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Hey Writers: Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy. Here’s How

Are you your own worst enemy? If you suspect you might be your own worst enemy as a writer, this one is for you. There’s so much self-sabotaging behaviour out there (especially online, but also IRL – in real life – too). I thought I would pull together some DOs/DONT’s on how to avoid being your own worst enemy. Do you spot any you are doing right now, or perhaps in the past? Let’s go … 1) Set concrete goals … I saw a mug once that read, ‘A goal without a plan is just a wish’. Whilst cheesy, it’s true. If… Read More »Hey Writers: Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy. Here’s How

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How To Become A Writer Without An Expensive University Course

Expensive University Courses If you want to become a writer but worry about how expensive university courses are, save your money. Learn what they teach you on a Creative Writing degree, without the expensive debt. Here are the top 5 things they teach on a Creative Writing BA … Ready? Let’s go! 1) Think like a writer It might sound strange but the first thing they teach you on a Creative Writing BA is how to “think like a writer”. That should go without saying you might think, but here are some handy tips they taught us … Make sure… Read More »How To Become A Writer Without An Expensive University Course

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10 Top TV Writers Share Their Writing Career Secrets

Career Secrets of TV Writers There’s lots of Bang2writers who want to be TV writers. But writing career secrets can be hard to come by when everyone’s journey is so different. It becomes easier to imagine breaking in and grabbing that elusive career is all just luck. But it’s not. If we focus on BUILDING a career, then we can see it is all in our own hands. The TV writers below have all broken into the industry and built a career, so why can’t we? Here’s what my 10 (okay, 11!) Top TV writers said when I asked them,… Read More »10 Top TV Writers Share Their Writing Career Secrets

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10 Top TV Writers Share Their Writing Craft Secrets

Craft Secrets ‘Writing secrets’ brings writers to this blog every day. It would seem everyone thinks there’s secrets out there that everyone else knows, but they don’t. I’m not immune to this either, I would LOVE to know! So I thought I’d round up a bunch of top TV writers and ask THEM what their personal writing secrets are … Here’s the answers I got asking, ‘What’s your top tip for writing craft?’ Enjoy! 1) ‘Emotional courage stands out’ – Ashley Pharoah My tip is not to bury the emotion under the craft. Emotional courage is what is needed to… Read More »10 Top TV Writers Share Their Writing Craft Secrets

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Do You Need To Be Well Read, To Be A Good Writer?

What Does ‘Well Read’ Mean? First up, let’s agree on the definition. Here’s one from the dictionary: Well read, adjective. Having a lot of knowledge from reading widely; knowledgeable. Synonyms: knowledgeable (about), well informed (about), well versed in, widely read; erudite, scholarly, literate, educated, cultured, literary, bookish, studious. Example: “She was very well read in this field”.  The key words that stand out for me there: knowledge, widely, well informed.  Should you read? HELL YES I work with writers every single day who profess they ‘don’t’ read, often because they ‘don’t have time’. And you know what? Contrary to popular belief, some of them… Read More »Do You Need To Be Well Read, To Be A Good Writer?

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How To Make Your Writing Career Breakthrough

Make Your Writing Career Breakthrough Over 100,000 people worldwide identify as a screenwriter. No wonder it feels so difficult to stand out from the crowd. Unless you win a top ten screenwriting contest that is, which is only 0.1 percent of writers (yes that’s a real number.) So how do we get noticed? Luckily, there is more than one way to skin a cat (instead of saving it 😉!) to make that breakthrough. 1) BRANDING – Build your online presence This is so important in today’s society. Can you be Googled? As a screenwriter, if you can’t be googled or… Read More »How To Make Your Writing Career Breakthrough

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10 Steps to Creating Memorable Heroes

All About Memorable Heroes Spellbinding stories feature believable, knowable, memorable characters. I’d love to impart some gem that would magically make you an expert at character development. But this is as hard as it sounds. Fail at this, and it shows. Consider some of literature’s most memorable characters – Jane Eyre, Scarlett O’Hara, Atticus Finch, Ebenezer Scrooge, Huckleberry Finn, Katniss Everdeen, Harry Potter. Can you name the novels they come from and what they have in common? Larger than life, they’re also universally human They see courage not as lack of fear but rather the ability to act in the… Read More »10 Steps to Creating Memorable Heroes

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How To Avoid Stereotypes When Writing Diverse Characters

How To Avoid Stereotypes If you Googled how to avoid stereotypes, you’ve come to the right place. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ll know September 2017 saw the launch of my new B2W book, Writing Diverse Characters For Fiction, TV and Film (Creative Essentials). Marginalised characters have been a focus of B2W for years, so it made sense that I finally pull all my resources and experiences with this important element together, in one handy guide. So, from talking to the Bang2writers, a common cry is: ‘I want to write diverse characters … but I’m SCARED of getting it… Read More »How To Avoid Stereotypes When Writing Diverse Characters

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It’s Time To Quit Stalling And Make That Jump

So, I’ve posited before that of ALL the people who might get in the way of their progress? It’s actual writers themselves. Many writers may go so far to express disbelief at this. It’s not hard to understand why. When they’re just beginning on their writing career path, they’ll say things to me like: ‘I can’t wait until I ‘make it’!’ ‘When I get my first opportunity, I’m going to grab it with BOTH HANDS!’ ‘I’m gonna do this, whatever it takes!’ I don’t mean these guys don’t mean the above. I believe absolutely they do. But they still get… Read More »It’s Time To Quit Stalling And Make That Jump

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10 Essential Skills Every Writer Needs

There is a significant difference between being a writer and treating writing as a profession. Obviously, without a serious attitude, one cannot become a well-known expert who knows how to impact the readers in a profound way. Therefore, if you want to succeed in this field and master your writing skills, you have to learn the essentials of the profession. Every profession has essentials that allow to produce top quality work. In writing, for example, they set a memorable text apart from mediocre work and help to attract the interest from readers. Today, people with a lot of reading experience… Read More »10 Essential Skills Every Writer Needs

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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 Reasons Every Writer Should Have A Blog

If you write for a living, you have a career that many others envy. You pick your own hours; you pick your own location; you pick the type of writing you want to do – so long as someone is willing to pay for it, that is! Being a freelancer means constant hustling; you will always have to market yourself to potential new employers, marketplaces, agents, publishers and filmmakers. And one of the best ways to do that is to have a blog, creating a following and platform for your work. Here are five things you will get out of… Read More »5 Reasons Every Writer Should Have A Blog

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