Crafty Screenwriting Writing Movies That Get Made

The most innovative and creative screenwriting book yet, from an author who knows first-hand what it takes to get a movie made. Based on an award-winning website hailed as "smart enough for professional screenwriters and accessible enough for aspiring screenwriters",Crafty Screenwritingis the first book not only to offer a successful screenwriter's tricks of the trade, but to explain what development executives really mean when they complain that the "dialogue is flat," or "the hero isn't likeable." Fresh, provocative, and funny, Alex Epstein diagnoses problem that other screenwriting books barely address, and answers questions they rarely ask, like "Why is it sometimes dangerous to know your characters too well before you start writing," or "Why does your script have to be so much better than the awful pictures that get made every day?" As a development executive who has accepted and rejected countless screenplays, and a produced screenwriter himself, Epstein can take you into the heart of the most important question of all: "Is this a movie?" A crucial book for anyone who has ever wondered what it takes to get their movie made. Alex Epsteinhas worked as a development executive, screenwriter, and television story editor for more than a decade. He has helped develop projects with directors such as Richard Attenborough and John Badham. A graduate of Yale University and the UCLA School of Film and Television, he is the creator of the popular website www.craftyscreenwriting.com. Most screenwriting books focus on how to write a "good" screenplay. But in the movie business, a screenplay isn't "good" unless it might one day get made into a movie. A seasoned development executive, Alex Epstein has not only seen his own television and movie scripts produced, he has accepted and rejected countless screenplays and supervised dozens of writers. Now, in this indispensable guide, he shows how to write a script that will make a producer think, "This is a movie!" Fresh and provocative,Crafty Screenwritinganswers questions other books don't ask and cheerfully slaughters the sacred cows of "how-to" screenwriting. "From the most elevated artistic concerns to the mundane details of how many brads to bind your script with, Alex Epstein shines the light of common sense and experience on this tricky, delicate, and profitable art. Every page sparkles with wisdom and wit. It is my new answer to the dozens of questions I'm asked by new writers eager to get it right."Don Roos, screenwriter ofLove Field, Boys on the Side, The Opposite of Sex,andBounce "From the most elevated artistic concerns to the mundane details of how many brads to bind your script with, Alex Epstein shines the light of common sense and experience on this tricky, delicate, and profitable art. Every page sparkles with wisdom and wit. It is my new answer to the dozens of questions I'm asked by new writers eager to get it right."Don Roos, screenwriter ofLove Field, Boys on the Side, The Opposite of Sex,andBounce "Alex Epstein brings a screenwriting pro's honesty, skill, and expertise to a field otherwise crowded with how-to-write quacks."John Badham, director ofSaturday Night Fever, War Games,andStakeout "I wish more writers knew what makes a script worth producingnot just how to structure a plot and write good dialogue, but how to come up with a story that people want to see on the screen.Crafty Screenwritingexplains all of that in a clear and often hilarious way. I hope a lot of writers read this book; then I'll get more screenplays I want to make into movies."Paul Colichman, president of Regent Entertainment, producer ofGods and Monsters "This is that rare kind of book about screenwriting that is truly helpful. It tells you ho

Alex Epstein has worked as a development executive, screenwriter, and television story editor for more than a decade. He has helped develop projects with directors such as Richard Attenborough and John Badham. A graduate of Yale University and the UCLA School of Film and Television, he is the creator of the popular website www.craftyscreenwriting.com.