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Writing and Kids Series

10 Awesome Young Female Characters Recommended By My Kid

All About Young Characters Young characters are hard to write … Yet writers frequently under-research young people when it comes to characterisation. As I was a teen mum, I’ve been a parent for over half of my life now. It is often very clear to me which writers hang out with youngsters and which do not. As with all authentic characterisation, we need to do our research or get found out. If we want to write young characters, then it pays to find out what young people are actually interested in!! This might seem obvious – and it is! –… Read More »10 Awesome Young Female Characters Recommended By My Kid

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5 Simple Tips For Balancing Kids And Writing

Writing And Kids Kids are great. We need them to carry on/fix the planet. They also give purpose and meaning to life for a lot of people, me included. Obviously not everyone wants or even likes kids, but I do and I cannot imagine my life without my beloved spawn. But kids are also the absolute worst, because they take up loads of time you could be writing. Arf, seriously like I said … I lovelovelove my kids, I would literally die for them. But they’re also annoying and selfish and loud and oh, just like me. What a surprise. NOT!… Read More »5 Simple Tips For Balancing Kids And Writing

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Top 5 Ways To Crush Self-Doubt Like A Boss

Are You Feeling Self Doubt Right Now? When you’re a writer, self doubt is never far away it seems. Recognise first that self-doubt is just part of the process. This tiny mindset change can make all the difference. Why? Because you no longer feel like you ‘shouldn’t’ feel this way. It is what it is. In addition, every Bang2writer knows the importance of your peers having your back … Especially when the dreaded self-doubt strikes! Having others in your corner to commiserate and encourage you is really, really important. This is why I set up the B2W  secret Facebook group.… Read More »Top 5 Ways To Crush Self-Doubt Like A Boss

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4 Top Lessons On Writing Children

As I mention in my book, Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays, I frequently see child and teen characters in specscreenplays that ‘feel’ like ‘movie kids’ rather than rounded, three dimensional characters. So I was delighted to read the excellent WATERBABIES by Writer/Director Andy Simpson, which doesn’t make this basic mistake! When Andy suggested writing a guest post on this subject for B2W,  I jumped at the chance … His script tips are contrasted with his directing experience, so Bang2writers get the ‘full picture’ of going BEYOND the page, too. Invaluable!! Over to you, Andy … Are there children in your script?… Read More »4 Top Lessons On Writing Children

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4 Reasons To Love JUNO

On the day book 2 of The Decision Series, JASMINE’S STORY hits the virtual shelves, many thanks to @LizziesDecision ally and photographer/filmmaker Jendella Benson for this week’s excellent guest post about Diablo Cody’s Oscar-winning dramedy JUNO! Jendella has been taking pictures of young mums and their kids for her visual project on the subject, which included me and the Male Spawn. I was honoured to be part of the project and Jendella’s currently crowdfunding so she can set up her own exhibition and workshops on the theme of Young Motherhood. This is of course very dear to my heart, so please do… Read More »4 Reasons To Love JUNO

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5 Weird Things We’ve Done To “Kickstart” Our Film Off The Page

I’m a big fan of Tim Clague and Danny Stack AND kids’ movies, so when I saw they’re currently crowdfunding for their kids’ feature Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg?, it was a no-brainer: I HAD to have them on B2W to share their delicious brains with you lot!! There’s some BRILLIANT advice here that **anyone** can achieve, so don’t get down in the dumps about getting nowhere, think about how you can MAKE IT HAPPEN, just like Tim and Danny. And then show your appreciation by backing them! Check out their Kickstarter page, or click the pic below. Hi Bang2Writers. Tim… Read More »5 Weird Things We’ve Done To “Kickstart” Our Film Off The Page

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3 Ways To Transform From “Self Publisher” to “Indie Author”

   Self-publisher. Vanity Press. Independent Author. You say tomater, I say tomato, right? Not at all. Unless you’ve been locked in Christian Grey’s Red Room of Pleasure for the past few years, you’ll be aware of the self-publishing revolution. The success stories are fifty shades of publishing folklore – but it isn’t universally good news. Now that any muppet with opposable thumbs can become a published author, it’s incredibly hard to make your work stand out. Assuming you haven’t chosen traditional publishing – or it hasn’t chosen you – there are broadly three ways to get your book out there:… Read More »3 Ways To Transform From “Self Publisher” to “Indie Author”

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6 Ways YOU’RE Stopping Your Own Writing Success

You’re Stopping You NEWSFLASH – someone is stopping your writing success and it’s not who you think it is … It’s you! True story. When it comes to writing, forget those mythical “gate keepers” who won’t give you a chance … A writer can be his or her OWN worst enemy. Here’s 6 ways I’ve seen – and been! – it: 1) You’re scaring everybody off This is the thing. How you present yourself – especially online, but also networking in real life – is how people will decide whether they CAN work with you. So if you leave this… Read More »6 Ways YOU’RE Stopping Your Own Writing Success

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5 Reasons Bullying Happens At School

Today, my youngest ever Bang2writer, Harri (just 12 years old!) is talking about his new book and why he thinks kids get bullied at school and how bullies are created … This is a great opportunity for adult writers to see school from a kid’s perspective – I found number 5 particularly useful, I’d never thought of this being a useful way of avoiding bullies! So make sure you check out the post and Harri’s sites and profiles — and buy his book! Enjoy! It’s About Being “Different” … 1) Talents For example, if you’re particularly good at something like… Read More »5 Reasons Bullying Happens At School

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10 Tips On Being A Productive Writer

There’s an old saying I took to heart at a very young age, “If you want something doing, ask a busy person”. As a result I’m perpetually busy, but crucially I also get things done as well. I never thought this was weird or unusual, until I became an adult, as others kept remarking on it. A common declaration is that I must be able to somehow “bend or stretch time” to get so much in. Others will ask how I manage it: after all, I’m not just a writer, I’m a script editor, a social marketer, a London Screenwriters’… Read More »10 Tips On Being A Productive Writer

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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 Inspiring Monsters

Many thanks to Lorna Freytag (and the lovely David for facilitating) in bringing the awesome Sock Monster to mine and my WGs’ attention! I love the simplicity of the story and find the notion of storybook apps really interesting, plus my girls Emmeline and Lilirose adore the Sock Monster and have been searching for one in their bedroom all week to feed *their* socks! What I love about Lorna’s post  is how she demonstrates how the existing “pre-sold” monsters helped inform her story, yet also make hers stand out too: the “same, but different” in action! Over to Lorna … Enjoy!… Read More »5 Inspiring Monsters

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