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Women & Writing

5 Ways To Fall In Love With Your Character

Many thanks to novelist Mya Kay, who provides us with our second Bang On post on the theme of “Love”. Mya offers up some GREAT writing exercises for those of us who need to get to know our characters better and I ESPECIALLY like number 5, which I’d never heard of before. Thanks Mya! Enjoy, Bang2writers and make sure you check out Mya’s links at the end of this post … Often, writers find themselves caught between a love/hate relationship with their characters. A month later, they’re abandoning their story, without even realizing that it’s not their characters that may… Read More »5 Ways To Fall In Love With Your Character

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6 Reasons To Follow The Decision

So I’ve written a lot online about teen pregnancy (especially on Twitter, via #teenpreg & #FeminismIsForTeenMomsToo), as well as  my prochoice novel, THE DECISION: LIZZIE’S STORY, not to mention my own experience of becoming a mother as a teenager. Lizzie’s Story is out this year sometime in English, having been published in the German Language last year … And she’s a character that just won’t stay confined to the pages of the novel, ‘cos she’s JUMPED OUT and got her own Facebook page and Twitter account! Follow her here, as LizziesDecision, tweeting about the ins and outs of #prochoice matters,… Read More »6 Reasons To Follow The Decision

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5 Ways To Write A Complex Female Character

Complex Female Characters As a writer it can be hard to come up with fresh new characters. We have the unfortunate tendency to only write one type of character or to write characters as stereotypes. However, writing your characters in this way does not make for a great read. Here are some ways that you can improve your female characters and make them complex and rich: 1) Forget She’s Female One of the first obstacles you need to overcome is the idea that there are intrinsically female or male characteristics. Females are not always the mother type, weak, emotional or… Read More »5 Ways To Write A Complex Female Character

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9 Ways To Celebrate The Progress Of Female Characters, Writers & Makers

Great news, Bang2writers: I think we can safely say 2013 was a good year for female characters. Why? Well check this out:  And this: Aaaaaaand this:  [If you want to read more, click on the pics.] The three movies above were not the only big budget fare this year to feature unusual female characters; THE WOLVERINE featured not just one, but TWO Women of Colour in prominent roles; PACIFIC RIM also featured a WoC in a prominent role: Mako Mori, who was widely praised for her representation by feminist commentators. In addition, there has been a veritable EXPLOSION of commentary about… Read More »9 Ways To Celebrate The Progress Of Female Characters, Writers & Makers

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Heroes, Villains & Disposable Men (AKA 5 Reasons Male Characterisation Needs An Overhaul Too)

On Male Characterisation It’s not fashionable or cool to talk about male characterisation … but then when Bang2write started, it wasn’t cool to talk female protagonists either. Look what’s happened since!!! Critique of any kind is very important in challenging the status quo. However we are SO focused on female characters I fear we are in danger of two things … i) Putting undue pressures and expectations on individual films, characters and their makers/writers Commentators love to wax lyrical about supposed “empowerment”. Yet a single work cannot stand for ALL women or undo decades of BS. As I’m fond of saying,… Read More »Heroes, Villains & Disposable Men (AKA 5 Reasons Male Characterisation Needs An Overhaul Too)

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5 Credible, Likeable Superstar Role Models & Why They Matter

In today’s multimedia mobile world, we’re consuming screen stories on an unprecedented scale. Whether it’s watching back-to-back episodes of your favourite TV series on your laptop for 6 hours straight on a Sunday afternoon (let’s face it, we’ve all been there) or viewing the latest Hollywood blockbuster on your 3-inch mobile phone screen whilst commuting to work, content is all around us and always accessible. Whether we like to admit it or not, the characters who inhabit those stories – who we fall in love with, laugh with, cry with and, in some cases, grow older with – have an… Read More »5 Credible, Likeable Superstar Role Models & Why They Matter

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Women & Writing # 6: Gill Kirk, Playwright

1) If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be and why? Buzzy, curious and noisy. I was one of those manic, loud, nosy kids who grew up into an adult with some more sophisticated adjectives. I love the world and people. There’s so much and you know you’ll never get your head around it in the time we have. I’m pathologically unable to keep that to myself. 2) What’s your background? I was always writing as a kid – especially drama and comedy.  But when I went to uni, I slipped on the very strange world… Read More »Women & Writing # 6: Gill Kirk, Playwright

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Women & Writing #5: Helen Smith, Novelist

Happy Publication Day to the lovely Helen Smith! Helen’s a real powerhouse in the scribosphere and her blogs show how an author should be “hands on” in getting their novels out there in front of the public. Make sure you check out her sites! Enjoy. 1) If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be and why? Enigmatic private detective. Why? Because no one else is ever going to describe me that way. 2) What’s your background? The first thing I ever wrote was a short radio play which won an award. By then I was already… Read More »Women & Writing #5: Helen Smith, Novelist

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Women & Writing # 4: Sally Abbott, TV Screenwriter

Delighted to have the brilliant Sally Abbott on the blog today to tell us about her work as a TV screenwriter in continuing drama – amongst other things! Sally is a real powerhouse and has been involved in all SORTS of things over the years and this summer dips a toe in feature filmmaking too. She offers some fab insights into the industry and writing that I really agree with, but I won’t spoil it for you. Read and enjoy! 1) If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be and why? Obsessive – which is a polite… Read More »Women & Writing # 4: Sally Abbott, TV Screenwriter

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Women & Writing # 3: Philippa Willitts, Freelance Writer

Brill to have the lovely Philippa on the site today, who is a freelance writer. I know a lot of you out there would love to know how to source and undertake freelance writing work, so think you’ll get a lot from Philippa’s great insights. I think what she has to say about “making it happen” applies very much to writers of other mediums, too. Enjoy! 1) If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be? Opinionated, funny, conscientious. 2) What’s your background? I studied French at the University of Sheffield, which included one year of studying… Read More »Women & Writing # 3: Philippa Willitts, Freelance Writer

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Women & Writing # 2: Lee Jessup, Screenwriting Career Coach

Thrilled to have Lee Jessup here on the site today – if you’re unfamiliar with Lee or her site, make sure you check out her bio and links at the bottom of this post or click her picture. Over to you, Lee! 1) If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be and why? Wow. Stumped right off the bat. I am much better talking about other people than I am talking about myself, which is why I love the work I get to do with writers; It’s all about figuring out THEIR strengths, and putting those… Read More »Women & Writing # 2: Lee Jessup, Screenwriting Career Coach

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Women & Writing # 1: Suzanne Palmieri, Novelist

Now, a new series of articles dedicated to women and writing – I’ll be profiling inspirational ladies and their writing (or related work) in the coming months. First up we have novelist Suzanne Palmieri who I befriended on Twitter recently and discovered I have an amazing amount in common with! Plus her book comes out today – happy publication day, Suzanne! Enjoy … 1) If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be and why? Scrappy: I was a young, single mother on welfare and I picked myself up, went back to college, received a presidential scholarship to Fordham to do… Read More »Women & Writing # 1: Suzanne Palmieri, Novelist

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