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Summary: THE VOICE THAT REJECTED A THOUSAND WORKS
Review: No nonsense book, sly, satirical and funny, destructive or realest viewpoint of the profession. This is the rage in showbiz. I enjoyed it and like his approach.
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Summary: Practical magic!
Review: Rubby ducky, pat the dog, and why don't they just call the cops!A pragmatic approach to screenwriting in commonsense language from a long-time development exec and scripter. I read an early version of this book when it was still a webpage and found it filled with both practical advice - the Apple Mac's Courier New is 10% smaller than the PC which means 12 extra pages - to the inspirational magic of the old Celtic myths. A great new addition to the literature of the well-made script.
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Summary: Read this book first!
Review: Smart, literate, and funny in just the right places, Epstein is a refreshing combination of Muse and Marketer. Too many books offer only "how to write it" or "how to sell it," but Crafty Screenwriting covers them both, and more. It's great for beginners but also for experienced screenwriters who might need a refresher course on the fundamentals.
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Summary: See those 5 star reviews? Believe them.
Review: The best book on screenwriting I've ever read, and unfortunately, I've read a few. I am not a Hollywood big shot, but I know bad writing when I see it, and badly written describes most screenwriting books. Crafty Screenwritng, by contrast, is well written and often elegant and funny. I'm not a produced screenwriter but I am betting that clear, rational, specific and literate advice has value for anyone. Alex Epstein has well-reasoned positions on most aspects of screenwriting. You're free to follow them, or not, but at least you know why he thinks you should do something. Other books on the subject often have cryptic and inflexible rules for writing screenplays. It's hard to imagine the writer that couldn't benefit from at least some of this advice.
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Summary: 5 stars? Epstien's got a lot of friends voting for him.
Review: The book is waste of time. It dwells on the type of screenplay you should be writing which if it was left of to this book we would all be watching movies-of-the-week and Lifetime originals. Buy the Writers Journey by Vogler or McKees Story. At least in those books they break down the craft so you understand it and can appopriate the information into the way you write. Saving your money would be the craftiest thing you could do with this book.
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Summary: 5 stars? Epstien's got a lot of friends voting for him.
Review: The book is waste of time. It dwells on the type of screenplay you should be writing which if it was left of to this book we would all be watching movies-of-the-week and Lifetime originals. Buy the Writers Journey by Vogler or McKees Story. At least in those books they break down the craft so you understand it and can appopriate the information into the way you write. Saving your money would be the craftiest thing you could do with this book.
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Summary: The best book out there right now for screenwriters.
Review: There is a ton of weak, uninspiring and plain awful books on screenwriting out there. Most of the advice is just dumb (a screenplay has a beginning, a middle and an end - duh!) and totally misleading (elaborate query letters and endless follow-up calls). Epstein comes from the Hollywood trenches to offer a clear, practical guide to breaking into the profession. Save yourself a lot of heartbreak and buy this book. Screenwriting is a craft, and this guy knows how to teach it.
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Summary: Great first screenwriting book.
Review: This book is one of the easiest reading how-to books I've seen. It is clearly written and moves along at a speedy and efficient pace. The author makes the business very understandable for beginners like myself. He suggested a few websites that I have used as resources as well which have led to the submissions of my first query letters. He covers all the bases and sheds light on how tough the business is, how to expect rejection, and at the same time, not to give up or lose faith in a product you believe in. It's also nice to hear that rewrite, rewrite, rewrite is all a part of the brutal process. Just knowing that makes the hill climb a bit more palatable. This book should never be out of arms reach. It is a great reference you can rely on throughout the entire writing process. My suggestion? Buy stock in highlighting pens.
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Summary: At Last...
Review: This is good. Before you even write your first word, buy this and then read it. I've been a professional writer (in advertising mind you) for ten years and have dabbled in screenplays many times - and I'm really over those 'anyone can do this' kind of books (everyone can't). This one tells it how it really is. What that means for you is that if you're SERIOUS about writing a screenplay that deserves to be made and use even some of the advice in the book - it'll be a better screenplay. (Might not get made, mind you, but it'll definitely increase your chances.) Best advice in the book? Don't write a word until you've got a hook - and even then don't write a word until you've talked your story through again and again. Brilliant stuff. And funny too.
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Summary: Necessity for Writing Screenplays
Review: This is the only book I would ever recommend to anyone who is contemplating writing a screenplay. Epstein provides a comprehensive look at the nature of screenplays and the writing process. He carefully illustrates the most basic elements of screenwriting and offers valuable suggestions on how to develop the story before you even begin writing. In doing so, the writer is challenged to examine the story, improve upon it, and be able to write it appealingly so that an audience would sit through it in the theater. _Crafty Screenwriting_ not only makes the writing process manageable and approachable, but it carefully details the function, marketability, and success of a good screenplay.
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