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How Great Visual Writing Works In Your Screenplay Or Novel

You’ve Heard It All Before: ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Whether you’re writing a screenplay or a novel, visual storytelling is your secret weapon. Why? Because readers and viewers don’t connect with lists of facts. They connect with images, action and emotion. But how do we write these three things? Well, I’m putting them under the microscope in this blog post with 5 top tips to concentrate on. Ready? Let’s go! Let’s explore how to write visually and bring your scenes – and your characters – to life. 1) Think: Scene Description = Scene Action In screenplays, scene description *is* what we… Read More »How Great Visual Writing Works In Your Screenplay Or Novel

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Next Level Dialogue: How to Make Your Characters Speak With Power & Purpose

NEWSFLASH: Dialogue Needs Power & Purpose! The purpose of dialogue is consistently underestimated by writers. This in turn saps its power in many spec screenplays and unpublished novels. Yet dialogue is one of the most powerful tools in a writer’s arsenal when done right. But too often it’s done wrong … This means dialogue may end up feeling cheesy, expositional or even downright cringey. So, how to avoid this on our novels and screenplays? I’ve dug deep to put dialogue under the microscope … ready? Let’s go! 1)  Understand The Purpose Of Dialogue Many authors and screenwriters misunderstand the purpose… Read More »Next Level Dialogue: How to Make Your Characters Speak With Power & Purpose

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15 Quirky, Weird And Sometimes Gross Habits Of Famous Writers

Quirky, Weird, Sometimes Gross Habits I’ve been called weird all my life. It’s not surprising this ‘weirdness’ has found its way into not only in to my work, B2W’s online following and even my writing process. The evidence? Well, every single time I start planning a new story, I ‘have’ to buy a new pair of earrings. It gets even more specific: the earrings have to have *something* to do with the story! As an example, when I was writing The Coven, I bought a rather fetching pair of (ethically sourced) Dreamcatcher earrings. I love them so much, I wear… Read More »15 Quirky, Weird And Sometimes Gross Habits Of Famous Writers

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10 Quick Tips To Self-Edit Your Screenplay Or Novel

How To Self-Edit Your Screenplay Or Novel I’m a big believer in the self-edit for my drafts. I don’t see the point in sending my novels or screenplays out – even just to peer reviewers – without giving my writing a good polish first. I also recommend Bang2writers self-edit before paying for feedback, too! However, I’ve worked with writers now for over twenty years. I’ve noticed that many writers don’t know what an effective self-edit entails. They’ll tend to hyper-focus on itty-bitty things that don’t matter. Then they’ll move words around the page randomly. Waaaah. So, if you’re keen to… Read More »10 Quick Tips To Self-Edit Your Screenplay Or Novel

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#1 Error That Kills Interest In Your Pitch 100% Of The Time

#1 Error That Kills Your Pitch Obviously there are lots of ways to kill your pitch, but there’s a #1 error I see most often. This error is so widespread and so simple, you’ll kick yourself once you see it … … HIDING your story behind intangible, thematic stuff. In other words, writers go for VIBES over the actual events of the story. Instead of being overt about what literally happens, the writer will fall back on that #1 pitching error like this … A retired bodyguard faces his demons from his traumatic past as he guides a kidnapped girl… Read More »#1 Error That Kills Interest In Your Pitch 100% Of The Time

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Pros & Cons Of Writing A Prologue: 6 Key Things To Consider

All About Prologues Every word counts in a story and first impressions matter. Traditionally, a prologue is an introductory chapter that sets the scene, tone and genre of your novel. But should you write one? The million-dollar question! Believe it or not, using a prologue can be quite controversial in the social media age. So, let’s put prologues under the microscope, so you can make an informed choice on whether YOU should use one … let’s go! What Is A Prologue? Put simply, a prologue is an introductory chapter that lays the groundwork of what’s to come. Their purpose is… Read More »Pros & Cons Of Writing A Prologue: 6 Key Things To Consider

