The Complete Book of Scriptwriting

Rating:
Summary: not what it appears to be - not complete - not much on topic
Review:
This book did not tell me very much about *scriptwriting*.
The title was very misleading. It is far from complete.
I expect a lot more than some tips and guidlines for formatting. The actual writing of scripts was hardly mentioned. There was a lot of interesting material -- mostly about the business setting of many types of scripts. Some stray tips were useful. But this did not tell how to write a script. The glossary was minimal with terms used in the book not even being defined. And many terms did not appear anywhere. Mike had a column in Writers Digest that was excellent. I was expecting more how to write a script advice and less filler and tangential material.
There were places he teased us but never told us about the things he mentioned. Browse this book at the library if you are curious. You don't need it on your bookshelf. Overall this was very disappointing. Mike knows how to write a script and how to teach it. Why didn't he? Zero stars (a half star at best) but it won't let me go that low.
The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script -- by David Trottier; is a 5 star effort that does tell about writing a script.

Rating:
Summary: Good advice and inspiration...and that's just in the intro!
Review:

This is the perfect book to read on a lonely Saturday night. It begins with an introduction (and, I believe, a forward) by Mr. Straczynski, which don't give much introduction to him, but they do to his career (which I already knew about, anyway, but I still loved the intro). The intro was humorous and inspiring, telling other readers and I something that I have known for a long time -- out of the world and I, which one is wrong? This book will give you the answer.... Then it goes into the history of television, the correct format of a script, etc., etc.

This book is definitely complete...it even had a section on writing for radio. Even though the material the book covers on how many picas indented whould the title be, etc., is boring (in my opinion), it is presented in such a way that it comes across as useful information that you want to know and have fun finding out, because of the way Straczynski presents it.

The best part about the book were the bits and pieces of scripts scattered throughout. Unfortunately, some of these have not ever been produced, and I may never know how they end.... Of these scripts, the complete television script, Coming of Shadows, winner of a Hugo award, was the best. It was in the back, by itself, no analysis or anything, and it was uncut -- having actually watched the produced version on television, I recognized some lines and an entire scene that got cut before the final version was made. In my opinion, it's worth it to buy the book just for the back (but that's not what Straczynski wants you to do, I think...he probably wants people to actually use the book for what it is...sigh....).

In any event, this book is definitely one to get. It appears hard to get in bookstores, but you can special-order it, or, as might be the reason you're hear...put it in your shopping cart (or however you buy it from Amazon). Great advice, great reference, and great scripts, all in one. You can't go wrong

Rating:
Summary: WHO CAN HELP A POOR LITTLE BUDDING PLAYWRIGHT LIKE ME?
Review: I've bought tons of books dealing with screenwriting and I was about to give up until I got this Straczynski's fantastic book. It's so inspiring, full of information and well laid out. Best of all, it's very easy to read because of its conversational style. I've read it for a few times and it still doesn't bore me at all. This book is definately a must for anyone who wants to write screenplays.

Rating:
Summary: A Great, Informative Read
Review: If someone were to go up to Straczynski (JMS) and ask him "How can I write good?" chances are he'll be met with a Narn batsquad, not to mention a grammar textbook. Joe's Scriptwriting book, however, offers more assistance than a body full of welts, and provides several key insights on how to make it in the business.

Joe's light-hearted approach should not be taken for not being serious about his craft. The information contained within the covers is golden - read, digest, and PRACTICE. If you have ever dreamed about being a writer - stop dreaming, do.

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Summary: Ever dreamed of writing for Hollywood? Get this book!
Review: J. Michael Straczynski's The Complete Book of Scriptwritingis a real breath of fresh air when it comes to learning howit *really* works out there in Tinseltown. Straczynski covers it all: Movies, Television, Animation, Stage and Radio scriptwriting...and, just as important, *marketing* your script! The book is written in an easy, conversational style that's very readable. (I finished the book in a weekend!) It's obvious from the outset that this is a book that's going to tell you the way things really are, instead of some kind of snow job. If you really have the "burn," says Straczynski, your options are almost endless...and here's how to explore them realistically. I found the book extremely informative.

Rating:
Summary: All Purpose
Review: Scriptwriting is a great all purpose review of both the creative and business sides of writing for TV, movies, animation, radio drama, and the stage. Straczynski is the perfect authority to write on these subjects, having garnered success in all those fields.

The book is a how to manual, with plenty of examples to follow. It also traces out the business side of selling what you write. Straczynski writes in a personable style, but pulls no punches. He helps a potentional writer separate his dreams from reality without crushing one's ambition. This book has been used in colleges as a textbook and upon reading it, yu'll see why. It's a handy reference tool that I have thumbed back through scores of times over the last 3 years. I give it the highest praise. It should be the starting point for anyone serious about writing in the performing arts.

Rating:
Summary: Mistitled
Review: The book covers various technical aspects of writing scripts for different genres, with introductions to the various industries and discussions of what makes each unique, but there's very little about how to structure a story, so if you're looking for that, don't buy this book. If you're looking for a candid discussion about the pitfalls of finding an agent, marketing a script on your own, and the necessary evils of the WGA, then this is the book for you. Straczynski also includes a chart listing WGA-mandated pay scales and talks about how much you can expect to earn if you do make it in.

Rating:
Summary: Michael Straczysnki delievers a gem!
Review: The Complete Book of Scriptwriting by J. Michael Straczynski

Well, I think we all know of Michael Straczynski's accomplishments if not I will name one of his projects Babylon 5 and leave it at that. With that being said, The Complete Book of Scriptwriting is an excellent book for any scriptwriter. In The Complete Book of Scriptwriting Michael Straczynski touches on every genre of scriptwriting. From TV and movie writing all the way down to stage and radio. Now The Complete Book of Scriptwriting is not really a how to guide for writing. The Complete Book of Scriptwriting touches on these aspects such as a scripts length, margin settings, subtext and dialog. However, The Complete Book of Scriptwriting is more so a guide to the business of writing written by a writer who was also a TV producer. So Michael Straczynski provides you with a wealth of information from an artistic and business point of view, you cannot go wrong there. With great efforts he takes you through the step-by-step process of pitching a script. Need a way to land you an agent well, a few ideas are presented in this book. How about when to register with the WGA, it is all in there. Not only does Michael Straczynski take the time to go through each genre of scriptwriting he provides in rich detail the history of each medium of scriptwriting as well as the future of that medium. If you take your time with the history of the medium of scriptwriting that you are trying to write for you will have a better understanding of how that medium works and all the little quirks that you may overlook in your zeal to become the next great scriptwriter.


Again The Complete Book of Scriptwriting is not really a how to guide to writing it is a guide to understanding the business of scriptwriting. Which includes everything from how to write, how to find an agent, how to deliver a pitch, how to understand the way a network, studio lot and even a producer go about in the process of dealing with writers. Do not get me wrong The Complete Book of Scriptwriting does provide a great deal of information on how to write a script but that is not this books single sole purpose. All in all if you are serious about being a professional scriptwriter this BOOK IS A MUST HAVE. You will refer to it a lot especially when you are ready to start dealing with the business aspects of scriptwriting...

Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource for budding scriptwriters.
Review: This is the first book I bought when I began my foray into the world of screenwriting, and I have to say, it's been my best investment. In one book you get all the tricks and rules for writing, marketing and making the sale on scripts for radio, television, stage and screen. JMS, the man behind the TV series "Babylon 5", is an excellent teacher and his writing style is both comfortable and informative. With the inclusion of the full script of his television episode "The Coming of Shadows", this is an incredible bargain. If you plan on writing any kind of script, you won't regret purchasing this book.