We hear all the time about two dimensional, stereotypical or even downright offensive characters. None of us can believe we’d EVER write something **like that**, so instead we point figures at those who do and keep on writing our stuff, sure ours are that much better.

A lot is said about the “usual” characters, too: how readers are seeing the *types* of characters, doing the same types of things, for the same types of reasons, in the same types of stories.

Then there are the writers trying to go against the tide  and do *something different*. Though admirable in intent, readers end up with yet more of the above, since those writers’ supposedly different characters often become representative of *issues*, thus fall into  yet another “usual” trap.

So, instead of thinking about the “usual” (and trying to twist it, usually too far) or making your character speak for ALL WOMEN; the LGBT community; or a particular ethnic group … think on this, instead:

Your characters don’t need:

- Acres of back story or tragic pasts

- To be predictable

- To be too obvious re: their role function in the plot

- Gender or stereotype reversals *just* for the sake of it

- To embody the “empowerment” of a particular group of people

- Behaviours or traits completely out of the left field

- To be defined by their looks or clothes

- To be defined solely by their jobs, love lives or family

- To be defined by their gender, race or sexuality

- To be the mouthpiece for your own beliefs

-  To be completely logical, 100% of the time

- To behave well, 100% of the time

Instead, for your characters to really have IMPACT:

Write a character who FEELS REAL.

That’s all the reader wants … and it’s all the audience wants, too.

Look at the above list again. All of us in real life are a melting pot of experiences, beliefs, behaviours and factors: everything has a part in making us who we are.

Give your characters that same mix of factors, instead of just one or two … Make them and their behaviour feel plausible and authentic, plus have them DO ACTIONS that feel plausible and authentic within the context of your storyworld and guess what?? 

You’ll have a great character. 

LINKS

12 Character Journeys We Can Learn From 

How Best To Introduce A Character?

Top 5 Ways Writers Screw Up Their Characters

6 Stock Characters That Need Retiring By Writers NOW

Cracked: 28 Great Movies From The Perspective Of Minor Characters

Script Angel: Creating Memorable Characters (Scriptmag)

Jezebel: Know Your Female Character Steroetypes (Flowchart)

Overthinking It: Why Strong Female Characters Are Bad For Women

More at  The B2W Required Reading List 

The Lone Ranger has Tonto, Batman has Robin and ice cream has chocolate sauce. There’s a reason why teams work: the individual components compliment each other’s weaknesses, making a stronger whole.

The same goes for writing.

Sure you could do it your own. But maybe what you need is a someone who can help cover your individual weaknesses to deliver the script that blows any script reader away?

So without further ado, here are 5 reasons why you should consider working with a writing partner.

#1. Two heads are better than one.

It’s a phrase that most people are familiar with and with good reason because it’s true. Some of the best screenplays have been written by writing teams. Would the likes of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, SPACED, or even THE MATRIX have been anywhere near as good if only one person had written them? Double the people, double the number of ideas.

#2. It’s more fun than sitting on your own & you can support each other.

Would you rather sit on your own plugging away for hours on end, eventually turning into a bitter hermit or would you rather make it a more sociable and write with a friend who you can laugh a joke with. It’s in these moments that the best ideas appear.

#3. Turn scripts around quicker.

Now this might not be true at first as you get used to working with each other, but once things fall into place you will find that out can turn around drafts quicker than on your own. It’s a simple formula: more scripts = more opportunities = more successes. (Obviously, always ensure quality, otherwise it’s all for nothing).

#4. It’s good to argue!

This is inevitable when working with someone else but it’s a good thing. It may be that you like a line or a scene that the other doesn’t, which sparks the fire. Enjoy these moments because nine times out of ten the script will benefit. If you work with someone and you don’t argue at least a few times when working on a project then it shows that your heart may not be fully in it.

Trust me I’m an expert …

… 2 years ago me and my friend James made a pact. We were going to write screenplays together. Full of ideas but inexperienced, we used our mutual love of TV and movies to push each other to learn more about how to turn these ideas into workable scripts.

In a world where most writers journey alone, we are bouncing ideas off each other and improving at a rate I don’t believe we could have achieved individually. There are times where I wanted to jump down the internet (most of our writing sessions take place via Skype) and slap him across the face because he didn’t like or had an equally stupid idea. There have, of course, been teething troubles along the way such as ensuring we both commit to writing sessions and them making a part of our everyday routine. We have needed to learn to compromise and understand that our scripts are not one person’s vision.

In other words, we have had to leave our egos at the door. But that’s what I love about working with a partner. I need to be told no. Otherwise I would be writing Game of Thrones fan-scripts where Tyrion Lannister would have a 60 minute speech comprised entirely of amazingingly quotable dialogue. After much experimentation, we have now found a routine that works for us and we are much more productive because of it. But most of all we have a lot more fun working together, than separately.

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BIO: Gareth Meredith is currently working on a Sci-Fi Action Drama TV pilot script with James Merigan. Please give them more followers on Twitter @Gareth_Meredith and @JamesMerigan. They are also setting up their own blog which I’m told will be awesome.

7. Lust

No, I’m not talking about sleeping your way to the top … though whatever floats your boat!

Under its old meaning, “lust” referred to the notion of DESIRE – and desire to succeed can cloud writers’ judgement in all kinds of surprising (and potentially career-kicking) ways. Obviously a healthy desire to succeed is good. But then there are the writers who have an unhealthy desire to succeed, such as:

- those who grab every supposed opportunity, no matter how shady

- those who follow every single note & end up in a tangle

- those who rush writing, sure their time will run out

- those who get up in the faces of industry people too much

- those who believe  “the next … draft/ contest/ note/ event/ email is THE ONE”

… And so it goes on!

You WILL need desire to succeed … When people reject you, you will need it to fall back on.

But desire to succeed is NEVER a stand-in for a good strategy. Don’t let desire to succeed hoodwink you into thinking it’s enough … You must  figure out what your writing goal is; plan accordingly and review at various junctures, otherwise you end up spunking scripts and ideas and emails and weirdness all over the place.