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Top 10 Reasons Your Spec Screenplay Is Being Sent To Trash

Is Your Script Being Sent To Trash? If you suspect your spec screenplay is being sent to trash, you’re not alone. I started script reading so long ago, most of the submissions I received were ON PAPER. No, I wasn’t born in prehistoric times with dinosaurs running all over the place … it was just twenty years ago. (Cheeky). But these days, most spec screenplays are PDFs and attached to emails, or sent via portals like Submittable. However, this does mean they’re easier than ever to overlook, or get sent to trash. All overworked readers have to do is highlight… Read More »Top 10 Reasons Your Spec Screenplay Is Being Sent To Trash

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“I Like Your Style!” Top 10 Writing Tips To Improve Yours

Your Writing Style Is Important Writing style is unique, but there are things we can consider in making our style the best it can be. As Lucy always says on this site, good writing craft is the least we can do. Style is part of that. Of course, there are no rules. Experienced writers can get away with anything. However, below are some things to be aware of, especially if you are writing a book or short story for the first time. “Writing fiction is a delicate balance.” Sol Stein from Stein On Writing 1)  Avoid The Passive Voice The… Read More »“I Like Your Style!” Top 10 Writing Tips To Improve Yours

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What Writers Can Learn From Jason Bateman: 6 Of His Top Roles

All About Jason Bateman Jason Bateman has long been a famous face in Hollywood, known for his various acting abilities and compelling performances. As a respected character actor, he is well-known for his versatility like his fellow A-Lister Ryan Gosling. I always recommend Bang2writers study their favourite actors’ work. This is because too many screenwriters forget actors are not just ‘meat puppets’. Actors choose stories that appeal to them, plus they work very hard at interpreting their roles. Actors also frequently have a very good eye for ‘the hook’ that will get viewers through the door of the cinema, or… Read More »What Writers Can Learn From Jason Bateman: 6 Of His Top Roles

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Spotlight on Structure: How To Use The Rashomon Storytelling Technique

What Is The Rashomon Storytelling Technique? If you haven’t heard of the Rashomon storytelling technique, you’ve almost certainly watched a movie or TV show or read a book that uses it. Named after the 1950 Japanese film by Akira Kurosawa’s groundbreaking Rashomon, this technique is known for its use of multiple perspectives to tell a single story. By allowing different characters to share their individual versions of events, the truth becomes subjective and open to interpretation. Examples of films and TV shows that use the Rashomon technique are … Pulp Fiction (1994) The Usual Suspects (1995) The Simpsons, Trilogy of… Read More »Spotlight on Structure: How To Use The Rashomon Storytelling Technique

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NEW GIRL Case Study: How To Learn To Plot by Watching Sitcoms

All About New Girl New Girl was a sitcom that ran between 2011-2018. The show followed the fates of an offbeat young woman Jess (Zooey Deschanel), a teacher who is trying to get over her breakup with her boyfriend after he cheats on her. If you’re in the UK, you can find it on DisneyPlus in its entirety. Jess moves in with three young men: Nick, a Chicago-born university dropout who now works in a bar; Schmidt, an advertising executive who believes he is God’s gift to women; and Winston, a former pro basketball player who is trying to find… Read More »NEW GIRL Case Study: How To Learn To Plot by Watching Sitcoms

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10 Ways Tarot Archetypes Can Help You Write Your Story

Many thanks to writer and B2W Academy member Pamela PerryGoulardt who has written today’s post about Tarot archetypes … AND created these fantastic cards herself. Wow! I am blown away by how gorgeous the images are. The lady is a talent! Writers often ask me ‘how’ to write great characters visually, so when Pamela suggested Tarot I was all ears. Whilst I have been aware of the practice for decades, I’d never thought of using Tarot cards as a writing aid. So, over to you Pamela! Write Stories That Are Off The Charts! Tarot is a detailed system of numbers… Read More »10 Ways Tarot Archetypes Can Help You Write Your Story

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