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Representation

Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Plotting (According To A Script Reader)

Script Reader POV Following on from his first post, script reader Allan is offering his POV on common mistakes he’s discovered in the spec pile. For me, it’s SO interesting to see the same old issues rear their heads, even in 2021. It’s almost like the foundations of writing craft are timeless! Over to you, Allan … What I Learned From My First 300+ Scripts Out of a sample of 435 scripts, these were some of the most common structural and plotting errors in scripts sent to Film Festivals in 2021. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Ending Act 1 At… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make With Plotting (According To A Script Reader)

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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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Movies Have Always Been ‘Woke’. You Just Didn’t Notice

Another week, another message So, apparently B2W is too ‘woke’ so somebody’s unfollowing … blahblahblah. Seriously, this ain’t an airport, no need to announce your departure! I do have one query though: WHO THE HELL HAS THIS PERSON BEEN FOLLOWING BEFORE NOW??  This site and its accompanying social media has always placed the ‘woke’ at its heart, FFS. If this was apparently a problem, you gotta wondered why they followed in the first place. But anyway, no skin off B2W’s nose. ‘Wokism’: A Short History Hell, B2W is so ‘woke’ I actually don’t even use the word (except when critiquing… Read More »Movies Have Always Been ‘Woke’. You Just Didn’t Notice

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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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Feel The Power: Top 10 Witches In Books, Movies and TV

All about Witches So unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ll know my latest book The Coven (as Lizzie Fry) is about witches … and the paperback is out TODAY! I’ve been delighted by how the hardback and ebook have been received so far. Even actual witches have told me they’ve loved it. Thanks so much my witchy sisters, it means so much you feel my representation is authentic! The Coven is set in a parallel world just like our own but where witchcraft is slightly different to what we might expect. 50% of women have some form of magic… Read More »Feel The Power: Top 10 Witches In Books, Movies and TV

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The Uncomfortable Truth About #OwnVoices Stories

What are #OwnVoices Stories? For the uninitiated, #OwnVoices is a hashtag created by YA author Corinne Duyvis in 2015. The purpose of the hashtag is to highlight books that are written by an author that shares a marginalised identity with the protagonist. As time has gone on, the conversation around #OwnVoices has expanded informally to include TV and film too. If you are part of the underrepresented group like your main character, you’re writing an #OwnVoices story. For example, if you’re a BIPOC, neurodivergent or disabled writer writing a character or story about the challenges you have lived experience of,… Read More »The Uncomfortable Truth About #OwnVoices Stories

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10 Arguments Against Content Warnings … And Why They’re Wrong

All About Content Warnings Content warnings (sometimes conflated with trigger warnings) are those missives that suggest some viewers should exercise caution with watching or reading the story and characters of a book, TV show or movie. Here are some standard content warnings we have all seen … ‘Contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing’ ‘Parental advisory: explicit content’ ‘Contains scenes of a sexual nature’ ‘Contains strong language.’ ‘Includes sexual violence or dubious consent’ Of course, for some people, content warnings have the opposite effect and make them MORE eager to read or watch something. This is why others may… Read More »10 Arguments Against Content Warnings … And Why They’re Wrong

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5 Things Writers Can Learn From MAYANS M.C

About Mayans M.C Sons of Anarchy spin-off show Mayans M.C is a great example of how diversity and inclusion can literally make storytelling better, both in front of and behind the camera. I was a huge fan of SOA back in the day. I love a hyper-masculine storyworld and I found the intricacies of this one were (mostly) delicious … BUT on re-watching all 7 series on Netflix I noticed it felt rather dated in comparison to other broadly similar crime series from the same era like Justified. I felt this was largely because of SOA’s fudged commentary on race,… Read More »5 Things Writers Can Learn From MAYANS M.C

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The #1 Diverse Character Mistake Writers Make

#1 Big Problem Most writers want to write characters NOT like themselves, but fear making a mistake doing this. ‘I don’t want to get it wrong’ is a common worry amongst the Bang2writers I talk to. Similarly, we know lots of writers HAVE made big mistakes writing characters in the past right up to the present day. Stereotypes, stigma and cultural appropriation get called out in the digital age, so it’s understandable why writers want to avoid this. But what if I told you there’s often one big problem at the root of diverse characters who ‘get it wrong’? The… Read More »The #1 Diverse Character Mistake Writers Make

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10 Awesome Young Female Characters Recommended By My Kid

All About Young Characters Young characters are hard to write … Yet writers frequently under-research young people when it comes to characterisation. As I was a teen mum, I’ve been a parent for over half of my life now. It is often very clear to me which writers hang out with youngsters and which do not. As with all authentic characterisation, we need to do our research or get found out. If we want to write young characters, then it pays to find out what young people are actually interested in!! This might seem obvious – and it is! –… Read More »10 Awesome Young Female Characters Recommended By My Kid

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4 Controversial Writing ‘Debates’ To Avoid This Year

All About Writing Debates I love writing debates online. They can act as really effective ‘water cooler moments’ for writers, especially whilst we are all working from home. Writing is our passion, so it makes sense we have strong opinions. Yet some writing debates are more valuable than others. Some are not only repetitive, they can mark you out as an amateur if you don’t stop to consider the facts over your feelings. When so much of writing success can depend on how we present ourselves (including online), then this can be a serious own goal. So here’s 4 controversial… Read More »4 Controversial Writing ‘Debates’ To Avoid This Year

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What Writers Can Learn From 5 Unusual Male Characters

On Male Characters When I say ‘name an unusual male character’, who do you think of? Whilst it’s true male characters tend to have more variety as standard, it’s still very easy to fall into expected tropes and characteristics. ‘The usual’ as we know is BORING! Since B2W is always banging on about going against the grain, here’s 5 unusual male characters we can learn from. Ready? Let’s go … 1) Detective Loki, Prisoners (2013) Why he’s unusual: Morally ambiguous Written by Aaron Guzikowski and directed by Denis Villeneuve, Prisoners is an unusual beast … A vigilante story with a… Read More »What Writers Can Learn From 5 Unusual Male Characters

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