6. Gluttony

Gluttony refers to the notion of “over-consumption to the point of waste”. Whilst it is ALWAYS a great idea to consume media products in the style you want to write yourself, be honest with yourself about that consumption. Is it real research? Or are you distracting yourself from the real business of establishing your craft and yourself as a writer? Or – and even more important – are you simply imitating what has gone before? If you suspect either of these two things *could* be you, put down your latest Box set or Odeon card and look to your own craft first.

5. Greed

Be generous. The more generous you are, the more good Karma will flow your way and the more likely it is you will make friends with the people who will take your career to the next level. So don’t grab all the writing leads, information or resources and hide them to yourself: share. Give and ye shall receive!

4. Sloth

Always know what you’re doing. Never skimp.

And yes, this includes the basics as well. We’re WRITERS. We need our work to reflect our understanding then of all things writing, whether that’s the BIG stuff like structure and character or the small stuff like (whisper) grammar, spelling and punctuation. 

Never skimp on the small stuff. Seriously. There’s loads of great resources online now to make sure you can tackle any of those weak areas you make consistent errors on in your writing, such as:

• This great resource from The University of Bristol – a test a day keeps the script reader away!
• BBC Bitesize – Aunty offers some good info and resources here.
• Grammarly – a brilliant online automated proofreader which you can copy and paste or upload text into to check your grammar.

3. Wrath

Okay, this is my sin … CAN YOU TELL??!

Extreme wrath *can* actually be good for writers as a motivator (well I would say that, wouldn’t I?), but you need to work out if yours is POSITIVE or NEGATIVE. Positive wrath will have you working like a demon to prove those who rejected you wrong; negative wrath will have you shouting into the wind impotently about how unfair your lot is; hard you’ve got it; or what a state the industry is in – thus undermine your credibility as a writer long term. Time for a step back my friend.

2. Envy

“Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.” - Gore Vidal

Somebody you know gets somewhere with their writing, whether that’s an option, an agent or something else … And maybe you think (albeit begrudgingly), “Okay, s/he *is* talented”; or “What is s/he doing that I’m not??”; or worst of all: “How the hell is S/HE succeeding?? I’m way better!!”

Look, I get it. Sometimes it seems like everybody has it easier than you. Sometimes it feels as if it’s completely insurmountable and you will never get to wherever you want to go.

But guess what: whomever you’re envious of felt exactly the same way you do now! No one has an easy ride. But that person kept on keeping on and worked through it … and made it out the other side.

So there is no point feeling envious. Let it out and then let it go. And keep on keeping on!

1. Pride

You will never know it all … if you’re so proud you think you do? You’re mistaken. A good writer is always learning. It’s not easy to do always, but it is as simple as that.

Do you have different interpretations/ideas for the deadly sins of writing? Then let us know! 

I especially love her “don’t over package” tip, which I will back up with another submissions horror story of my own … One of my first interning jobs, I opened a script held together with butterfly pins with no little safety thingy on the back. One of the little feckers sliced right through my palm and I have a SCAR THERE TO THIS DAY. Even *better*, the author wrote back to the literary agent – and complained there was blood on his rejected script!!! Yargh.  Over to you, Sophie!

You’ve got a spec. Great! You’ve found somewhere you want to submit it, be it to an agency, production company, competition, or script call. You think – no, you’re sure – that you’re ready to go.

WAIT.

Seriously, wait.

Your work is going to go through a script reader. Chances are that this reader has already spent their day/week/month wading through a pile of specs taller than they are.

Revelation of the century: script readers are nice people. We want the next script we open to be the best thing we’ve ever read. And there are some seriously simple things you can do – or rather, NOT do – that will help when your submission lands in our spec pile.

1. Don’t send the wrong script! Or rather, make sure you send the right script. Don’t just throw a spec at something and hope it sticks. Research the competition/producer/company/agent you’re sending your work too. Is your script really what they’re after? What has been successful in the past? What have we, the readers, been told to look for?

That’s not to say you should indulge in “tick-the-box” screenwriting – but if you’re submitting to a place that specialises in wide-boy gangster thrillers, is your best bet really an angsty relationship drama? I’m usually reading specs with a brief or a company’s development slate in mind.

Yes, sometimes a submission is just so good that it doesn’t matter – I forwarded on an experimental theatre piece because the writer showed so much potential – but this is the exception for readers. Definitely not the rule.

There’s already great stuff on Bang2Write about making the most of the zeitgeist and marketable screenplays. Even in competitions, where the scope is wider, it’s worth seeing what’s hot and what’s not – and working out how you can twist the reader’s expectations to your advantage.

2. Don’t send your first draft! A first draft is just that – a draft. If you want to make the best impression on a reader, don’t send us something with all the hanging plot threads and up-and-down characterisation of the first go around. We can tell.

Leave it, read it, revise it, and then send it.

On that note…

3. Don’t send something full of errors! PROOF READ YOUR SCRIPT. Nobody passes a script for a dropped comma or a your/you’re – but a screenplay full of spelling and grammar mistakes is harder for a reader to get through than one which isn’t. If there’s a reason you can’t proof read it yourself, ask someone to do it for you. 99% of people will be happy to help.

It’s not just spelling, punctuation and grammar you’re looking for on a proof read, either. I once read a spec pilot for a sitcom which had THE SAME JOKE TWICE. Literally, the exact same joke, told twice, copied and pasted a few pages apart (among other numerous issues). It makes the reader think they’re dealing with someone amateur, or worse, lazy.

4. Don’t mess up your formatting! No Times New Roman or left indented dialogue, please. Free screenwriting software like Celtx makes bad formatting inexcusable. Just like proof reading, correct screenplay format makes it easier for the reader to evaluate your writing rather than getting distracted by weird fonts or colours.

5. Don’t forget your supporting documents! Synonymous with “read the rules”. What documents are this competition/agency/production company asking for? Include them. All of them.

If you’re not sure what to send, Bang2Write has a submission checklist. And remember – unless you’re explicitly asked not to, save the file with your own name!

6. Don’t be pushy! Patience is a virtue. Once you’ve submitted, make sure that you know what the procedure is (again, read the rules) and FOLLOW THAT PROCEDURE. If they’re sending an acknowledgement email – wait for it. If they’ll notify you when you make the shortlist – wait for it.

