author & screenwriter
It’s 2016. A new year. A bookmark, a new chapter of your life. This time is when lots of resolutions are made, mantras created, positivity abounds. It’s a good time of year to create goals (not deadlines) for the things that you want to achieve throughout the year. It’s also a great time to reflect …
On the surface, movies all have a similar structure. Regardless of whether you use three act structure, five act structure, ‘Save the Cat’, ‘The Hero’s Journey’ – it could be argued that it’s all different names for the same formula. People understanding the elements of the same concept in different ways. No particular way is …
Writing is like any skill or hobby – you need to learn a lot before you get good. Sure, you can have natural talent, but it takes more than talent to create a prolific output of work. And as things change, your writing changes. As you grow as a person, your writing will grow …
When I was living in London, I used to catch the Tube to work. Everyone did, and often I’d bump into my work colleagues either on the train or as we got off at the station and walked to the office together. There was an editor who worked in our office for a few months …
It might seem an odd question. ‘How important is the script?’ But more and more I’m seeing and hearing stories about times when changes are being made to the script on the fly, only for it to end up in the editing room and, suddenly, the story makes no sense. The answer is: ‘It depends’. …
Thanks to the advent of Netflix in Australia (finally), I can once again legally watch all of the television shows and movies I want. Having Netflix whilst I was living in the UK, then moving back to Australia and surviving without it for the last two years, it now makes me appreciate it even more. …
Everyone writes differently. There are definitely no right or wrong ways to get words down on the page – there are certain standards and formats that you can use to your advantage, to present yourself as knowledgable and professional. The most important thing you can do is figure out what works for you – then …
I didn’t want to write a blog post today. I’m not feeling it. I’ve got a billion and five other things to do and surely another day without a blog post wouldn’t be that bad? It’s all right cause I’ll write one tomorrow. And it’s okay cause I’m working full time again and there’s loads …
Research is, undoubtedly, one of the most important parts of writing. It doesn’t matter how good your script is, if you have moment that doesn’t ring true or doesn’t make sense, you snap your audience out of the story – and you never want to do that. Research is the reason I clear my internet …
It’s nearly mid June. Say you’ve got something coming up. Perhaps something like the London Screenwriters’ Festival. Say it’s coming up at the end of October this year. There is a fantastic opportunity for you to pitch something there, to talk about your work, to get yourself out there. But NOW is the really crucial time …