Rating: 
Summary: Good, could be better.
Review: I think I might have thought more highly of this book if I hadn't tackled it right after I read "How Not to Write a Screenplay" by Denny Martin Flinn. Flinn's guide to the most common pitfalls in screenwriting is a wonderfully funny and instructive text that every writer should own. This book, while containing some helpful nuggets, offers a lot of advice that directly contradicts Flinn's. While Ms. Lerch obviously has no obligation to align herself with Flinn's advice, her comments often seemed counter-intuitive to me. Whereas Flinn instructs us to be as clear and succinct as possible, shaving away all unnecessary and confusing descriptions (i.e., don't write what the audience can't see), Lerch would have us add all sorts of superfluous character and location description, in the hopes of catching the eye of an already-exhausted Hollywood script reader.
I just have a hard time believing that this approach would really work. I've studied screenwriting with some of the best teachers in the business, and I've got to say that their tips generally fall into the "less is more" camp.
Having said that, the book is a quick, easy read, and there are many tidbits which do make sense, especially about ratcheting up the conflict in your script. By no means, however, should this be the only book on screenwriting you buy, but it can serve as a light after-dinner mint following a hearty meal of "How Not to Write A Screenplay."
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book From A Screenwriting Teacher Who Cares!
Review: I agree with Ervin Nieves' previous post about Jennifer Lerch, author of 500 Ways to Beat the Hollywood Script Reader: she's a screenwriting teacher who cares and doesn't stop teaching even after you've finished reading her book. Ms. Lerch supplies her readers with her email address and openly canvasses readers for feedback. On a couple of occasions, I emailed her and was delighted to receive prompt and extensive advice, often refocusing my attention on sections of her book I had glossed over, but contained the answer to my questions. Most aspiring screenwriters read dozens of books to learn our craft. Ms. Lerch's 500 WAYS PAST THE HOLLYWOOD SCRIPT READER is one of the indispensable reads. I loved her examples on creating exciting characters and story within a traditional Hollywood three act paradigm, since the paradigm is one of Hollywood's most successful approach to structuring a film that capture's one's attention from the get-go.
Rating:
Summary: Short, sweet and straight to the point
Review: Lercher pulls no punches. She tells you exactly what you need to win over the Hollywood reader, and many are things you didn't think of. She gives suggestions on how to reinvent your story, as well as how to mantain a professional look at all times.This is an excellent resource for screenwriters. A quick read with no filler, I'd suggest it to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Informative but overbearing advice and dated methodology
Review: Jennifer Lerch obviously knows her job, but unfortunately she appears to have some difficulty in writing about it. To a non-american reader this book is overbearing in its 'can do' attitude and is weighed down with overstatement and brashness. Much of the advice will be obvious to any budding screenwriter with an intelligent outlook, although there are certainly some interesting and thought-provoking points hidden away. The main criticism is obvious - that this book is firmly established in the 'status quo' school of writing for the screen, and many recent successful films have moved away from this concept, even ditching the three-act structure in many cases. The fact remains that a good story will always beat a mediocre one, and to suggest that presentation technique is all-important is rather misleading. Potential readers should perhaps first consider what their favourite films have been of the past few seasons, and then muse on whether they fit the formulas suggested in this book. For the more forward looking screenwriter this will probably be an inhibiting read and could well cramp their style. Studios are looking for killer new ideas, not formulaic throwbacks, and unknown inexperienced writers will not achieve much if they think otherwise.
Rating:
Summary: The Rosetta Stone On Hollywood Storymaking and Structure!
Review: Jennifer Lerch's 500 WAYS TO BEAT THE HOLLYWOOD SCRIPT READER is an amazing down-to-earth, clearly worded "Rosetta Stone" for writing a three-act script that avoids hackneyed characters, boring plots, predictable endings, and slipshod story structure. After reading practically every book on screenwriting still in print (and a few out-of-print), I must say my recent return to Jennifer Lerch's wonderful book -- my fifth reading! -- proved as edifying as my first. After reading eighty or so books on screenwriting, I can only continue to enjoy and admire the practical, nuts and bolts advice from a seasoned Hollywood reader who's not afraid to let common readers know what the industry looks for and demands in feature film scripts. Jennifer Lerch is a wonderful messenger in this respect, and I'm grateful for her book. Now who else places her email at the back of her book and actually continues to provide you helpful advice on screenwriting even after you've already purchased her book? Only an author who cares! Thanks Jennifer. My script cries out to be finished, but when it is, I feel confident I'll be "ready to sell" and make my contribution to our wonderful American tradition in film. Your 500 WAYS TO BEAT THE HOLLYWOOD SCRIPT READER is irreplaceable advice on screenwriting. A bona-fide MUST BUY for every serious writer!