Don’t send hundreds of emails checking up on your submission. Readers work for and with many different people – so if you’re demanding/stroppy/rude that legacy will follow you around!

Also applicable: don’t be weird/informal/inappropriate/insulting.

7. Don’t worry! The reader considered/recommended your submission? Hooray! The reader passed your submission? Still hooray. Use the experience (and any feedback you get) as a learning curve so that next time, it’s your spec in the YES pile.

And something you should definitely DO… write a great script. A badly formatted, convoluted screenplay that’s submitted without the right documentation and followed up with constant rude emails isn’t going to get you anywhere – but if you do have a brilliantly written submission, whatever the genre, a reader will notice.

Quick Tips

1. Submit your script before deadline day. There’s always a last minute rush and you don’t want to get buried in it.

2. If you’re mailing, don’t over-package your script. It’s not the Ark of the Covenant. No bubble wrap, no miles of packing tape, no glue. Whomever’s opening it will hate it before they’ve read the first page.

3. Crisp, clear, good quality printing will make your script look way better than that mocked-up movie poster you’ve stapled to the front page.

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BIO: Sophie Wing is a development assistant and freelance script reader currently working with Kudos Film and Television. She tweets and blogs about films, feminism and all things nerd.

So May has been Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month in the USA because, you know, it’s not the bankers or the government or lack of jobs, affordable education or healthcare that cause poverty but THOSE PESKY KIDS who just won’t stop breeding and putting the world in the toilet, apparently.

Um, no.

Fact is, as my ol’mucker Zee eloquently put it: Teenagers don’t have the monopoly on crappy parenting. If you’re a crap parent, it won’t matter if you’re 17 or 70, FFS. Everybody must know this, deep down.

But no one sent the memo to various organisations attempting to shame and stigmatise teenage parents this May – lock the door after the horse has bolted, much?? – and there has been some right royal tripe doing the rounds on Twitter, including (but not limited to) the much lauded:

“You should be changing the world, not changing diapers!”

and

“Being a parent can wait … Pursuing your dreams can’t.”

Now let’s be frank. The single simplest, quickest way of actually changing the world? IS BRINGING A BABY INTO THE WORLD. You know, a whole new person who makes his/her own impact on said world. So really, that’s a very silly slogan if you *actually* think about it for longer than a half a second as it actually undermines itself. Dear me. Red faces all round.

As for the second: there are sell by dates on dreams now? REALLY? And while we’re at it, can parenting wait for all of us? Let’s consider that: Hmmm, well for me, no it couldn’t: I got cancer in my early 30s, so my fertility was done for. Had I “waited”? Then no, I would never have been a mother. Since I always wanted to be a mother – yes, ahead of being a writer – this would have been a personal DISASTER. Luckily for me, that never happened, as I already was a mother. But I think of this every single day and thank my lucky stars that was never *my* story because I didn’t listen to halfwits like those who dreamt this campaign up.

My response?

Teenage parents deserve our support, not stigmatising and shame. Teens have sex and sometimes they get pregnant – guess what: older people make mistakes too, so why are adults so hypocritical they haul teens over the coals?? This is why I staged a takeover of the #noteenpreg hashtag with the brilliant Prymface – and say good on NatashaVianna for putting up #noteenshame. Oh and by the way:

Everything I am now? I owe to being a teenage single Mum.

This is not hyperbole. I feel it’s 100% true. And it’s my life. And really, who the hell is anyone to say this isn’t true?

But hey. Don’t  let me just *say* this … Let me lay out in glorious technicolour how being a Teen Single Mum not only made no difference to me achieving my dreams of being a professional writer, it has actually enhanced my life and enabled me to create that career I always I wanted:

7. It gave me lots of material.

Let’s start with the obvious: my major sale, BAUCHENTSCHEIDUNG (Gut Decision), is about being a pregnant teenager. But I have lost count of the times I have used stuff I have learnt as a parent in my writing and collaborations, even when NOT writing about pregnancy or parenting. Life as a parent has enriched me and taken me to places I didn’t even know were possible; seeing the world via my children’s eyes has taught me more than any classroom or book. And that’s a fact. That’s not to say I don’t sometimes feel like locking myself in the cellar  - especially when my middle child is having one of her epic nuclear tantrums – but hey, you gotta take the rough with the smooth. And as far as I’m concerned, life is smoooooooooth as long as a kid can show you the way (without blasting off).

6. It motivated me.

We hear all the time that YOUR LIFE IS OVER once you have a kid. We don’t feed this narrative to teens either, but *all* women and maybe all parents too: you *can’t* live the life you want and go for your dreams because you’re *too busy* parenting …  Because, y’know, you can’t be a good parent AND go for your dreams because that’s … I don’t know. What is it? Selfish? Or Inspiring?? Why do these two things have to be mutually exclusive? Surely, if you are a parent, you owe it to yourself AND your kid to show yourself and them what’s possible? And why the hell can’t you go for your dreams, regardless? Who’s handing out these “Good Mum/Dad badges” anyway??

Now listen. If you would rather focus entirely on your kid, especially in his/er formative years and that alone satisfies you? GREAT. Go for it. You don’t need my blessing. Do what you have to do.

But if there is a little part of you that yearns for something *beyond* parenting, then WHY AREN’T YOU DOING IT? Can you imagine your kid’s face when they see how great you are something and then they say to you, “Why didn’t you do something with this?” To which you reply,

“Because I had you.”

ARGH. I couldn’t do that to my kid.

So: I wanted to be a professional writer; I always have, since I was about 7 and I wrote my first “novel” in the three pages of my Maths homework book. I couldn’t let having a baby before I meant to “stop” me from achieving this dream – especially when I wanted him to go for his dreams, too.

So my child motivated me. I would be a professional writer, by hook or by crook. And you know what? It was not easy. I am the last person to say going for your dreams is easy. But if you want it, you can do it. So get going. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:

“It’s a baby. Not a barrier.”

