The Bull Sheet #3: Why (and how) I Write
Bi-weekly news and updates on what's going on at The Bull's Eye.
Welcome to this edition of The Bull Sheet, where I share updates, musings about writing, and the latest happenings at The Bull’s Eye.
Starting a Substack—or any blog, for that matter—requires a love of writing. But truth be told, I didn’t always have that love. It wasn’t until well into my adult years that I genuinely began to enjoy it.
In fact, it was during my second round of education—this time in marketing and brand management to complement my work in film—that I finally grew comfortable with writing. Through that process, I found my way into film journalism.
So, why not just write for a film website in Norway?
Well, I did. In fact, I wrote for several outlets. At one point, I even served as editor-in-chief of Norway’s most well-known film magazine at the time, Filmmagasinet (not the most original name, I know—it basically translates to “the film magazine”).
Anyway, after some time in Norwegian film journalism, I was lucky enough (or cursed, depending on who you ask) to be invited to become a voter in the Golden Globe Awards. Around that same time, I had the chance to meet a few truly inspirational figures in the international film industry, who opened doors that would otherwise have remained closed to me.
But hold on—Golden Globes, you say? Yes, you can check out my thoughts about voting in the Globes in this article:
One thing I’ve noticed during my time in Norwegian film journalism is the tendency for intrigue and drama to take center stage. In Norway, there’s a concept called Janteloven (The Law of Jante). Originally inspired by a fictional work, it’s become something of a cultural touchstone, reflecting a deep-seated attitude of disdain toward others' success, and especially one’s celebration of said success.
After enduring several bouts of drama and intrigue among my colleagues—some of it directed at me, especially after I joined the Golden Globes (more on that in the Golden Globes article above)—I gradually lost interest in Norwegian film journalism. I wanted to reach abroad.
However, I still had a collection of Norwegian deep-dive articles and interviews I’d written, and I wanted a safe space where I could keep full control of them and share them with anyone who might be interested.
So, I began translating my articles into English. These were my first steps toward sharing my work more widely, but I still needed a home for them. I’d heard of Substack, though I didn’t fully understand how it worked at the time.
I needed something simple—I wasn’t looking to build a new website; I just wanted to write. That’s when I tried Medium, which was nice enough, and I even earned money from my writing there.
But as I got the hang of Substack, it quickly became clear that this was the platform for me. It feels more personal, and gaining subscribers—whether free or paid—feels genuinely meaningful. While I still publish on Medium (I export my Substack articles there, so you won’t miss anything if you’re not on Medium), the tools and sense of connection Substack offers make it the obvious choice.
Putting it Together
I started The Bull’s Eye in November last year, and since then, I’ve gradually learned how to use the platform—building the site, growing the newsletter, and gaining new followers and subscribers, for which I’m incredibly thankful.
During this time, I’ve published what I simply call “interview articles.” These are written pieces based on conversations with actors and filmmakers, conducted through Zoom calls, moderated press conferences, or occasionally, one-on-one interviews—like the one I had with Liam Cunningham last year about his role in the excellent 3 Body Problem.
Being a Golden Globes voter opens a lot of doors to conversations like these. Naturally, many of these articles tend to focus on awards season, which peaks at the end of the year and into the beginning of the next.
I’ve often thought about the difference in writing styles between more personal articles, like this one, or my deep-dive explorations of various topics, and the interview articles, where the spotlight is on quotes from actors and filmmakers.
Personal articles draw heavily from my experiences as a writer, drawing on my knowledge of film, TV, and pop culture. They’re less structured, more informal, and, I’m sure, more prone to typos (sorry about that!). In contrast, writing interview articles often feels more like being a “mechanic,” for lack of a better term. It’s structure all the way, as I’m not only creating an article from my own thoughts and ideas, but from the building block of quotes.
Here’s how the process works—a bit of “behind-the-scenes” if you will:
After the interview or press conference, I usually receive a transcript, video, or audio recording.
If it’s a transcript, I clean it up using different software and AI tools, removing filler words and fixing broken sentences. For audio or video files, I use transcription tools like Sonix to create a text version.
Once I have the cleaned-up transcript, I organize the quotes in the sequence I want them to appear in the article. This sequence is often the same as the order of the original conversation.
From there, it’s about writing the quotes into a cohesive narrative. For example, like this from the transcript with Hugh Grant in November:
To the final article:
Heretic, being a film about people trapped in a house with someone deeply unpleasant, brought to mind a chilling encounter Hugh Grant had with the supernatural. “Well, I have been in a haunted house. I’ve told this story before—I can’t remember where—but it’s awful,” he began, candidly. “The last thing in the world I want to believe in is ghosts or another dimension. Because I can’t cope with the dimensions we have. But I did, in a very clichéd situation, see a ghost in a castle in the north of England in the middle of the night. Just no question about it. And I was sober.”
So there it is. I think that’s enough musing from me today. Let’s get on with the regular stuff.
Status on Articles
The main article this week was the aforementioned interview with Hugh Grant, where he talks about his role as the sinister Mr. Reed in the horror-comedy Heretic. He also shares some of his own anxieties about acting and his fear of the supernatural.
Next week, I’ll be shifting gears back to my nerdy side as a Star Wars fan. With the recent live-action Star Wars series Skeleton Crew wrapped up, I thought it was the perfect time for a good, old-fashioned ranking of the Disney+ live-action series released so far.
Looking ahead to early February, I’ll be attending a press conference for the upcoming Marvel film Captain America: Brave New World, featuring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, and others. You can expect an interview article on that before the film’s premiere later in the month.
I’ve also got a few more press conference transcripts in my folder, and I may revisit some of them soon. At the same time, I feel it’s time to explore other formats and ideas for the weeks and months ahead.
And That’s a Wrap!
Right, I hope everyone’s having a great January. I’m looking forward to sharing my upcoming articles with you.
Until next time!
Keep writing, Eirik! Very cool. And I agree, look beyond Norway.