Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best
Review: This is an extraordinary book, loaded with useful info. While I respect that it reflects Linda Seger's attitude that you make a good story great by revision, this could also be written as a fantastic book on the art and elements of story creation. Of the books I've read so far, only McKee and Field are as comprehensive in their approach (though I also like the more focused approaches of others.)Linda's book offers such a wealth of information, it's hard to imagine getting serious about the craft of STORY creation without reading it. I am in the process of organizing a conference, StoryCon, on the Art, Science and Application of Story, and so, have been researching dozens of books on story creation, screen writing, crating fiction, the novel, etc. I've acquired over 50 books, so far, for the purpose of identifying potential speakers for the meeting and this book is one of the best. (You see the link to the website in my about me area at amazon.) One thing I've found, in my research, which has included speaking with many of the authors of these books, is that Linda is probably the most well connected of them all, ie., she knows and or has worked with them. When I had dinner with her this summer, I was mesmerized by the knowledge and wisdom on story which she shares so easily. It's like that in the book too. I've gone ahead and bought most of her other books too, and look forward to digesting them. Since I read the books I am nost avid to finish while working out on the treadmill, I give this book a five gallon rating-- for having been sweated over like the best. Other authors/ books on story worth reading include:
Anything by Syd Field
Robert McKee's Story
Chris Vogler's Writer's Journey
Carol Bly's two books on writing: Writing the Passionate Accurate Story and Beyond the Writer's Workshop
James Bonnet's Stealing Fire From The Gods
Janet Burroway's book on writing
Jame's Frey's books on writing
Sol Stein's books on writing Michael Hauge's Writing Screenplays that Sell
Robert Burdette Sweet's Writing Towards Wisdom; The Writer As Shaman
Rating:
Summary: TOOLS FOR WRITING
Review: I bought Making A Good Script Great shortly after I attended a seminar Seger gave at the Writers Guild. That was many years ago. Each year since, I reread her book simply to get clarity on the basics. Will reading Seger's book make you a screenwriter? No? No book has that ability and when we fall short it's easier to look everywhere but ourselves for a reason. Will reading her book make you a better screenwriter? Yes. All great works start with the basics. All great tales are held together by a simple theme. People don't write to be complicated. They write to tell a story. And no matter how many layers you could peel away, if you don't start with the basics, your lasagna will end up tasting like lentil soup. Is Seger's book the definitive book on screenwriting. No book is. I've read many and continue to search others looking for ideas on how to improve my work. If I can take just one good idea away from a read and add it to my screenwriter's toolbox, then that book was worth the money. You want to write? Write. You want a text to guide you through the process? Buy "Making A Good Script Great." Add to that any of Seger's other books. Then buy Fields and McKees, Hauge, Hunter and Straczynski. There's a whole bunch of gurus out there writers can complain about when they have trouble writing.
Rating:
Summary: Well written and full of information.
Review: No, you don't have to be writing screenplays to appreciate and get useful information from this book. This is one of my favorite books on plotting, and I recommend it every time I give a workshop on the subject. In general, screen writing books are good resources for plotting, but this my favorite. Ms. Seger covers Story Structure, Idea Development, and Character Development, then shows how it all comes together with a case study of the movie, Witness. It's a really well written book, choked full of information. Again, it's one I pull out often.
Rating:
Summary: AS ESSENTIAL AS A DICTIONARY
Review: As a script consultant, screenwriter and film critic, I cannot recommend this book too highly. It presents craft principles clearly and succinctly with good examples, and enables the reader to approach their own writing much more confidently. The book is especially helpful at two stages in the writing process: the first is at the beginning when you're faced with a mass of story material, ideas, character elements, themes, bits of dialogue ... and you're trying to see the wood for the trees. The book helps you sort them out and develop a structure for the story, as well as defining the function each of these bits of material might perform in the script. The second point at which you can turn to the book for help is after you've written a draft and you need to sit back and look at what you've done with a cold, objective, analytical eye. As you read the book, you find yourself applying the concepts and principles to your own work, and the weaknesses (and of course the successful bits!) are easily apparent. It works as a memory jogger, a kind of touchstone to bring you back to first principles, which often get obscured as you concentrate on the specifics of getting the stuff down in writing. I've read many books on scriptwriting and have gleaned something useful from each one, but Making a Good Script Great is the one I recommend to writers, especially those starting out, and it's the one I personally always go back to as my basic, easy-to-get-around reference text. In fact, writing this review has just reminded me that my own copy is currently on loan to a friend and I'd better get it back!
Rating: 
Summary: This is Screenwriting 301
Review: If you are a serious screenwriter that hasn't read the book, get it. If you are an aspiring wannabe you start with one of Syd Field's books on screenwriting. He will give you the important basics on structure, elements of a screenplay and plot points. However, when you have finished your script and you want to make sure you have finished the best revision you are capable of; read Linda Seger's book: Making a good script Great. This book is exactly what the title implies. Linda's book will take your basic idea and mold it into the best script you can write. This is advanced screenwriting lessons.
Rating: 
Summary: How to Make Your Unique Script Look Like "Witness"
Review: ... is more an appropriate title of the book. While the book necessarily reiterates the important aspect of structured screenwriting, it really offers very little else. It's a book for beginners and just retreads all the cliches. Be careful. Your unique script might end up looking like a TV Movie of the Week teleplay. And the section on "How to Make Your Script Commercial" really made one wonder about the observation of the author. Does she really think that high box-office movies really depend on structure?
Rating:
Summary: Puffed up piece of...
Review: I bought this book because it was required for a course I was taking on screenwriting. By about the fourth chapter I had found at least 5 blatant spelling/grammar errors. Everyone makes errors, yes, but it's hard to take a writer who is giving advice seriously when she can't even get her books edited correctly. This wasn't the only problem with the book, which seemed at times to exist to kiss up to other screenwriters. Linda used examples to illustrate her points, but her views were too narrow. Witness might have been a good movie, but did it deserve over two chapters of commentary and worship? I think not.
Rating:
Summary: Structure, Structure, Structure
Review: If you're looking for a beginning guide, this probably isn't the book for you (tho' probably put it at #2 or 3 on your list), as it has no information about formatting, etc. However, if you're stuck on a re-write, or feel that the screenplay you're currently working on is getting bogged down with too much detail/exposition and too many tangents in the subplotting, this book might just help. The focus here is on structure. Seger discusses pretty much every element involved in creating the structure of a screenplay. She starts with the macrocosm, discussing the three-act structure itself, then delves into smaller issues related to creating that three-act structure: subplots, character development, unification elements, etc., etc. Throughout, the writing is clear and informative. And don't let the title deceive you. I'm using information from this book to restructure my current project before it hits the page--to pleasing effect. If books that focus too much on formulas, or give big do/don't lists, or tell you that you need something big to happen on page 10 (without telling you how to get there) annoy you, this may be the perfect book for you. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT!
Review: Linda is a genius! I know that from this book, and I also know it from hiring her as a script consultant on two different occasions.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best
Review: This is one of the best books on craft out there. Read it and remember it writing your next draft.
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