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X Things I Learned Series

12 Amazing Authors Share Their First Draft Top Tips

First Things First First drafts seem to be your favourite part of the process, or THE WORST. For me, I hate every minute of the first draft – I guess it’s the editor in me! But since it’s November, that means Nanowrimo … So I thought I would crack open my email address book and ask some experts their first draft tips. Enjoy! 1) ‘Call Draft 1 a plan’ – Sophie Hannah Call it a really detailed plan, not a first draft – this takes the pressure right off! BIO: Sophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling author of psychological crime… Read More »12 Amazing Authors Share Their First Draft Top Tips

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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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In The Spotlight: Elmore Leonard’s Top 10 Writing Rules

Elmore Leonard’s book, 10 Rules For Writers was published in 2010. But it’s a summary of that book, Top 10 Writing Rules has become one of the most popular shares and memes amongst online writing groups. No doubt you will have seen this list and been tagged in it many times! (As any veteran Bang2writer knows, I prefer to call them ‘best practices’ rather than rules, but whatevs). Regardless of what you call them though, it’s not difficult to see why the summary of Elmore Leonard’s tips does the rounds so often. It is a short and to-the-point list, plus any… Read More »In The Spotlight: Elmore Leonard’s Top 10 Writing Rules

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6 Things Writers Can Learn From The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale, Adapted The Handmaid’s Tale is that rare beast, both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Just two series in and it’s obvious it will go down in television history. More importantly, countless Bang2writers tell me they want to write something ‘just like it’, that ‘says something’ … But how? At London Screenwriters’ Festival last weekend, I lead a talk titled What Writers Can Learn From The Handmaid’s Tale. It was a brilliant session, with some great questions and observations from the switched-on delegates. Obviously I can’t cover all everything we talked about in one blog post, sadly. But here’s… Read More »6 Things Writers Can Learn From The Handmaid’s Tale

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4 Things I Learned from SOLO! Screenwriter Jonathan Hall

Jonathan Hall is not only a member of the Bang2write community, but also a seasoned screenwriter with credits such as BBC’s Doctors, as well as award-winning short films In The Mood and Mr Thornton’s Change of Heart. Jonathan’s recent feature SOLO! is an inspiring story for all filmmakers – it’s the ultimate example of making it happen on your own. SOLO!  is a musical, romantic comedy and was shot over in Valencia, Spain and recently selected for the Marbella Film Festival.  If you’re struggling to imagine your ideas off the page, then Jonathan’s interview and tips are not to be missed!… Read More »4 Things I Learned from SOLO! Screenwriter Jonathan Hall

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7 Things I Learned As A Writer From Reality TV

This Is Reality? Reality TV gets a bad rap. You don’t have to go far to discover people denigrating it, both online and in real life. It’s considered the opiate of the masses, sometimes exploitative and/or generally not very stimulating in any meaningful way. In fact, this is such a popular opinion that comedian Bill Hicks’ infamous Executive 11110 (‘You are free, to do as we tell you‘) skit could replace ‘American Gladiators’ with, ‘Here’s reality TV! Here’s 56 channels of it!’ some twenty five years on, easily. (Though in real terms I suspect there there would probably be more than… Read More »7 Things I Learned As A Writer From Reality TV

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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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5 Things I Learned About Going Viral on Twitter

B2W likes to offer perspectives from writers on the ‘X Things I Learned’ series, not just about writing or careers, but also some of the weirder things our lives may include from time to time … Cue children’s author Maz Evans, who went SUPER viral on Twitter recently! If you’re on there, you may have seen this play out in real-time, like me. Here’s what Maz learnt during a crazy 72 hours and I’m sure it’ll pop up in her writing at some point. It’s all material! Over to you Maz … It was no big deal. I was awaiting… Read More »5 Things I Learned About Going Viral on Twitter

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5 Things I Learned From Roland Moore, Showrunner & Screenwriter

At Bang2write today, we have award-winning screenwriter Roland Moore share his top tips about his creative-process, how to pitch and why writing a shit first draft is a GOOD thing! With credits including Smack The Pony, Doctors, Peter Rabbit and the hit Chinese television show Noodle, Roland is also the creator and writer of the BBC1 period drama Land Girls. He has also written audio dramas for the Doctor Who and Survivors ranges. Roland is currently the head writer for Fremantle working on an international TV series, so if YOU plan on writing the next hit show then Roland’s the… Read More »5 Things I Learned From Roland Moore, Showrunner & Screenwriter

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6 Things I Learned From Debbie Moon, Showrunner on WOLFBLOOD

The new year might seem like old news now, but there’s still a whole load of brand new writing opportunities for us to check out … Whether you’re planning on submitting your spec to an agent, or entering a few competitions –buckle up, read on and make some notes! Today, we’re lucky enough to have screenwriter and showrrunner Debbie Moon share her top 4 tips on how YOU can create a spec script that will stand out in any submission pile. Debbie is a television writer AND author, but she is also known as the creator and show-runner of the hit… Read More »6 Things I Learned From Debbie Moon, Showrunner on WOLFBLOOD

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7 Things I Learned Writing, Making And SELLING A Thriller

So, I did a blind-read on THE STOLEN waaaaay back in 2010 via an investment initiative — and I gave it a RECOMMEND. I wondered what had happened to it off and on over the last seven years … So imagine my surprise when the filmmaker Emily popped up in my inbox recently! It must be fate! I’m DELIGHTED to hear how THE STOLEN has made it to screen and I’ll definitely be getting my tickets. Make sure you support indie filmmaking, female filmmakers AND female leads by throwing your weight behind it. CHECK HERE or click the below for cinemas… Read More »7 Things I Learned Writing, Making And SELLING A Thriller

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