Successful Television Writing

Rating:
Summary: Want to write for television? Buy this!
Review: I love this book. I got it on a Saturday afternoon and read it within twenty-four hours. (And that includes all the time I spent reading and rereading parts of it, to my family and friends). It has officially joined Martell's "The Secrets of Action Screenwriting" and Trottier's "The Screenwriter's Bible" as one of my three "go-to" reference books. This one will get worn out.

And I don't even watch TV, anymore.

It's only 135 pages. (Well, 209 pages when you count the extra 74 pages of beat sheets, writer's outlines and treatments of TV programs, which were bought and in most cases produced Real examples). It's concise, but packed with useful information.

This isn't a basic "how-to" book. It assumes you're already a writer (and that you know the correct structure for television). It's daunting, what you'll be up against, (and the authors don't sugarcoat it), but if you want to write for television--study this book, apply the lessons it teaches, and it will give you a huge head start.

Within twenty pages, I had a better understanding of how a television series works then I would have ever figured out on my own. If you haven't heard or don't understand the term *franchise* as it applies to TV, you'd better buy this book, if you really want to write for television. It seems obvious to me, now, but that's only because the authors made it obvious.

And most of the lessons apply to all screenwriting, or writing in general, or just doing business. It's like I was a given a cheat-sheet by reading this book and, I guess, that's exactly what it is. These guys don't only say it--they've lived it. From both sides. Writing and pitching--and taking pitches and hiring writers. They back it all up with real-life examples and anecdotes. Even if you aren't a writer, this book is fun to read.

I really enjoyed the examples of how to and how *not* to pitch in this book. The authors gave me a whole new attitude and more confidence. (At least in theory--I'd probably still go into brain-lock ... when it came right down to the pitch. Or worse yet--become a Mr. Blabbermouth). But at least I have a firmer grasp of what I need to do and how I should present myself and my writing, when (or if) I pitch.

This one is well worth it.

Rating:
Summary: More involved than you realize
Review: This book on writing for television is simply a must read if you plan on breaking into the business. But even if you never plan to write a single script, it's simply a very interesting and insightful glimpse into the world of television. The authors convey useful information with wit and style. Writing for TV isn't as simple as you might think. I was surprised and intrigued by all the intricacies of the industry.