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Representation

Yes, Male Writers CAN Write Fantastic Female Characters

Not ALL Male Writers It’s true, male writers can get a bum rap when writing about female characters. As the headline of this article suggests, OF COURSE male writers can write great female characters. In fact, some of my all-time favourites have literally been written by male writers!!! From my time as a script reader, I’d venture there’s no correlation between gender and talent of writers. This obviously means there will be GREAT writers who happen to be female … But it ALSO means a female writer will not automatically write a great female character too. No one knows where talent comes… Read More »Yes, Male Writers CAN Write Fantastic Female Characters

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3 Quick Tips On Writing Diverse Characters

Want To Write Great Diverse Characters? Every day I hear from Bang2writers who want to write great female leads, characters of colour, or characters from the LGBT and disabled communities … but they’re scared of ‘getting it wrong’. If this is you as well, I have great news. It’s possible to write great diverse characters AND avoid the mistakes that worry you in advance. So let’s skip the fluff and go straight to those actionable quick tips that you can implement immediately. Quick Tip # 1: Avoid those ‘samey’ stories for diverse characters When writers want to attempt a diverse… Read More »3 Quick Tips On Writing Diverse Characters

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Top 10 Essential Creative Reminders From Chadwick Boseman

Losing Chadwick Boseman Last week the creative world was rocked by the unexpected passing of Chadwick Boseman due to colon cancer. Known best internationally for his powerhouse performance in Black Panther (2018), Chadwick has an impressive CV. Starting out in bit parts in television, Chadwick rose through the acting ranks very quickly once he’d achieved his breakthrough role in 2013 in the Jackie Robinson biopic, 42. He continued to portray historical figures, starring in Get on Up (2014) as singer James Brown and Marshall (2017) as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Tributes have poured in for Chadwick all week. It’s clear to see how much… Read More »Top 10 Essential Creative Reminders From Chadwick Boseman

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Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Relationships

All about Relationships Relationships are the best, aren’t they? Not always – fortunately – otherwise they’d be dull to write about. Creating modern relationships for modern audiences does require staying fresh and relevant, however. Here’s what to avoid to make sure your fictional relationships don’t crash and burn (unless you want them to…). 1) Love is only for the Young  Falling in love can happen to anyone, at any time. We’ve seen the ‘two star-crossed lovers’ storyline play out for eons, so if you want a fresher way to approach this trope, you might have to look a little higher up the… Read More »Top 5 Mistakes Writers Make Writing Relationships

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10 Quick Tips On Writing Non Binary People

All about Non Binary People Lots of Bang2writers tell me they are interested in writing transgender characters, but perhaps don’t know much about non binary people … Enter Ugla! Ugla is non binary and the co-director of My Genderation, as well an author and trans advocate.  These great insights into what being non binary means, as well as its history and context, will help you on your way. Ugla and their partner Fox are currently fundraising for their documentary film Inverness Or Bust. Make sure you check out their project at the bottom of this post and please pass it… Read More »10 Quick Tips On Writing Non Binary People

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6 Top Tips On Writing Characters of Colour

Writing Characters of Colour Lots of white Bang2writers say they want to write characters of colour, but are afraid of ‘getting it wrong’. So I am delighted to welcome eight talented black screenwriters to the site today to share their top writing tips. The writers below all appear in the curated list Highly Recommended Scripts by Black Screenwriters, curated by @avishaiw. If you are a producer or filmmaker, make sure you check the list out! If you are not, please pass it on by sharing it via your profiles and pages. Thanks! 1) ‘Be open to others’ thoughts’ ‘My best tip:… Read More »6 Top Tips On Writing Characters of Colour

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Dorothy Koomson: ‘No one Is Being Censored or Stopped From Writing’

About Dorothy Koomson Dorothy Koomson is a British novelist who has been described as “Britain’s biggest selling black author of adult fiction”. She’s also the writer of a whopping sixteen books! CHECK OUT HER WEBSITE. I think I’ve read a good chunk of Dorothy’s books (my faves are The Ice Cream Girls and The Brighton Mermaid). I was thrilled when she agreed to chat to B2W about writing. Check out her top tips for writers! 1) Emotion is key Dorothy calls her books ‘emotional thrillers’. The crime is secondary – it’s more about HOW the crime affects the characters. ‘So many whodunnits… Read More »Dorothy Koomson: ‘No one Is Being Censored or Stopped From Writing’

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How To Watch And Break Down A TV Show Episode

Watch & Learn Lots of my Bang2writers say they’re going to watch TV shows ‘for work’ … but then don’t do any work! They just enjoy them. Tsk. Naughty writers! But seriously, you CAN watch whatever you like *and* learn from these produced TV shows at the same time. I’m going to show you how to do this, using the free B2W plotting worksheet, which you can download HERE. By the way, you can watch stuff if you’re a novelist too! Everything I know about novel writing, I learned from watching movies and TV shows. Similarly, you can watch different… Read More »How To Watch And Break Down A TV Show Episode

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Rethinking Masculinity: How To Write A Memorable Male Character

How Can A Character’s Masculinity Make Them Memorable? We are hopefully moving to a world where the main characters are not male by default. But rather than limiting roles for men, this can make masculinity an important character trait. Here are some Alpha Male-style protagonists and antagonists whose masculinity makes them both memorable and engaging. Let’s go … 1) Negan from The Walking Dead Negan is a sports teacher turned post-apocalyptic gang leader who sells himself as the great protector, even calling his group ‘The Saviours.’ He also  sets himself up as a playboy, with a harem of wives, and… Read More »Rethinking Masculinity: How To Write A Memorable Male Character

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Flow Chart – How To Write A Diverse Character Right

How To Write A Diverse Character It’s a fact that audiences want a greater variety of characters in movies and television that feel both fresh AND authentic. But as writers, we are also told to ‘write what we know’ …  And we can’t KNOW EVERYTHING. Supersadface. This is why so many Bang2writers say they would LOVE to write more diverse stories and characters BUT … … They ‘don’t know where to start’ and … They’re ‘afraid of getting it wrong’ So now what??? Well, start here with the B2W flow chart … And to avoid ‘getting it wrong’, pay close… Read More »Flow Chart – How To Write A Diverse Character Right

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Top 10 Diverse Male Characters In Movies And TV

Diverse Male Characters When Lucy asked me to compile my top 10 diverse male characters, I said, ‘Only 10??’  There are so many great diverse characters, so getting it down to ten was incredibly difficult. In no particular order then, here are my Top Ten Diverse Male Characters from stories I have enjoyed over the years. Which are your favourites? Make sure you share in the comments … 1) Pray Tell, Pose  Pray Tell from the TV series Pose, is a ball emcee and fashion designer. The love of his life is taken by aids, his close friend tests positive for HIV,… Read More »Top 10 Diverse Male Characters In Movies And TV

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Brit Marling Is Wrong On ‘Strong Female Characters’. Here’s Why

All About Brit Marling I’ll confess I hadn’t heard of Brit Marling before last weekend. Like a good portion of blogging writers, the first I knew of her was her opinion piece in the NY Times, ‘I Don’t Want To Be the Strong Female Lead’. It’s fair to say this article really lit up social media. Since B2W is known for its own commentary on female characterisation, I thought I’d throw my own thoughts out on it. But first, credit where it’s due. Brit Marling is an American actress and screenwriter. She’s starred in films such as Sound of My Voice (2011), Another… Read More »Brit Marling Is Wrong On ‘Strong Female Characters’. Here’s Why

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