5. It taught me to treasure my allies – and let things go.

Parenting is a hard road; no child is the same and what works one moment can have no effect the next. You’re constantly reviewing, working stuff out and yes, praying to God or Fate or Dr Who or whatever that *the next thing* works because-Lord-in-Hell-you-have-no-clue-what-to-do-next-if-it-doesn’t.

Parenting is the ultimate “seat of your pants” ride. As a result, whenever you find other parents, who see parenting the same way as you? You stick to them LIKE GLUE. And 9/10 this is a good decision.

Occasionally however, someone will not be who you think; or maybe they have a change in circumstances and that means their POV is no longer in keeping with yours. So you let them go and move on – and someone else will come along and fill that space again.

Like parenting then, working in the media is another “seat of your pants”-type ride. You may have no clue where you’re going; whether you’ll get paid; whether it’ll all come together.

You will have your allies though. That never changes. Except when it does – and you let those ones go and move on.

I’ve always approached my media contacts like I do my parenting allies. And guess what: I’ve been working with the same people for donkey’s years now. I am let down infrequently. And when I am, I don’t take it to heart; I dust myself down and forget it. Because what’s the point? Life is too short. And if someone really screws up – they’ll get theirs. Maybe not today or tomorrow; but soon. But I’m not going to pollute my life by going after them.

4. It taught me to never take “No” as an answer.

The Terrible Twos is called this for a reason: a two year old is indeed terrible. Though s/he might look cute, s/he has a will of iron and NO reason whatsoever. This means s/he will want to do all kinds of things, most of which are bad for them – and it’s your job, dear parent, to work this out with the least degree of conflict possible, when your adversary usually only says “No!”

Great.

It’s not fun, but it is necessary. I found very quickly as a young parent, meeting iron will with iron will does not tend to work. Instead, distraction & humour tend to have better results; as does not being drawn into slanging matches.

Guess what: working in the media and as a writer is the same!

People will tell you “No!” all the time like that foot stomping two year old. Their reasons may be varied: maybe they don’t want to listen to your feedback; or to give you any money to make your film or stage your event. Your job is to work out how to turn that “No” into a “Yes”, or even just a “Maybe”.

It’s possible. So figure out how to do it. And pronto. And hey presto: there is your career.

3. It taught me life is not fair.

As a young parent, I did everything I could and still found myself wanting. I thought all the inevitable things: if I had more money; if I had a nice house; if my son’s father hadn’t abandoned us; if I was married … You name it, I put myself through it. And for years. Guilt was my middle name.

But you know what? NONE of the above was my fault. I didn’t ask to be poor and I was only guilty of believing my (then) boyfriend he would stand by us when he said he would.

With or without money, I was a GOOD mother. My son may not have had material wealth, but he had my full attention. There was nothing I would not do for him. And you know what? That’s all he needed!

We tell young people that if you put the work in, you will get the rewards. This is utter BS. There are loads of people out there doing everything they can at *whatever* and getting F all in return. Life is NOT fair. That is a fact.

But realising life is not fair does not make you a pessimist; it doesn’t even necessarily make you a realist. You can still go for those ideals. Why the hell not? Who is the boss of you, but YOU?

So, with your writing, you can put the work in then and feel the satisfaction OF DOING that great work – or you can say you’re shit, because you haven’t got what you wanted (an option/a publishing deal/whatever).

So what’s it to be?

2. It taught me what you SAY is not what *they* necessarily HEAR.

Children see the world via a child’s POV. They are not mini adults. This may not be surprising news, but then adults fall into this trap all the time: they explain things to a child, expecting them to see their worldview – an adult’s POV. Can you see the problem here? An example:

I’m in the park, with my WGs. I see a man trying to discipline his daughter, who’s perhaps seven years old, the same age as my middle child. I don’t know exactly what she’s done, but I’m guessing she’s cheeked him in some way, cos he says:

“Look … We’ve talked about this before … I’ve told you … Just don’t do that, alright?”

But he doesn’t really look at her while he says this, he’s checking his phone. So guess what she sees: Daddy looking at his phone and maybe a few fragments: “Look … Told you … Alright?”

Guess what she was doing not even five minutes later: riiiight. Cheeking him again!!!

If you want to discipline a child, you need to get on their level. Had it been my middle child who’d been cheeky, I would have made her face me and said something *like*:

ME: “Why are we angry?”

WG: “Because I was cheeky … I did/said [whatever it was it was].”

ME: “What won’t you do again?”

WG: “Be cheeky.”

Making a child actually face up to what s/he’s done makes them take responsibility for their actions. 9/10 this works, especially with little children. And you have to do the same with the people you do business with: you must be clear about what you want from them; what you are prepared to do and what you are not. Make sure you are all on the same page.

However as kids get older, something happens in their brains and they won’t process information so easily. For example, I had terrible trouble with my teen, who no matter how I tried to engage him, he resisted at all costs. His stock response became as a result:

“I don’t understand.”

This is a child who is known for his skill English-wise; he’s an A* student. He can break anything down and analyse it down in minute detail. Yet suddenly: WHAM. He can’t understand even basic English? I don’t think so!

“I don’t understand” became code for, “I am not listening and I don’t care what you say.” 

I did EVERYTHING I could to get through to him. I really broke my heart over it, if I’m honest. Nothing worked. I was exhausted. So I withdrew from the conflict. And suddenly my teen was interested! Suddenly my teen WANTED to engage with me. It was the weirdest thing ever.

And I realised something. I have been doing something similar, my whole career:

- I tell it how it I see it

- Some people agree with me

- Other people reject me

- And I carry on regardless

Parenting taught me this. I had been going AGAINST my instincts, trying to get my teen back on board; he is his own person, he needed to come to his own conclusions. And parenthood is not a case of pouring your good parenting into a  blank canvas … And the same is the case with writing. YES, there might be **obvious** things to do writing-wise, but people will come to them in their own time, once they’ve worked through their own stuff!

But also: sometimes they will NEVER agree with you. It doesn’t matter what you say, either. For instance, though I frequently say:

“Your script can be ANYTHING YOU WANT! There are NO RULES!”

