Rating: 
Summary: Not Impressed
Review: Started reading this book but quickly put it away. I wasn't really impressed with it so much. I have better ones that are so much better and more impressive.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Bad. Not great.
Review: There's absolutely nothing wrong with "Writing Screenplays that Sell" and that may be what's wrong with it; it's informative, comprehensive, logically structured, full of "examples" from
well-known scripts...and nearly indistinguishable from the 30 or 40 other titles taking more or less the same approach to the same subject.
Rating: 
Summary: Great place to start.
Review: This is a no nonsense, get to the core book that really works. I am a filmmaker who had a successful film and the Sundance film festival and received a lot of offers but unfortunately the script that I was showing was not being well received. After reading Michael Hauge's wonderful book and applying his theories I secured a deal and am now making the film. Writing screenplays that sell does exactly that! Mr. Hauge's technique is easy to grasp and profoundly exciting. A MUST READ!
Rating: 
Summary: Finally a GREAT book on the subject
Review: This is a no nonsense, get to the core book that really works. I am a filmmaker who had a successful film and the Sundance film festival and received a lot of offers but unfortunately the script that I was showing was not being well received. After reading Michael Hauge's wonderful book and applying his theories I secured a deal and am now making the film. Writing screenplays that sell does exactly that! Mr. Hauge's technique is easy to grasp and profoundly exciting. A MUST READ!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: This is by far one of the best books on screenwriting that I own. Hauge is a skilled and experienced teacher and his methods are communicated clearly. I find that the book is a perfect blend between the over-technical school (Syd Field) and the "just write it" school (Lazarus, Viki King). Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Beginners start with this book
Review: This was fortunately one of the first books I started with and it was a dandy. Much better than Syd Field and several of the other starting books. Hague remains upbeat (something you need to break in to screenwriting) and covers all the main points and questions for starting out. Even more important, he talks about why you should and should not be doing it and living a good life.When you're read for something intermediate, check out Armer's WRITING THE SCREENPLAY and Thom's THE BIG DEAL (about spec scripts that sold in the last decade or so). And, for advanced techniques go to: Lagos Egri's THE ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING (more for plays but it does apply) and McKee's STORY . . . and, of course, the superlative WORDPLAYER.COM with free articles by two working screenwriters . .. Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio.
Rating:
Summary: Beginners start with this book
Review: This was fortunately one of the first books I started with and it was a dandy. Much better than Syd Field and several of the other starting books. Hague remains upbeat (something you need to break in to screenwriting) and covers all the main points and questions for starting out. Even more important, he talks about why you should and should not be doing it and living a good life. When you're read for something intermediate, check out Armer's WRITING THE SCREENPLAY and Thom's THE BIG DEAL (about spec scripts that sold in the last decade or so). And, for advanced techniques go to: Lagos Egri's THE ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING (more for plays but it does apply) and McKee's STORY . . . and, of course, the superlative WORDPLAYER.COM with free articles by two working screenwriters . .. Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio.
Rating:
Summary: Great place to start.
Review: Very useful. This book not only provides some light artistic advice on how to write a decent screenplay, but also sound advice on the way the business works and how to format, lay out and even bind your screenplay. Very practical and clear-headed when compared with the muddled, crazed English of Lew Hunter, for example, who (ironically given his capability) only seems to discuss the creative end of screenwriting. If you're a beginner who knows nothing at all about the process, this book has all you need.
Rating: 
Summary: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING SPECIAL
Review: While there is nothing BAD about this book (as there is in Viki King's wierd, little tome) there is absolutely nothing special about it either. It kind of reminds me of the proliferation of O.J. Simpson books out there right after the verdict--if you've read one, you've read them all. This book offers no new insight, no special spark, you know what I mean. And who in the heck is Michael Hauge. I used to work in Hollywood and, as far as I know, he doesn't write screenplays! As I did in my review of Viki King's book, I recommend Syd Field and Lajos Egri. Field has thousands of hours of re-writing to his credit--he's a real professional who knows this business INSIDE and OUT. And Lajos Egri? What more need be said. His ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING is a classic that can help any writer--screenplay, stage or novelist! If you're someone who's trying to make it in the tough world of Hollywood screenwriting, you REALLY owe yourself the BEST--and that's Syd Field's SCREENPLAY and Lajos Egri's ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING. Bibles of the industry, written by men who know!
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