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Sam Caine

And It’s Goodbye From Him …

… Just a short note today from Sam Caine who’s finished his internship in social media with Bang2write! I have really enjoyed Sam’s posts and the linkage/talking points he’s come up with both here and at the Facebook and Twitter pages, so wish him well for his third year on the BA (Hons) Scriptwriting For Film & Television degree at Bournemouth University. Best of luck Sam! ——————————————————– My dearest Bang2Writers, That moment has come where I must leave you and redirect my attentions to full-time education, writing and scriptreading. Working at Bang2Write has been a pretty great experience for me,… Read More »And It’s Goodbye From Him …

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Social Media, Pt 2: Where, What & How? By Samuel Caine

Following on from the previous article, which websites should you go to, what purpose do they serve and how do you best use them? Twitter – A brilliant micro-blogging site that restricts you to bursts of 140 characters. You can follow writing buddies, join in with debates and, perhaps most relevantly, track discussions using hashtags – searching for #scriptchat #amwriting #novels #agents or anything that springs to mind, really, will bring you face to face with all the hot-off-the-press discussions of the day. The best advice I can offer for Twitter is USE IT. Making yourself an active presence, who travels… Read More »Social Media, Pt 2: Where, What & How? By Samuel Caine

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Making The Most of Social Media, Pt 1 by Samuel Caine

Come, take my hand. We’re going on a stumbling journey through the world of social media, but firstly, a confession: I am not a behemoth of social media or networking. This isn’t so much a lecture on what you should do, as me thinking out loud about what I should do, to maximise my effectiveness when it comes to engaging and making the most of the vast network of writers’ resources online. 1. Preach! First off, you’re reading this. Well done. This means that, to an extent, you’re engaging with the writing community of the online world. This is a… Read More »Making The Most of Social Media, Pt 1 by Samuel Caine

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How To Receive Feedback by Samuel Caine

Okay, okay, we’ve all heard a thousand ways to give feedback more effectively. Consult my last article if you want to see my definitive 5. One thing I’ve heard a lot less about is how to TAKE feedback more effectively. This is also a skill. Being able to take feedback well and knowing what to do with it could mean the difference between you work being good and great/terrible and bad. Here are 5 ways to get the most out of feedback: 1. Mum’s not the word. No. Don’t expect feedback from your mother. By all means, allow her to… Read More »How To Receive Feedback by Samuel Caine

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How To Feed Back On Others’ Work By Samuel Caine

One of the best things I’ve found about being a writer is the sense of community – the ‘we’re all in this together’ spirit. Even if we are one of those aforementioned Lone Wolves, it is extremely useful to get other writers to read our work. As an impoverished student, I quite often run a ‘favours for favours’ script reading service. I’ll read yours if you read mine. It’s mostly good, but sometimes it’s not. Why? Because some people are absolutely dreadful at giving feedback. Here are the rules I set myself to make sure I’m not one of those… Read More »How To Feed Back On Others’ Work By Samuel Caine

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The Lone Wolf’s Guide To Collaboration by Samuel Caine

Some excellent advice here from Sam on collaborating – I’ve seen many writers (and also directors and producers) fall down on these points. It’s very tempting to want to do things your own way, but Film and TV *is* a collaborative medium. Don’t forget you can find others to collaborate with via Film Shorts Club. Enjoy! LV After the recent discussion of collaboration at the Bang2Write Facebook and Twitter, I’ve decided to write my own a guide to collaboration. This is a guide for people like me: the bad collaborators; the children that don’t play nice; the lone writing wolves.… Read More »The Lone Wolf’s Guide To Collaboration by Samuel Caine

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Can Scriptwriting Be Taught? By Samuel Caine

I’m trying to resist the temptation to shock you all now, by saying ‘I don’t think it can’, but I can’t resist and I’m going to say it anyway: no, I don’t think it can. I still think writing courses are very useful though. If you think I’m mad, get in line, but hear me out first. Here are 6 problems with teaching scriptwriting, but why you should do a writing course ANYWAY: 1. Talent is innate … This is an oft-cited criticism of creative courses. ‘You can’t learn to be an artist’. As cynical as I am, I’m not… Read More »Can Scriptwriting Be Taught? By Samuel Caine

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An Interview with Mark Leigh by Samuel Caine

All this talking about 50 Shades has stirred up some very interesting questions about the future of publishing and e-books. Although I’d be more than happy to speak about the shifts in the publishing industry, I felt it’d be better to hear from someone a little more qualified. I donned the internet equivalent of a safari helmet and set off into the wilds, where I found Mark Leigh. He’s been writing since the late 1980s and published a whopping 45 books. He’s been extremely helpful and agreed to answer my questions about writing, publishing and the future of e-books. Sam… Read More »An Interview with Mark Leigh by Samuel Caine

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50 Shades Of Elitism by Samuel Caine

Oh, yes. This post is going exactly where you think. I’m going to talk about the much discussed 50 Shades of Grey, but I’ll confess now – I’ve not read it. This is not a critical analysis, or an endorsement of any kind. I am not defending the divisive contents of the book, which raise all sorts of issues about the glorification of consensual sexual violence, but it is a defence of sorts: it is a defence of the author and the book’s readers against the elitist demons in all of us…especially me. Over the past few months, as the… Read More »50 Shades Of Elitism by Samuel Caine

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Authorship For Screenwriters? By Samuel Caine

I want you to take a moment to think about the poor scriptwriter: Imagine a sad little scriptwriter face, the eyes moist with recently shed tears. They’re trying to contain the sobs but they just can’t. Why? Because they’re going to have a very hard time ever being dubbed an ‘author’. ‘And?’ I can almost hear you say… take a seat, and allow to me explain. Authorship is a pretty old idea (biblical, in fact), and one that I’d argue doesn’t actually sit too comfortably with film/television making. An author is usually defined as the person SOLELY responsible for the… Read More »Authorship For Screenwriters? By Samuel Caine

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How Free Writing Can Help You Get Started

Updated  You can’t fix a blank page I’d say the most important step in any writing related endeavour is the actual starting. But, like many writers, I often find this step to be the hardest. There’s something about staring at a blank page that makes doing something – anything – else seem suddenly compelling. After doing the laundry, washing the dishes and vacuuming every flat surface in the house, my self-promised ‘five hour writing session’ has dwindled to about 30 minutes. I was talking about this fear of the blank page with some fellow writers recently, and the topic of free… Read More »How Free Writing Can Help You Get Started

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