Lots of writers hear instead,

“Do it the way Lucy V wants it … Those are the rules!”

You cannot save these people. If they wilfully mishear/misunderstand you, that is their lookout. It’s a shame, but you have to move on … Just as you have to move on from the tantrumming child who tells you s/he hates you and wishes you were dead. It’s a moment. It’s not the be-all & end-all.

1. It made me realise success is about strategy – and consistency.

I learnt very quickly as a single Mum: you got a plan? You’ll be okay.

That’s not to say you can’t be spontaneous; of course you can. But I found the longest  summers, weekends or even evenings went AGAINST routine. Routine and tradition is comforting to children and even though teenagers will rarely admit it, them too.

But more than that – good parenting needs a strategy, which is constantly up for review. A child of 5 is not the same as a child of 15; a child does not need the same provision when she lives in rural area, as when she lived in an urban area. And yes, an eldest child has different needs to the youngest or indeed the middle.

Things staying the same can be great, but things change too. You have to decide which is which, plus you have to keep up. You also need to realise you CANNOT be a perfect parent; you will make mistakes and you will have to make changes you didn’t realise you would need to, because of things that came out the left field – or didn’t. And yes, maybe sometimes you will need to apologise to your own child for fucking up.

But most of all: no child has the perfect childhood. There will be good times – hope and pray more good times – but there will bad times. You cannot avoid this. You can just shelter them from the impact as best you can. And you all have to make the best of things. That’s just the way it is.

And it’s the same with your writing, or any career you want. I hope you feel fulfilled and fantastic and inspired … but on the flipside, to feel those highs you gotta experience those devastating lows, too.

You will wonder what you’re doing.

Are you wasting your time?

Is this all a big joke?

No.

If you want something, you must resolve to pay the price to get it. Oh –  and you will need that plan, too.

It’s not easy. But it is as simple as that.

BONUS REASON

It taught me life is too short to wait … but you’ve also got all the time in the world.

As it says on the tin. You could die tomorrow. But you probably won’t.

So: if you want it? Go get it.

FYI – I’m no special case: I’m not the only one going for what I want … Check out this Storify of parents going for their dreams, no matter what. Enjoy!

There’s a lot more to good science fiction than robots, spaceships and phasers-on-stun. For anyone thinking of writing science fiction screenplays, here’s five tips to turn an average sci-fi movie into a great one.

1) Know why  you are writing science fiction

Great science fiction asks big “What if..?” questions that allow us to play with the day-to-day realities of our own world by exploring different realities in worlds we create. It examines big issues and asks difficult questions about things that concern us all – pollution, technology, globalisation, genetic engineering, overpopulation – and does it without pointing directly at an individual or group. Science fiction spotlights issues, bringing them to the attention of the world, and this is especially true of things that are out of our control or not easily changed. What is the big ‘What if..?’ question in your story?

2) Are you writing in a setting or a genre?

Romantic comedies are romantic and funny, horror films are horrifying, thrillers are thrilling but science fiction can be all of those things and be science-fictional. For example:

• Star Man – is a romance and a science fiction film
• Alien – is a horror movie and a science fiction film
• The Terminator – is an action movie and a science fiction film
• Logan’s Run – is a thriller and a science fiction film
• Sleeper – is a comedy and a science fiction film

All genres have their particular story beats. Know your primary genre and write to the beats of that genre first. If you’re writing a futuristic revenge thriller, make sure you outline a decent revenge thriller first, revealing your sci-fi world through action and character rather than building a sci-fi world and shoe-horning a revenge chiller plot into it.

3) Know your science fiction world

Whether on a newly discovered planet or in London of 1830, the relationship your characters have to where they live and the technology that surrounds them is critical. The two essential world-building elements in science fiction are time and space. Not the year your story is set – all sci-fi is actually exploring the present no matter when it is set – but the social/cultural stage that your world is at, and by extension the kind of space that your characters inhabit. In world stages:

First Stage World – primitive, nomadic, few people with very few tools hunting and gathering to survive.

Second Stage World – small towns or villages with a community, hunting and gathering supplemented by farming, the first technologies arrive.

Third Stage World – Cities filled with commercial enterprises and new ways to trade. Government, military and emergency services as well as law enforcement. Crime, but also leisure time and luxury goods.

Fourth Stage World – Advanced technology is ubiquitous but untrusted. Poverty and crime are rife. Taxes are high but government services are poor, inefficient and corrupt.

Fifth Stage World – Environment destroyed, natural resources gone, air and water polluted beyond the point of recovery. The dying world.

The important thing is that your story will rarely, if ever, sit squarely in one world stage or another. More likely it will take place in-between two of the stages and will deal with the effects that the change has on the characters.

4) Get the science right – or as right as necessary

The science always matters – even if it’s totally made up – but it really matters when you’re depicting things the audience know. If your story features a space shuttle launch you should know the launch procedure. If a character describes a scientific principal, make sure you get it right. Many science fiction films feature a laboratory scene, but the good ones feel like real laboratories and the people in them dress and act appropriately and take their work seriously. Basing your imaginary world on real things in our world grounds them in a way that makes them feel authentic, but this means you have to know a little of what you’re talking about. You don’t need to be an expert, just learn enough to write convincingly, but above all, be consistent. It doesn’t matter if the physics of your world aren’t real as long as they are consistent and you never break your own rules.

5) Don’t write ludicrous and nonsensical dialogue

There will always be jargon associated with science-fiction, but what sci-fi writers must avoid is nonsensical faux-technology and pompous, ludicrous-sounding names for things. If you’re ever tempted to write a line like “They’ve re-interpolated the quantum field transmission data and reverse-engineered the resulting Heisenberg matrix to calculate our vector”, just remember that “They’ve found us!” is easier to say, has greater impact and makes sense to everyone who hears it.

Remember too that character names can be an inadvertent source of comedy. Ixnys Zyxiz may look great on the page but if the reader can’t read it you’re in trouble. The same is true with names like Zorg or Gaxy – it’s difficult to take anyone seriously when their name is Ambassador Zorax, and science fiction films where the characters sport bizarre names typically fail. Miserably.

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* Bonus Tip: Write something that can be made!

