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11 Things To Do NEXT As A Writer

What Next As A Writer?? As with every year, I like to take stock and work out how to get ahead NEXT as a writer. But first –Wow! Where did the past year go?? Feels like I blinked and Zoooooooooom! it was gone. Reeling. As with every year, it’s been a bit of a slog, though some great stuff has happened too … Ultimately for me, after cancer every year feels like a bonus no matter how hard it is, I’m just glad to still be here and in remission. So, here’s my recommendations for deciding on what’s next …… Read More »11 Things To Do NEXT As A Writer

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Tropes Vs. Cliches: A Storyteller’s Guide

Oh, internet – WE NEED TO TALK!! You bet your ass there’s “tropes” everywhere in writing, filmmaking or any other creative work. That’s because the REAL definition of “trope” is thus: trope trəʊp/noun a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression. “both clothes and illness became tropes for new attitudes toward the self” a significant or recurrent theme; a motif. “she uses the Eucharist as a pictorial trope” (definition via Google) Redefined For The Digital Age? Seems to me, internet-wide, the word “trope” has come to mean THIS: – I don’t like this genre – I don’t like… Read More »Tropes Vs. Cliches: A Storyteller’s Guide

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3 Reasons You Are NOT Your Writing

Writing. It’s part of us, we give it life; we sweat and bleed it out on to the page, regardless of *what* we’re writing, screenplay or novel. Some even liken the writing and editing process to giving birth (though I have to say, giving birth is distinctly more painful in my experience; as is parenthood itself, but moving on). So it’s not difficult to see why so many writers believe they ARE their writing …. Especially (but not limited to) the unproduced and unpublished. I will confess, even I find it a romantic and appealing notion; perhaps even a reward… Read More »3 Reasons You Are NOT Your Writing

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5 Top Tips For Making The Leap From Short Stories To Novels

So, you’ve had an idea? You woke up in the middle of the night with a title that just screams to be the name of the next bestselling novel, or a plot line that is leaping around your head with such fervour that it just has to hit the bookshelves. You’ve already written short stories, but a novel- that’s a hell of a lot of words! 1) Think of short story writing as your novel writing apprenticeship Short stories are a brilliant way for any writer to learn their craft. By learning to write to a word limit you can… Read More »5 Top Tips For Making The Leap From Short Stories To Novels

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5 Inspirational Ways to Research (Even When You’re Already Writing!)

It’s too late for research, you’re already writing??? NOT ON YOUR NELLY, writers – there’s always time for research, as fab author Alison Bond demonstrates … it can only HELP your writing! I must say, I’m a big fan of numbers 1 and 5!! Over to you Alison … Write what you know, they say. And if you don’t know, be prepared to learn all about it. Elizabeth Gilbert said that in order to write The Signature of All Things: “…for three straight years I sat in a chair, reading books about botany, evolution, abolition, women’s history, missionaries, Dutch 18th century commerce,… Read More »5 Inspirational Ways to Research (Even When You’re Already Writing!)

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5 Reasons Why We Write Realistic Fiction For Young Adults

With NaNoWrimo ploughing on, I thought many of you might be flagging right now, so I’m upping the ante with MORE great posts on novel writing from some brilliant guests and Bang2writers. Today we have Applecore Books with us, telling us why they write YA fiction. This served as a powerful reminder for me too for my Decision Books, but even if realistic YA is not *your* niche, Kate and Wendy offer some GREAT insights in this post – I love the idea of becoming a micropublisher, strength in numbers! Enjoy and check out the links in the post, too.… Read More »5 Reasons Why We Write Realistic Fiction For Young Adults

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12 Aspects To Consider During Character Development

I’m confident the below will give you a different perspective on developing those brilliant sparks of character ideas you have into longlasting heroes or heroines of your story. These tips are geared towards playwrights and screenwriters, plus they can be applied to novels for novelists too (but will need a slight spin to accommodate the nature of a novel). Let’s get to it! 1) Most Important onstage relationship. Your character will be interacting with many people throughout the course of the writing, but who will have his or her attention the most when they’re on stage, the screen or the… Read More »12 Aspects To Consider During Character Development

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Set Design: does your story have enough ROOM?

See what I did there?? It’s the way I tell ’em 😉 So I’ve just been at London Screenwriters’ Festival, where I spent two hours doing a live script edit, looking at pages from writers’ screenplays and working through various craft elements and what they can do to make their work stand out in the spec pile. Suffice it to say: I spent A LOT of time talking about scene description with screenwriters at the event. Why? Well, it’s simple – there’s two things screenwriters generally do when it comes to scene description in their spec screenplays: i) They write… Read More »Set Design: does your story have enough ROOM?

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Top 10 Tips For New Screenwriters

Some down to earth, practical tips from Russ today for new writers: is this you? What I like about Russ’ advice is it gives new writers ACTIONABLE steps to get started! So take some pointers from a guy who’s been there and done that! Thanks Russ 😀 (NOT a new writer? Then I’d love to hear YOUR tips in post like this, but for writers at your level – check out the guest post submission details HERE). Enjoy! Got an idea for a script? Want to become a writer? Well, here are my top 10 tips for any newbie writers.… Read More »Top 10 Tips For New Screenwriters

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4 Disabled Characters Writers Can Learn From

As we all know, it’s much easier to complain than it is to create, so I’m going to look at a few disabled characters and stories dealing with disability. For full disclosure, I’m disabled, so might have some different perspectives to an able-bodied person. Let’s start with someone who a lot of people will recognise, even if they don’t identify him as ‘disabled’; Tyrion Lannister. 1) Tyrion – Game of Thrones  Played by Peter Dinklage, who was born with achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism, Tyrion Lannister is, what some may refer to as, a ‘little person’. What Tyrion lacks… Read More »4 Disabled Characters Writers Can Learn From

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4 Lessons On Writing A Killer Logline

You have just completed writing the world’s greatest screenplay. Congrats! Now it’s time to show it to the world and prepare to cash that million dollar check that assuredly is coming your way. Hold on tiger. Before any production company, or producer, is going to read your unsolicited script, you are going to have to entice them with a little literary foreplay. We call this a logline. A logline is defined as one sentence that provides enough information about the protagonist, antagonist, setting, genre, and story that the reader can fully grasp what the film will be. The logline must… Read More »4 Lessons On Writing A Killer Logline

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7 Things You Must Stop Doing If You Want To Be A Professional Writer

Want to be a professional writer? One of the most-hit searches leading to this blog is ‘how to become a professional writer’. So good news – you’re here! I can definitely help advise you on this. But this is the thing. You’re doing all the classes … You’re reading all the sites and trades … You can even pitch and network like a pro … but there’s one problem. You’re not thinking like a professional writer. That’s the bad news. The good news: you can start, TODAY!! Here’s what you’ve got to stop doing, NOW … 1) Stop sweating the… Read More »7 Things You Must Stop Doing If You Want To Be A Professional Writer

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