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5 Things I’ve Learned As A Professional Writer

Be Professional Want to be a professional writer? Well, here’s Bang2writer Ewen Glass with the skinny on what he’s learned along the way on his own journey … Enjoy! 1) Find your voice So, yeah, we’re not exactly starting with an easy one. In fact, this is probably the hardest thing on this list, precisely because it’s the most important. Structure, character-creation, world-building, effective writing on the page, formatting… it can all be learned to some degree. What really makes you stand out as a writer is you. Your background, your point-of-view, your voice. What do you offer that nobody… Read More »5 Things I’ve Learned As A Professional Writer

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25 Epic Years of JURASSIC PARK: What Can Writers Learn?

Jurassic Snark Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom came out last week to coincide with 25 years of the franchise. Needless to say, many official critics gave the new instalment a kicking, plus there was the inevitable cries on social media about it ‘not being as good’ as the original. But love or hate the new Jurassic Worlds, there’s plenty for us to learn as writers from the franchise. You ready for another instalment of Movie Lessons For Writers? OBVIOUSLY there will be *some* spoilers for the franchise as a whole,  but only mild ones. So let’s go … 1) Entertainment first, ALWAYS… Read More »25 Epic Years of JURASSIC PARK: What Can Writers Learn?

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The Important Advice Screenwriters NEED To Hear

Hear Ye, Hear Ye Look, I know you don’t want to hear this, but here’s a big fat truth bomb for you this morning … You’re wasting your time.  Some of you will be outraged to hear this. Others will say, ‘I KNEW it!!’ Most of you will shrug and quote William Goldman, ‘Nobody knows anything.’  But trust me: I’m right. Just probably not the way you think I mean. Let me explain. Build it & they will come? Imagine a person making something … Let’s say a house. S/he is a master (or mistress!) in their field. They’ve worked… Read More »The Important Advice Screenwriters NEED To Hear

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The Truth About People Of Colour In Historical Stories

Living Colour NEWSFLASH: people of colour lived in Europe in medieval times and beyond. In some cases, they were born and died here, too. Who knew? Well, people of colour living in Europe in medieval times of course, because they were VERY DEFINITELY here. Not to mention all my British and European Bang2writers here today who are descendants of said people.  Doh! Where does this ridiculous assumption come from? Well, white people of course, some of whom appear to assume the first migrants who made it to Britain were The Windrush Generation (currently in the news, if you’ve noticed). Not only is this… Read More »The Truth About People Of Colour In Historical Stories

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INFOGRAPHIC: Everything You Need To Know About The Screenplay

So, we have a new infographic on B2W today that will hopefully kickstart your new screenplay and/or keep it going, so you can get it written and revised and sent out. Let’s check it out … What Should You Write About? There’s some great tips here on adaptation. Though most screenwriters aren’t going to have the money for options on adapting bestselling books, they can still collaborate with authors (especially self published ones, though literary agents may pair scriptwriters with authors too – always worth asking! ). Beyond adaptation, it’s always worth doing lots of work on your central concept… Read More »INFOGRAPHIC: Everything You Need To Know About The Screenplay

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20 Things That Will Make You A Better Writer

So, it’s a new year … and no doubt you’re limbering up for some serious writing and smashing of your goals. Why not chew on some of these for size? HAPPY NEW YEAR! 1) Read Screenplays I’ve been working with screenwriters fifteen years now, yet STILL there are wannabes out there who’ve never read a script in their lives! WTAF. Put yourselves on the naughty step AT ONCE. Also, 5-10 in your entire writing lifetime won’t cut it. Commit to reading a script a week. That’s right – 52 in a year! A great script only takes 1-2 hours to… Read More »20 Things That Will Make You A Better Writer

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8 Things I Learned From Editor And Author Phoebe Morgan

We haven’t had an ‘X Things I Learned …’ post for a while, so in response to requests for more on publishing insider info, I reached out to Phoebe Morgan, a commissioning editor at Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins. Phoebe is also the author of The Doll House, which became a #1 iBooks bestseller and spent a whopping 8 weeks in the Kindle top 100. So I think it’s fair to say she knows her stuff, being on both sides of the table! I had a chat with Phoebe over Skype recently, who imparted some really great nuggets of wisdom… Read More »8 Things I Learned From Editor And Author Phoebe Morgan

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Top 5 Memorable Western Women In Movies

Western films have seen periodic resurgences but nowadays they tend to be relegated to the cable channel movie of the week, direct to DVD, or video on demand. The Western has always been a boys’ club and the great bastion of the Madonna/Whore trope; the woman as either a representation of sexless social virtue or a baseless woman driven by it.  The genre is famous for men who are vagabonds, drifters and gunslingers while the women exist in a state of near invisibility. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t memorable female characters in Western films but the ones you remember… Read More »Top 5 Memorable Western Women In Movies

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How To Critique Your Own Writing Like A Boss

How To Critique Your Own Writing “Critique my own writing? Who does that? Aren’t we supposed to critique the works of others?” This is a pretty common response of writers when they are asked about how often they critique their own work. Today, however, we are going to discuss another type of critique that will protect you from being broken-hearted by cruel critics and help advance your career. Self-critiquing is the answer! How is self-critiquing going to help my career as a writer? By critiquing your own writing, you are trying to find that delicate balance between praising your masterpiece… Read More »How To Critique Your Own Writing Like A Boss

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5 Quick Questions To Help You Write Awesome Characters

As any veteran Bang2writer knows, this site is known for its critique and help with characterisation, so when the mighty Angela Ackerman got in touch with this great post I virtually BIT her hand off! Angela really knows her stuff on this subject, so make sure you utilise her great questions in planning your next great work. Enjoy! With most writers, the moment a story idea hits, a clock begins to count down. Plot snippets, half-formed characters, themes, conflict options, potential twists…a cascade of ideas hit, cranking up excitement and making our fingers itch. Once the pressure hits critical heights,… Read More »5 Quick Questions To Help You Write Awesome Characters

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How To Use Foreshadowing In Your Writing

Foreshadowing (also known as “guessing ahead”) is one of the most powerful storytelling tools, but only if used right. The main goal of foreshadowing is to prepare the readers for what comes next. However, this goal can be achieved with the help of different methods, and that’s when the challenge starts. Sometimes writers fail to achieve this goal at all, giving the details of the main secret right away instead of subtly hinting that a certain thing is about to happen. This is the main reason why readers sometimes hate foreshadowing. When it is used in a wrong way, it ruins… Read More »How To Use Foreshadowing In Your Writing

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5 Problems With Characterisation

Characterisation is tough. Every writer knows this. As a result, there’s all kinds of traps we can fall into whilst writing, so we end up getting eaten by THE BEAR OF DOUBT when those notes come in … Y’know the ones: I’m not sure I care about your character … This character would be better if they did [PERSONAL PREFERENCE] … Have you thought about swapping [X] for [Y] because [REASONS] … … ARGH! But if you’ve done your homework, THAT kind of feedback will be like water off a duck’s back to you. But what constitutes ‘doing your homework’??… Read More »5 Problems With Characterisation

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