If you really want to write science fiction, write something that has a chance of being made. It’s easy to let your imagination run wild but interstellar space travel and alien creatures need vast special effects budgets, so unless you’re JJ Abrams or best mates with Will Smith, it’s unlikely you’ll see your film made. instead, look for the small stories, in single locations, with few actors and no special effects and write those. Explore the big-impact issues that effect all of us, extrapolate from current technologies in medicine and genetics and find stories there. Often they’re the stories that are the most interesting, and more importantly, more likely to get made, and isn’t that why we write screenplays in the first place?

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Robert Grant is a filmmaker, screenwriter, critic and script consultant, based in London and one of the core team behind The London International Festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film. He currently sits on the jury of the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction Literature, the most prestigious science fiction award in the UK and serves as Literary Editor for SCI-FI-LONDON.com. Robert’s first book, Writing The Science Fiction Film (Pub MWP), is out now.

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 of student politics and fell in love with that.

Politics became my life – I was a lobbyist during cash for questions, film unit co-ordinator at Millbank in ’97, even ran for Parliament in ’01.  I got faster benefits for people with motor neurone disease, VAT taken off incontinence pads and global attention on Tibet when the Met Police stopped protests during the Chinese Premier’s UK visit.

At 32, I set up on my own as a communications adviser. All the while, the novel that was basically a screenplay-in-disguise kept growing chapters here and there.  Then, one day, on my birthday, there came a call: did I fancy applying to be interim communications director at  - the Royal Shakespeare Company?

Artistic Director Michael Boyd was hot on new writing, and their dramaturg, Jeanie O’Hare was an inspiration, When my 6-month gig there was over, I knew. I moved out of London, downsized and started learning how to write drama.

3) Tell us about your theatre work.

My first big success was a play called ‘Water’s Not So Thick’ – a dark family drama (with some very grim comedy) about the terrifying behaviour of a stifling mother in the run-up to her beloved son’s wedding.  It was one of the winners at Bristol Tobacco Factory’s Script Space ’09 and went on to have a full run, and win me a place on Channel 4′s 4Screenwriting programme last year.

Another, ‘Away With the Fairies’ also started out as a competition winner and took us to Orkney where a biodynamic farmer’s hermitic escape was disrupted, for her own good, by an invisible troll. Think Jimmy Stewart in ‘Harvey’, with a hefty swipe at the dangers of not following your dreams. It had a two-week run at Bristol’s excellent Alma Tavern Theatre.

My latest biggy, ‘A Bit of a Song & Dance’, is a dark, often surreal comedy-drama about the sex lives of baby boomers and their fear of dementia. It did well in the readings at the Soho, but fell at the last hurdle. So it’s back into development for that, before trying to get it up on its legs again. Ah, the beloved unseens!

In between, I’ve been spoilt by the great guys at Theatre Royal Bath, who’ve commissioned three shorter pieces from me (a surreal short, a kids’/community show that opens up Shakespeare’s language to the fearful and their 24 Hour Plays), and by a range of great small theatre companies working on shorter, straight dramas in London as well as the South West. I love commissions; it’s the lobbyist side of me – take someone’s brief and turn it into action!

4) What’s your top 3 bits of advice on the industry for theatre?

This is a people business; meet them, ask questions, don’t pester, be thoughtful!

None of us finds that easy – the balance between wallflower and wanker can be tricky!

But stay in touch with what people are doing, and make sure you are always working on something. It’s not about “being a writer”, is it? It’s about making work that you believe in, which hopefully has the chance to affect other people.

5) Describe a typical day for you. 

I have a two-year old, who is bonkers and brilliant. I’m a single mum, so it’s bums and breakfast then either a walk to the childminder or working out the best and most right-on way of tiring him out. This is an aspiration, rather than an accurate depiction…

Three days a week, it’s client work (I still run that communications consultancy) or work on a script, depending on the bank balance and client promises. The other days, it’s ”lego ice-cream”, dens, trains – including actual train spotting – Bagpuss and canals.

Eventually, time for me to either go and see a show or most nights, catch up on those megabytes of recorded TV drama and films. A very serious business that I happen to love – as long as I’m not pressing “delete” fifteen minutes in.

6) What’s the ONE thing you wish you knew before you became a playwright?

New writing theatre is a vibrant and encouraging beast here in Bristol and Bath. I’ve been made very welcome by theatres, writers and then actors and directors, so I can’t say I missed out by not knowing A Thing.

What I can say to anyone a few paces back from where I am now, almost six years on, is that this is a collaborative industry, so get to know people, ask for advice and help, be open and generous and always listening and learning.

Following on from my last post on The Lies Writers Tell Themselves regarding their own writing, here’s my top 10 on those fibs writers tell themselves re: their careers. Recognise any of these?

10. My time on blogs, social media/ bulletins, forums etc is well spent.

As we all know: using blogs, social media and various bulletins/forums etc is a GREAT way of networking and developing your career. Except when it’s not.

Know what you’re doing. The internet is a TOOL. Use it wisely. Don’t undermine your own credibility online.

9. It’s all luck anyway aka It’s who you know.

It’s not luck and it absolutely is. But guess what: the harder you work, the luckier you get. So quit whining and get writing and networking. Boom.

8. It’s all about the writing.

No, no, no. It’s about the DOING – this **includes** the writing, sure but also takes into account your own professional development. Why? Because other professionals want to work with writers who know what they’re DOING. Simples.

7. It’s not about the writing.

So why are you a writer?

6. Agents/ Producers/ Script Readers/ Gurus / Contests/ Events are all money grabbing bastards.

Every professional writer pays their dues – literally. This might be by doing and paying for various courses or contests; or interning on their own time, foregoing “real” wages; or they may collaborate with agents, managers or producers on spec. Or they might do it another way. Whatever. There is no “right” route and everyone’s is different.

It’s all very well smelling exploitation round every corner, but I can honestly say that for every charlatan I’ve unearthed, I’ve come across 50 others who are just doing what they can, however they can, with the best of intentions.

