I have come to learn, is like navigating a slippery slope along a precarious cliff. God forbid you get facts wrong. Anyone who knows anything about the time period you are writing about will let you know that you did: in the reviews, on the internet, for all to see. Let’s face it. Getting the clothing down, the setting, the politics and social graces of the times is the easy part. Keeping people entertained in another time period is what makes the story a story. So I have had to take liberties with… Read More »5 Times It’s OK To Sacrifice Facts For Drama

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1 Gender Swap That Could Make ALL THE DIFFERENCE In Your Story

On Gender Swapping When it comes to gender swap characters, we generally hear about … How Ripley was originally a male character How Lara Croft is a female Indiana Jones Or a single female in a team is THE GIRL CHARACTER (The Girl Character is invariably “There can be only one!” HIGHLANDER-style. So, there is a woman in this storyverse but her FEMALE-NESS is what defines her, whereas individual men can be The Funny One; The Clever One; The Hard Nut; The Geeky One and so on and soforth. UGH). In other words, it’s the same-old, same-old and frankly I… Read More »1 Gender Swap That Could Make ALL THE DIFFERENCE In Your Story

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Top 10 (Normal) Struggles When Writing A Novel

1) Title dilemmas Like every author on the planet, I’ve spent endless hours mulling over title options for my work. One strives, of course, to be both memorable and honestly descriptive of the content. But then, by and large, a great title is an art form unto itself and a great title does not necessarily signify a great book. MORE: More About Titles 2) Deleeeeeeeete!!!! This may seem insane but I normally know whether or not I am on to something good only after being 100 pages into a story. I’m willing to bet some you go much farther?? MORE: WHY… Read More »Top 10 (Normal) Struggles When Writing A Novel

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No, Writing Craft Is NOT A “Rule”. Here’s Why …

Learn from my mistakes, people … So, this week I got locked in an epic four day battle over on that timesuck Linkedin where I discovered just about anyone can call themselves a “script mentor” it seems. Now, admittedly I might be a teensy bit biased in my reporting of the event … But basically, I said there were no writing rules. This awoke a hornet’s nest of of story-challenged people who in turn replied with … “ERM writing craft is an actual RULE and OMFG Lucy stop *TRYING* to be so f***ing EDGY, you will make writers go down the WRONG PATH… Read More »No, Writing Craft Is NOT A “Rule”. Here’s Why …

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