Rating: 
Summary: Keep this one within easy reach
Review: I happened upon this book the other day and it caught my eye because, as a reader for a major Hollywood agency, I get annoyed seeing too many writers making the same mistakes over and over. Many of the screenwriting manuals out there (and I've read a lot of them) are either too patronizing or simply too unrealistic in their approach, but "500 Ways" is a refreshing, no-nonsense guide that offers succinct, practical advice, especially for those writers who are still trying to get their nascent careers going. And since even more experienced authors often fall into the same traps, why not have an easy reference book that gives you the basics? After all, you've gotta write "I Want To Hold Your Hand" before you can make "Abbey Road," so get this book, read it carefully, keep it within easy reach, refer back to it from time to time, rest assured that you've got your screenwriting foundations in order, and THEN go write your masterpiece. Is it a cure-all for an ailing script? No, but none of the screenwriting books on the market are. If anything, it's a great writing supplement that, at the very least, will help you avoid some of the more obvious land mines that readers like us are just waiting for you to step on. Remember, you've gotta get past the likes of Ms. Lerch before you can get to an agent - and as a Hollywood reader myself, I can *guarantee* it's not as easy as you think.
Rating:
Summary: Good, could be better.
Review: I think I might have thought more highly of this book if I hadn't tackled it right after I read "How Not to Write a Screenplay" by Denny Martin Flinn. Flinn's guide to the most common pitfalls in screenwriting is a wonderfully funny and instructive text that every writer should own. This book, while containing some helpful nuggets, offers a lot of advice that directly contradicts Flinn's. While Ms. Lerch obviously has no obligation to align herself with Flinn's advice, her comments often seemed counter-intuitive to me. Whereas Flinn instructs us to be as clear and succinct as possible, shaving away all unnecessary and confusing descriptions (i.e., don't write what the audience can't see), Lerch would have us add all sorts of superfluous character and location description, in the hopes of catching the eye of an already-exhausted Hollywood script reader.
I just have a hard time believing that this approach would really work. I've studied screenwriting with some of the best teachers in the business, and I've got to say that their tips generally fall into the "less is more" camp.
Having said that, the book is a quick, easy read, and there are many tidbits which do make sense, especially about ratcheting up the conflict in your script. By no means, however, should this be the only book on screenwriting you buy, but it can serve as a light after-dinner mint following a hearty meal of "How Not to Write A Screenplay."
Rating: 
Summary: COMMON PLACES
Review: Beign honest, I cannot understand this flow of enthusiasm and starts about this book. It's just a bunch of common places and some cut+paste stuff. Is not clear and sharp but pretentious. Authors like Seger or Vogler take the effort of explaining the why's and how's of their proposals. The only "background" that Learch shows is an snob I-live-in-LA-and-got-some-friends-from-the-showbizz... At least, it's thinier and cheaper than other books of the same cathegory.
Rating:
Summary: Valuable Supplement
Review: Look. There are a great deal of books on the subject of screenwriting. Some are good. Many are simply recirculating the same song and dance. Jennifer Lerch provides a nice peek into the brain of the professional reader. What are they looking for? What turns them on? Off? Here are very easy to follow guides for structure, action descriptions, dialogue, and adding spice to your story. It's not the be-all of screenwriting. It doesn't try to be. It simply serves as a guideline to bounce other advice and tactics against. Applying the advice Lerch gives has helped my screenplays to flow better, read easier, and avoid the pit of dullsville that 99% of all screenplays fall into. Greatly due to Lerch's advice, I now have a script in production for an independant film company. Read it. Good luck fellow writers.
Rating:
Summary: No Filler
Review: I agree with AJP's post that this book is an excellent writing supplement to whatever screenwriting manuals you may already have. This book may be shorter than others but don't let the size fool you. It's packed with tons of great tips that's worth it's weight in gold. The author doesn't waste time with fillers that you find in many other books. Her recommendations are short, clear and gets to the point. Other books I've read and highly recommend are The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler, Story by Robert McKee, and How Not to Write a Screenplay by Denny Martin Flinn.
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