So stop paralysing yourself with thoughts that everyone is out to get you. Take the opportunities that suit; forget about the ones that don’t. And if you have real concerns? Ask questions, don’t point fingers.

5. I don’t need or want traditional publishing.

It all comes down to this: I have never knowingly met a self published author who – deep down – does not want an agent and/or a  traditional publishing deal.

But hey, let’s say you ARE out there. If you’ll make more money on your own and have more autonomy, great. Go for it.

But stop telling ME and everyone else how we’re all suckers who could make more money selfpublishing. Just go and do it! Because, y’know, “methinks you doth protest to much” otherwise.

4. My work is at risk of being stolen every time I send it out.

It’s really not.

3. I have to live in London.

NEWSFLASH: I’ve never lived in London.

That’s right. And yes, I still helped found London Screenwriters Festival.

But WHY, you wail: surely I, more than anyone, know how London-centric the industry is — why don’t we go out into the provinces and MAKE those pesky buggers travel to US?

Yeah, good luck. Look what happened to the original screenwriters’ fest in Cheltenham.

Fact is, the industry IS London-centric. We can fight this – and lose – or accept it, move on and make the best of it.

And anyway, no one need EVER be cut off from the industry – it’s called the INTERNET. It’s easier now than it’s ever been to get involved and create your own space to connect with others, make meaningful relationships and make/showcase your work.

So get on with it.

2. I can go it alone.

You can’t. Everyone needs someone. That’s the whole point of the media industry – you find others to talk with; work with; to champion. The more relationships you have with others, the more likely you will get your work out there and in front of the “right” person. End of.

1. If I get a place on this course/ initiative/ mentorship/ contest  I will be a professional writer/ get paid for my writing.

There is no course, initiative, mentorship or *whatever* that will automatically “launch” your career. If there was, the market would be flooded with graduates who could kick the ass of anyone who hadn’t done said course. It’s not.

Don’t get me wrong: courses, initiatives, mentorships – are all great things. I want to try and help as many writers as possible via stuff like The Script Labs at LondonSWF.

But never, EVER use getting a place on one as your validation. That way disappointment lies. What’s more, getting  a place on one is not a guarantee of anything. Think about it: why would it be? I have never won anything. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever placed in anything much, certainly in the last three or four years! I’ve still been paid for my writing. Lots of times.

You want to be a professional writer? You have to MAKE it happen.

It is as simple as that.

So keep on keeping on. Again: what else is there?

Why? ‘Cos ten years ago, I was a young single Mum working out of my kitchen. I’d just finished uni; I had a few scripts in my portfolio, but I had no money – so little, in fact, I couldn’t even take the literary agent’s assistant job offered to me in London or indeed the otherwise unconditional MA offer I’d also received.

It would have been easy to say all my efforts had been for nothing and I was screwed. But instead, I decided to turn it around: I would still get where I wanted to be, I would just take another route. I had an internet connection and the will to make something happen. And I did.

I credit this not just to having a strategy, being an optimist or to the generosity of others, but also to the fact I do not allow myself what I call “get out of jail free” cards, which are those excuses ALL OF US make from time to time when it comes to our writing, or our place in the pecking order of the industry.

The key is not *not* making these excuses – we can all feel sorry for ourselves, especially in the face of a raft of rejections, we’re only human – but in recognising them for what they are and blasting them out of our consciousness and replacing them with strategic moves instead.

But what are these lies writers tell themselves? Here’s my top 10:

10.  I don’t need permission for *my* ideas.

Damn straight – but then no one is asking you to get permission for them. And if they are, they don’t know what they’re doing: run away – and fast.

What DOES the industry want from writers then, when it talks about making sure ideas work? They want central concepts that stand up to scrutiny. Industry people want YOU, the writer, to be know what you’re doing: you need to know what your story is at grass roots level (via that logline or short pitch), plus anything else that warrants attention when attempting to sell it “off the page”, such as its characters and their motivations; how the story would play out (linear? Non-linear? arthouse/experimental?); or the genre, tone or theme of the story.

In other words, make sure your ideas work.

9. **I** know what I mean. 

Great. Please read your work to yourself in a darkened room. The End.

8. It’s better if I just start writing aka I don’t need shackling.

NEWSFLASH: it’s helluva lot easier if you do number 10 BEFORE you start on the draft, else you may just end up trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Of course, nothing is *impossible*, but it ain’t gonna be pretty. Why make life more difficult for yourself?

But fine, I get it: you’re in love with your idea and its possibilities and you’re just SURE no one has ever seen anything like it before. Why *would* you want a load of “don’ts”, when you want to concentrate on the DOs? Anyone who recommends putting the prep in is a nasty party pooper: Booooo! Hissss!

Well, you asked … Because of this:

Screenplays and novels with solid, bombproof central concepts are most likely to sell and/or garner you attention from the industry. It’s as simple as that. What’s more, you’re far less likely to go around the houses and/or fall into the “usual” traps, such as cliched openers, icky stock characters or those dreaded Zeitgeist Stories.

Work on your ideas … Advance faster in your career. Boom! Done.

7. It IS the “same … but different” aka “it’s better than most of the shit out there.”

Producers want the “same but different” – and so do audiences. We know this. Writers may accept this with great enthusiasm, or they may lament the industry is one big sausage factory. The end result is still the same: we end up with a big fat pile of samey stories.

You want the “same … but different”? You need persuade readers, producers, agents and execs you are aware of the concept of “pre-sold”, yet can STILL offer a new take on it no one has ever seen before.

Yeah, yeah there are loads of supposedly new takes produced that aren’t really – that’s not your concern.

What IS your concern: bringing a brilliant, new idea to the table that is so OBVIOUS and BRILLIANT people will ask, “Why the hell haven’t I seen this before???” 

But to do this, you need to immerse yourself in what has gone before. There’s no other way around it I’m afraid!

6. Talent can’t be taught.

Well, durr. And your point is?  Usually when this one rears its ugly head, the writer in question is grasping at straws in some ill-advised rant somewhere in the darkest corners of the interwebz. Avoid at all costs.

