Stuck Writing a Novel? A Practical Guide to Getting the Thing Moving Again
Stuck writing a novel and staring at the murky middle? Here’s a practical guide to diagnosing the problem and getting your story moving again.
Entries by Gary JJ Spate
How to Budget an Indie Film: A Practical Guide for UK Filmmakers
A practical guide to how to budget an indie film — covering crew, equipment, post-production, contingency funds, and where UK filmmakers should and shouldn’t cut corners.
Why Being Number One Ruins Mobile MMO Games For Everyone Else
You don’t need to be top of the leaderboard to enjoy a mobile MMO. Here’s why the chase for number one ruins the game for the people who just want to play.
How to Start Writing a Novel: A Practical Guide for Complete Beginners
Ready to learn how to start writing a novel? This practical beginner’s guide covers finding your idea, planning your story, building characters, and actually writing the first chapter.
UK Film Legal Basics: Contracts, Releases and Permits Nobody Warns You About
A practical guide to UK film legal basics — contracts, release forms and permits every indie filmmaker needs sorted before day one.
What My Music Taste Says About Me (Spoiler: Apparently Quite A Lot)
From Garth Brooks to McFly, Michael Jackson to Mika — my music taste looks chaotic on paper. But there’s a thread connecting all of it, and I’m not even slightly ashamed.
So You Want to Fund an Indie Film: Here’s What Nobody Tells You
Funding an indie film is harder than it looks. Here’s an honest guide to grants, crowdfunding, private investment — and the mistakes that will sink you before you start.
Character in Filmmaking: The Engine Behind Every Great Story
What makes a great film? Not the gear, not the locations — the characters. A personal look at why character in filmmaking is the only thing that truly matters.
Nobody Warned Me It Would Feel Like This
Two novels in progress, a head full of doubt, and what nobody tells you about writing long-form fiction.
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? A Deep Psychological & Technical Academic Breakdown
We subjected the world’s oldest joke to psychological profiling, structural analysis, and a frankly unnecessary amount of academic rigour. The chicken had reasons. Many, many reasons.