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5 Top Tips For Writing Romantasy That Bites Back

How To Write Romantasy That Bites Back I was at London Screenwriters Festival this weekend just past, where I did a masterclass on writing romantasy. This subgenre has exploded in the past three or four years across all media, yet many people get it wrong on why it’s so popular. Romantasy is NOT just fantasy with some kissing. The romance angle powers the story, while giving us brutal worlds, high stakes and love that complicates everything. It is all about danger and desire, fused. Ultimately, good romantasy is all about that core promise: if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not romantasy.… Read More »5 Top Tips For Writing Romantasy That Bites Back

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The #1 Killer Opener Mistake That Nearly All Screenwriters Make

Killer Script Opener Mistakes There are lots of killer opener mistakes your spec screenplay needs to avoid. The beginning of your spec screenplay needs to do some serious heavy lifting for your story – not just for your characters, but the plot as well. This means screenwriters simply must do the following in their spec screenplays … Start with a strong, visual opener. Spec screenplays need to start with a visual that places us in the storyworld, genre and tone of your story. For more on this (including screenshots of opening images from produced TV shows, CLICK HERE). Introduce us to… Read More »The #1 Killer Opener Mistake That Nearly All Screenwriters Make

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Self-Editing Your Draft: From “WTAF?” to “Hell Yes, I Wrote That!”

All About Self-Editing Your Draft Whether you’re writing a novel or a screenplay, self-editing is key. Yet many writers don’t realise self-editing is even a thing! They may get in contact with a script editor like me to tell them what to do. Yet as I always say on this blog and the B2W social media, self-editing is a great idea. Doing this first is always going to get you better, more robust results than going straight to paid-for feedback-givers like B2W. It’s also A LOT cheaper! But how, exactly, do writers self-edit? Here’s my checklist, step by step. Ready?… Read More »Self-Editing Your Draft: From “WTAF?” to “Hell Yes, I Wrote That!”

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5 Top Tips Crime Writers Can Learn From BBC1’s THE TRAITORS

What Crime Writers Can Learn from The Traitors The Traitors has been sweeping the UK. Three times a week, millions of people take time out of their day to watch a bunch of regular folks trying to solve an Agatha-Christie-style murder mystery. What is it that works for this series? 1) Everyone Wants To Be A Traitor It has to do with the format, of course. At the beginning of the show, Claudia Winkleman, the host, interviews each player and asks whether they would like to be a Faithful or a Traitor. Very few want to be Faithfuls. First, it’s… Read More »5 Top Tips Crime Writers Can Learn From BBC1’s THE TRAITORS

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Happy Pride Month! Top 10 Queer Women In Movies And TV

Top 10 Queer Women It’s Pride month, which means queer representation is on the menu here at Bang2write. My Top 10 female character rundowns are super-popular on this site, yet I realised I don’t have any about queer women. Oops! Consider my wrist slapped for this massive oversight. But before I share my faves, a disclaimer of sorts. “iT’s gAy NoT qUeEr!!” Okay, let’s get one thing straight (arf).  Yes, some older members of the LGBTQ+ community still find the word ‘queer’ painful. For them, it brings back memories of the word being weaponised in the ’80s. That hurt is… Read More »Happy Pride Month! Top 10 Queer Women In Movies And TV

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10 Brutal Writing Lessons You’ll Wish You Learned Sooner (I’m Not Kidding)

10 Brutal Writing Lessons I’m not a fan of the term ‘brutal honesty’. This is because too often, the person being honest is paying more heed to the brutality than the honesty. Yuk. No thanks! That said, sometimes we all need a hardcore reality check. This is especially the case in screenwriting, filmmaking and publishing. There’s so much romantic BS and myth-making going on in these industries, it can be difficult to see that reality. I’ve made it my life’s work to demystify the spec pile, the process and the industry. With that in mind, here’s 10 brutal writing lessons… Read More »10 Brutal Writing Lessons You’ll Wish You Learned Sooner (I’m Not Kidding)

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Why Characters’ Skills Are SO Important To Your Story

All About Skillsets Memorable characters often stand out because of their unique skills or talents … but these abilities must serve a purpose in the story. So, how can we tell if we’re crafting a character with a meaningful skill or just adding a random trait for the hell of it? It was International Women’s Day at the weekend. So, I thought I’d answer the question of skill and how it plays out with reference to female characters. You know the drill, Bangers: ready … let’s go! Why Skills Are Essential to Characterisation In the 2020s, nuanced and layered characterisation… Read More »Why Characters’ Skills Are SO Important To Your Story

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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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5 Big Truths In The A.I Debate Nobody Seems To Be Talking About

  The Big A.I Debate A.I has been a very hot topic for writers in the last few years. It’s not difficult to see why … Since ChatGPT et al dropped in late 2022, what the technology means for creatives has been a focal point. Screenwriters and authors have been concerned with everything from getting ‘replaced’ through to ethical use, plagiarism, copyright and much more besides (because: duh! We need to protect our interests). Now, it seems those concerns and talking points have finally begun to filter down to non-creatives. In recent months, I have been in several reader and… Read More »5 Big Truths In The A.I Debate Nobody Seems To Be Talking About

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5 Unusual Things I Did To Create My Dream Writing Career

On ‘Breaking In’ To The Industry I don’t like the term ‘breaking in’, which is why I always tell Bang2writers to CREATE their dream writing career. I think it’s a much more useful term. It reminds us that we have the tools to do whatever we want! There is indeed no clear-cut path and every creative will have a different one. That said, I was a rank outsider in the industry, starting from a position that was both complex and challenging. By sharing my story, I hope I can inspire you as you create YOUR dream writing career. Ready? Let’s… Read More »5 Unusual Things I Did To Create My Dream Writing Career

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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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An Introduction To Kishōtenketsu, The Art of Plot Contrast Over Conflict

All About Kishōtenketsu If you learned storytelling in the West, you may not have heard of kishōtenketsu. Whilst some literature and screenwriting degrees may include it, most prioritise what I call ‘the transformative arc’.  The most obvious transformative arc is, of course, The Hero’s Journey. A protagonist must go from ‘zero to hero’ while challenging a ‘Big Bad’ of some kind. Most often that protagonist will undergo fundamental changes in dealing with a villain. This villain may or may not be emblematic of ‘The System’. Good examples of villains that are part of ‘The System’ include Darth Vader (The Evil… Read More »An Introduction To Kishōtenketsu, The Art of Plot Contrast Over Conflict

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