5. It’s the execution that counts.

Can’t we put this to bed now? Whilst at surface level there may be genres and subgenres that *appear* the same (such as the group of friends who go into the woods or similar and get picked off by a “Monstrous Other”, like a supernatural beast or serial killer), each and every one has a very different HOOK. The hook is that *thing* that attracts readers, execs, agents and filmmakers – and your potential audience. None are the same. Don’t believe me? Here are 6 movies, with 3 premises, with 6 different hooks.

Now, repeat after me: it is NOT the execution that counts …

4. It’s all about the writer’s voice.

… Except when it does. The world does not need any more vanilla screenplays or novels  - we want vibrant, real, flamboyant writers’ voices that reach up off the page and poke us in the eyes!

But it’s not JUST about writer’s voice I’m afraid. I have read some GREAT writers’ voices who’ve ground to a halt in their careers, simply because their ideas are derivative (number 7) or confused (number 10) or because they’re too difficult to work with in real life (number 9), or even because they never finish their scripts (numbers 2 & 1).

But  guess what? Combine your fantastic voice with a fabulous, bombproof concept and super-duper writing? BOOM! Suddenly everyone will want you and/or your work. What’s not to like?

3. Structure is just a formula aka there are no rules. 

Structure is NOT a formula. Structure is the way human beings understand the world. There is structure everywhere, not just in stories.

Maybe you’re reading at this work? (Naughty writers). Your day’s work is structured: it begins; you work during the morning; have lunch (hopefully); work in the afternoon; then you go home.

Your turn: WELL DURR. But wait a sec: the above description can be *any* job. What you do IN that time will mark out WHO you are and WHAT you do for a living, whether you’re a builder, a brain surgeon, a script reader or a web monkey.

It’s the same for characters in screenplays and novels.

They require a structure – nobody cares how you do it. As long as you do it. Here’s the structure section of The B2W Required Reading List.

And of course there are no rules FFS – but there are ALWAYS ways of grabbing people’s attention, in ways they haven’t seen before. Human beings prize novelty – never forget that.

2. Just one more set of notes and it’s done.

I see so many writers caught up in a kind of repetition compulsion: write a draft; send it for feedback; utilise feedback; write a new draft; send for feedback … and so the cycle goes on. Sometimes for YEARS.

If you want to advance in your writing career, you need to realise one thing: you MUST NOT write too much.

WTF? A writer writes, you say.

Of course, I say: but it’s not just about the writing. It’s also about the reading, the thinking, the talking, the networking, the GETTING OUT AND THERE AND DOING IT.

1. It’s not finished yet. 

This may seem obvious. And it is. But you must finish.

As Lee Jessup states in this great blog, time is NOT on your side. You should be producing new work all the time. You should have a strategy to measure this work’s success (or not) against. And if that idea or draft fails to attract anything or anyone? Then you need to let it go and concentrate on the next one.

Nothing is wasted. There’s always ways to put old stuff into new stuff – and projects do spookily come back to life. I’m working on one such project at the moment: originally written ten years ago, the writer has had it optioned several times, yet it never came to fruition for a multitude of reasons. Now we are revamping it – though crucially, it is very different. What’s more, had that writer not let it go, but tried hawking it over and over? He would have stood still. Because he let it go, it has come full circle again on the back of other projects that DID work out … because he moved on.

You must have the guts to finish and move on, where necessary.

Because what else is there?

Anyone who uses Twitter to market their work needs to be aware of a few things before they delve into it with the intent of generating some sort of benefit for themselves:

● You need to contribute something in order to receive something — People can smell selfish tweeting a mile away, so make sure you engage your followers (and others) in a way that doesn’t try to oversell yourself.

● It’s possible to say too much — Tweeting too much while not having something meaningful to say will inevitably cause some people (perhaps a lot of people) to unfollow you. Keep in mind that it is extremely easy to unfollow a Twitter account, so don’t give people a good reason to do so by spammer their feeds with 300 tweets a day.

● Twitter is slowly (but surely) being devalued — While it is still relatively young, Twitter is being tremendously inflated and devalued by spammers and fake followers. Just be aware of the fact that your tweets are small fish in a very, very big pond, so it will take more work to gather a following than it might have a few years ago.

That being said; as a writer, you can still draw a lot of benefits from using Twitter that will work in your favor. Here are a few of those benefits.

1. Networking

Making a quick connection with someone on Twitter is often as easy as just sending them an @ tweet and letting them know how much you liked something they posted, or thanking them for a follow if they’ve followed you. It’s non-intrusive, and has the potential to create lasting alliances and relationships.

For writers looking to get published or produced, this can be an excellent method of networking and building connections.

2. Instant Feedback

If you’ve developed a decent-sized following, you can often get quick and timely feedback on articles or blog posts that you’ve written, in either the number of comments or retweets your work merits.

It can at times be difficult to gauge the sincerity and reliability of that feedback, but most of the time, people who have followed you are already taking an honest interest in you and what you’re doing, so don’t be afraid to ask for feedback in your tweets.

3. Teaches Succinctness

Having only 140 characters can actually be a good thing if you want to get in the habit of writing in a succinct, straight-to-the-point manner. If you aren’t able to get your point across in a single tweet, you’ll need to put some thought into eliminating unnecessary wordage. Any writer worth their salt knows that this is a good habit to get in to.

4. Improves Vocabulary

In the same vein, having to limit your characters means you have to use words that convey exactly what you mean to say — and the shorter the word, the better. You can use this to help expand your vocabulary, forcing you to search for that perfect word or turn-of-phrase. In this case, a thesaurus would definitely prove useful.

5. It Will Work For You

As a writer, you need to take advantage of the tools that have been afforded to you, especially in our day, where writing and text are more valuable than they’ve ever been.

Twitter happens to be one of those tools, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Make sure you know how to not only use it, but how to use it to your advantage. Being aware of how it can benefit not only your writing career, but your writing habits will help you make the most of time you spend using it.

Remember to keep things simple, be sincere and don’t spam people. Twitter will do the rest of the heavy lifting.

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BIO: Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer from Los Angeles. Though she currently works with Host Papa, her background is social media marketing, so she has studied the ways in which writers interact with social media, and continue to develop the media.