Lucy V. Hay – författare

Writing and Selling Thriller Screenplays has the lowdown on how to get your thriller feature script on to the page, and how to get it in front of producers and investors.First published in 2013, this new edition offers an all-new resources section and a host of new case studies that map the considerable changes of the past decade. With marketplace disruptors such as Netflix and the first phases of The Marvel Cinematic Universe leaving their mark, new opportunities have been created for screenwriters and filmmakers who are keen to get their stories in front of industry professionals.This time around, Lucy V Hay doesn't just guide you through the writing of movies, but spec TV pilots too. Putting iconic, mixed-genre projects under the microscope -such as Stranger Things (horror thriller), Brooklyn 99 (comedy thriller) and Lost (sci fi thriller) - she considers what writers can learn from these shows.She also argues that the lone protagonist in a thriller has had its day and looks at how the genre is moving into a space beyond 'The Hero's Journey'. Case studies to support this include The Hunger Games, Captain Marvel, Iron Man and many more.Finally, the book considers how the screenplay might be sold to investors, exploring high concept ideas, pitching, packaging and the realities of film finance - all updated for the 2020s - and lays out alternative routes to sales and production, including transmedia such as novels and adaptation, and immersive storytelling online.

We're living in a time of unprecedented diversity in produced media content, with more characters appearing who are Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT), disabled, or from other religions or classes. What's more, these characters are appearing more and more in genre pieces, accessible to the mainstream, instead of being hidden away in so-called 'worthier' pieces, as in the past. How to Write Diverse Characters discusses issues of all identities with specific reference to characterisation, not only in movies and TV, but also novel writing. It explores: How character role function really worksWhat is the difference between stereotype and archetype?Why 'trope' does not mean what Twitter and Tumblr think it meansHow the burden of casting affects both box office and audience perceptionWhy diversity is not about agendas, buzzwords or being 'politically correct'What authenticity truly means and why research is so importantWhy variety is key in ensuring true diversity in characterisationWriters have to catch up. Knowing not only what makes a 'good' diverse character doesn't always cut it; they need to know what publishers, producers and filmmakers and other creatives are looking for - and why. This book gives writers the tools to create three dimensional, authentic characters... Who just happen to be diverse.

Never Have I Ever been punished for what I have done . . .'An unsettling whirlwind of a novel with a startlingly dark core. 5 Stars' Sun on The Other TwinTwenty years agoFour teenagers discover a new game.They add their own rules, going from sharing secrets to sharing firsts. And then it all goes spiraling out of control.NowA woman gets a note through her door which chills her blood'Never have I ever been punished for what I have done'She thought this was over. But it looks like it's her turn to playBecause no matter how far it goes, you have to obey the rules of the game. And the game is never really over.'Well written, engrossing and brilliantly unique, this is a fab debut' Heat on The Other Twin

It may be drama features that win the most awards and kudos from critics, but in the current marketplace you're unlikely to sell a drama screenplay in the way you would a genre script.Breaking down the nuts and bolts of what differentiates drama from genre, Writing and Selling Drama Screenplays will consider questions such as: What is 'emotional truth'?What separates stereotypical and authentic characters?What are the different types of drama feature screenplay?How do we make these films, when there's 'no money'?What are the distribution opportunities for dramas?Exploring the ways in which drama and authenticity work, it will empower screenwriters to make their own story and character choices, so they can write and also help to package, finance and even make their own drama features.Writing and Selling Drama Screenplays includes detailed case studies of produced dramas made on both shoestring and bigger budgets, and industry insights from their writers, directors and producers. It looks in-depth at Scottish BAFTA-winning Night People, the iconic coming out movie Beautiful Thing, the touching New Orleans drama Hours, starring the late Paul Walker, and the ambitious true story of Saving Mr Banks, based on the battle of wills between Mary Poppins author PL Travers and Walt Disney himself. It will also discuss films such as Brokeback Mountain, American Beauty, The King's Speech, Juno, Erin Brockovich, Changeling and Girl, Interrupted.