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7 Reasons Why Being A Teenage Parent Made My Career

I Was A Teenage Parent I stick up for teenage parents every chance I get. If you’ve followed this blog a while, you’ll know I was a teenage Mum ‘back in the day’. Far from apologising for this, or thinking it’s any way shameful, I actually celebrate this. Yes you read that right. I’m proud I was a teenage parent. My pride is not just because I went up against some pretty exceptional odds and became a professional writer ‘despite’ having my son young. **I**  am not exceptional, either. I know LOADS of brilliant teenage parents who are kicking ass… Read More »7 Reasons Why Being A Teenage Parent Made My Career

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10 Lies Writers Tell Themselves, Pt 2: Careers

Following on from my last post on The Lies Writers Tell Themselves regarding their own writing, here’s my top 10 on those fibs writers tell themselves re: their careers. Recognise any of these? 10. My time on blogs, social media/ bulletins, forums etc is well spent. As we all know: using blogs, social media and various bulletins/forums etc is a GREAT way of networking and developing your career. Except when it’s not. Know what you’re doing. The internet is a TOOL. Use it wisely. Don’t undermine your own credibility online. 9. It’s all luck anyway aka It’s who you know.… Read More »10 Lies Writers Tell Themselves, Pt 2: Careers

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How To Maximise Your Screenplay Portfolio

Script Leads What’s in a screenwriter’s portfolio is very important. Most screenwriters know this, especially when they ask me for script leads. But there is usually a disconnect. The screenwriters often have the vain hope they MIGHT have *something* that magically ‘matches up’ with what producers and directors are looking for. Of course, 9 times out of 10 they haven’t. The writers in question will have written simply what they wanted to write. They won’t have done any research on target audiences, budgets, what’s in demand etc. In other words, they are throwing spaghetti at the wall. Sure, some might… Read More »How To Maximise Your Screenplay Portfolio

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5 Traits Of A College Novel by Barbara Jolie

Bang2writer Barbara has written today’s post which I think is a really useful round up of common characteristics found in novels set in college (or university, to us UK readers). Very often writers attempt to “reinvent the wheel” and try and come up with entirely new elements for a genre, when it’s those elements their audiences actually WANT. So next time you’re thinking of what elements the genre you’re writing for has, try and balance what you want versus the audience wants. Good luck! Thousands of new books hit store shelves each year, and despite authors’ greatest efforts, many of… Read More »5 Traits Of A College Novel by Barbara Jolie

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Congratulations! You’ve Just Totally Shot Yourself In The Foot

Social Media is great because it means we can all stay in touch with one another and meet people we’d never otherwise had access to. Also: Social Media is a horrible business because we can all stay in touch … Yeah, you get it. Every day, I see or receive TERRIBLE instances of social media – and I don’t just mean whinging about how you’ve got a cold, or how terrible your life is, or how hard it is to write or find a way “in” to the industry. Try some of these for size: 1) ‘Read my pitch!’ I… Read More »Congratulations! You’ve Just Totally Shot Yourself In The Foot

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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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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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Guest Post: Four Corners by Sarah Donald

Many thanks to Sarah, who was at the Four Corners Script Development Workshop, an event for film students and trainers in London recently for screenwriters and producers. Take it away, Sarah! Given the opportunity to write a review up for Bang2write I jumped at the opportunity! So let me explain about this unknown mystery world of Four Corners… Every year the pitter patter of feet can be heard coming…but fear not! It’s only young screenwriters, producers and (deep breath) directors! From across Europe they come together for the annual feature film programme run across several countries in Europe to develop,… Read More »Guest Post: Four Corners by Sarah Donald

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Reading Screenplays by Lucy Scher – Review & Giveaway

When Kamera Books asked me my opinion of The Script Factory’s Lucy Scher’s book, “Reading Screenplays” I was happy to oblige … I’ve not met Lucy or done her script reading course, so it’s fair to say I was curious! And I wasn’t disappointed. Genre and storytelling plays a major part of Lucy’s book – and is why I’m recommending it so strongly. As I often say on this site, very few writers consider how genre and/or various ways of storytelling affect their scripts and then wonder why their writing fails to progress. Underpinning your screenwriting craft skills with a strong understanding… Read More »Reading Screenplays by Lucy Scher – Review & Giveaway

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BREAKING NEWS: “Inspired By Science” got a whopping 238 entries!

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In at #2, from my “screenplay tips” series – a look at the dreaded/much maligned voiceover: http://ping.fm/Dw0gr

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140 Film: THE TOOTH FAIRY

Knowing, yet amusing “learn to be good” story w/ pleasing plethora of puns. “How will u manage?/I’ll WING it!” Gd family fun. 4/5

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