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X Things I Learned Series

4 Awesome Movie Villains Writers Can Learn From

Some of the best writing advice I ever heard was, ‘the antagonist thinks s/he’s the GOOD guy’! Even in the case of comic book villains, they can’t be entirely two-dimensional … they must be 3D and authentic, with real worldviews of their own. This is why this article by Adela is so true — the best antagonists and villains really CAN teach us a thing or two about being writers! Enjoy … In the world of movies, the protagonist’s goodness is directly related to how powerful the villain is. This is the reason why most of the villains are generally… Read More »4 Awesome Movie Villains Writers Can Learn From

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5 Important Lessons Writers Can Learn From Cinema

Whatever you write fiction, an essay or a blog post, you need to be precise and innovative. But what if the muse is mute and you suffer from the writer’s block? Take a bowl of popcorn and watch your favorite old-school movie! Just as writers, filmmakers know their audience. Because of this, some of them create masterpieces you’ll never forget once you see them. This fab infographic from EssayService reveals 5 tricks a writer can learn from cinema. Let’s look at them! 1. Create vivid images Film directors together with their cast and crew work towards creating memorable moments and characters. Travis… Read More »5 Important Lessons Writers Can Learn From Cinema

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5 Things I Learned Writing My Debut Crime Novel

So, just in case you’ve been hiding under a rock or in outer space, my crime novel The Other Twin is OUT NOW! Published by the mighty Orenda Books, you can find all the details about The Other Twin HERE, or check out the graphic below … Sound interesting? Then please me do a favour and add it to your Goodreads shelf! In the meantime, here are the lessons I learned I writing The Other Twin – some of them are to be expected, others are quite surprising … Let’s GO: 1) You gotta start as you mean to go on Okay, okay… Read More »5 Things I Learned Writing My Debut Crime Novel

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5 things I Learned From DOC MARTIN Screenwriter Julian Unthank

In a world of Game of Thrones, Big Little Lies & endless choices on Netflix, TV offers far more to the sophisticated audience who in turn EXPECT a certain quality and standard of writers nowadays. Here’s where screenwriter Julian Unthank comes in to help us at Bang2Write. Julian has worked on shows such as ITV’s Doc Martin, The Bill, New Tricks and Robin Hood, plus his short film Love at First Sight starring John Hurt shortlisted for an Oscar in 2011. I was lucky enough to speak with Julian and have him share his top 5 tips on how YOU… Read More »5 things I Learned From DOC MARTIN Screenwriter Julian Unthank

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5 Things I Learned From Story Expert John Yorke

If you haven’t heard the name John Yorke or his book Into the Woods, then you NEED to listen up because you’re missing out! Not only is he an author of an Amazon bestseller (a FANTASTIC read, you can buy your copy HERE), but he’s worked as a script editor, story consultant and producer on shows such as EastEnders, Casualty, Shameless, Skins, The Archers, Life on Mars and Robin Hood to name a few. John has made a career out of writing great drama and creating interesting characters. He’s the man who created the iconic Kat Slater, and has been… Read More »5 Things I Learned From Story Expert John Yorke

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10 Things I Learned From Awesome Adaptations

When a book is turned into a successful movie, it becomes a cultural phenomenon. Fifty Shades of Grey. Game of Thrones. Harry Potter. Twilight. We all know these stories and characters, whether or not we’ve read or watched them. As B2W often advocates, knowing what an audience wants and why is why the half the battle. Each movie has its own appeal that makes it a pleasure to watch. If we dig a little deeper we can identify those points of attraction. There are specific factors that can turn books into successful movies. Let’s reveal the secrets. 10 Unpredictable Ingredients… Read More »10 Things I Learned From Awesome Adaptations

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3 Things I Learned From Literary Agent Fiona Kenshole

It’s not very often you get to hear it straight from the source EXACTLY what producers, publishers or literary agents are looking for. However, I was lucky enough to sit down recently with Literary Agent Fiona Kenshole who shared more than a few great tips for Bang2writers! Fiona was a guest of InDevelopment, a network of professionals who work in film and TV script development. InDevelopment meets regularly for drinks and discussion about the craft of developing, script editing and producing fiction for the screen and is organised and hosted by script consultant Sarah Olley. Fiona has over twenty years… Read More »3 Things I Learned From Literary Agent Fiona Kenshole

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5 (More) Things I Learned Pitching In Hollywood

The ‘X Things I Learned’ series is becoming a REALLY great source of insider and ‘behind the scenes’ info — if you want to share the insights you’ve learned out in the industry; on a course; when you met a famous writer — or something else! – then please do get in touch. Us Bang2writers want to hear all about it! In the meantime, here’s another perspective on pitching in Hollywood for you. If you recall, Tim gave his POV 3-4 of years ago, so here’s KT with her own nuggets of wisdom. Enjoy … Whether you’re pitching in London… Read More »5 (More) Things I Learned Pitching In Hollywood

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6 Things I Learned From Making Someone Else’s Script

2015 ended on an incredible high for Apple Park Films and we were keen to capitalise on the momentum this gave us, so we set about developing a short film. As a writer I struggle with the short film format, so I put out an open call for short film bloglines. We received over 200 applications, which lead to us producing Emotional Motor Unit. What follows are 6 things that I learned from being on the other side of the process and working with another writer’s work: 1) Only send what you’re asked for when responding to an open call This… Read More »6 Things I Learned From Making Someone Else’s Script

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5 Things Screenwriters Can Learn From Musicals

Whether it’s the sequins in Chicago or the corpses in Sweeney Todd, there’s something for everyone in the extraordinary world of musicals. But did you know that your secret, or not-so-secret, indulgence in this most over-the-top of artforms could also be good for your writing? Here are five lessons that musicals can teach screenwriters. And it’s a double whammy: you get to kick back and soak up some classic show tunes while improving your writing technique in the process. Overture and beginners, please … 1) Structure It’s even more true for musicals than for almost any other kind of script:… Read More »5 Things Screenwriters Can Learn From Musicals

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7 Things I learned at the Horror Expo Ireland 2016

Another treat for you, Bang2writers – top British Horror author and screenwriter Stephen Volk is sharing his insights on the genre with us, after attending the very first Horror Expo in Ireland. Wow! Got an idea for a guest post, like this? B2W always wants to hear what you’ve learned from events, films, processes, talks or meetings … Check out the previous articles in the series HERE. Over Halloween weekend I was at the Freemason’s Hall in Dublin’s fair city as one of the invited guests at the first Horror Expo Ireland, hosted by Dr Sarah Clearly, designed as a… Read More »7 Things I learned at the Horror Expo Ireland 2016

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5 Things I Learned From Mad Max Fury Road’s Producer Iain Smith 

 All About Iain Smith With a resumé that includes movie classics I love like THE FIFTH ELEMENT and CHILDREN OF MEN, producer Iain Smith was already on my list of top UK creative professionals already … but then he only goes and gets MAD MAX FURY ROAD made, too! So I was delighted to chaperone the LondonSWF Talent Campers to an exclusive half-hour session with Iain this weekend.  Iain offered up some brilliant nuggets of advice and writing wisdom, so make sure you strap yourself in … Ready? Let’s go! 1) It all STARTS with the writing … Production is frequently… Read More »5 Things I Learned From Mad Max Fury Road’s Producer Iain Smith 

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