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Inside
the Cover Book Reviews Alone In A Room: Secrets of Successful Screenwriters No
other career draws more moths to the flame than that of screenwriting. Everyone
believes they can make a "better" movie, and many do try. Many fail.
Writer and journalist John Scott Lewinski serves up a hot platter of truth in Alone
In A Room: Secrets of Successful Screenwriters, and for those bold enough to
read on, the secrets that are revealed will either inspire you to embrace the
flame, or send you running for the safer shores of a regular job and a steady
paycheck. No
stranger to the Hollywood game, the author states up front the biggest truth of
all: that screenwriting is just that... a game. He then proceeds to give the
reader all the necessary tools, tips, strategies, and game pieces in order to
play that game, and do it with professionalism, commitment and a real love of
both movies and the movie business. A telling quote from the introduction sums
up the power and promise of this book. Lewinski states, "I believe the
difference between those doing the work and those longing for the jobs is the
ability to accept the realities of the business and be able to perform
effectively within those realities." If
you are willing to accept Lewinski's beliefs about the realities of
screenwriting success, then read on, for he has much wisdom to offer, as well as
much wisdom from some of the most successful writers, agents, managers and
movers and shakers in Hollywood, who give their own insider viewpoints
throughout the book. These interviews, most notably those of the writers
themselves, shed light upon the dark corners of both getting down to the
creative hard work of writing as well as being able to function well as a
salesperson once the writing is done. Without these inside views and
perceptions, many writers would flounder. Guidance, even in a cutthroat place
like Hollywood, is golden. Alone
In A Room
is not a how-to-write-a-script book, rather it is a field guide to navigating
the system of being a working writer in the business, from coming up with
marketable ideas, to writing alone in a room on spec before the terrifying
specter of the blank page, to accepting writing assignments and collaborating
with others, to overcoming the challenges of adapting someone else's work for
the screen. We also get inside glimpses into the realities of writing as part of
a team or staff, the art of comedic writing, dealing with those dreaded
"notes" and how to best utilize constructive criticism, dramatic
writing for TV, being professional in meetings and making a good impression,
getting your work out there to the people who can say yes or no, and how to deal
with rejection as well as acceptance and, hopefully, success. As
"they" say ("they" being those elusive experts at everything
that we all quote from time to time!), sometimes success is more frightening
than failure. Reading
this book, as an aspiring screenwriter myself, I felt as though the author cared
not just about my fate, but about the fate of all writers, and that personal
respect and shared understanding makes this book inspiring and motivating. Many
screenwriting books are written by jaded writing professors or wanna-bes who
couldn't quite make it big, and want to make sure you don't surpass their
mediocrity, but this book gave me none of that negativity, condescension, or
arrogance. Alone In A Room is honest to be sure, but in a way that will
make your path as a screenwriter all the more easy to walk, having now been
awakened to many of the obstacles you may encounter. Knowledge is power, and we all know that when it comes to the movie business, power is everything. Alone In A Room is like a flashlight that you, the writer, can shine on the shadowy corners of a game based upon the power of creativity to sell tickets and make a lot of people rich and famous. By learning the rules and realities of the game, you can not only partake in all the fun and excitement...but maybe even score big and win. At the very least you'll have a great time playing. Marie
D. Jones writes screenplays as well as fiction, articles and essays for several
national publications. Her new book is LOOKING FOR GOD IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES (Paraview
Press). She is the creator of an award-winning children's video, PIG TALES, and
has written and produced several direct-to-video projects in national
distribution. Her greatest creation is her toddler son, Max, co-created by hubby
Ron. They live in San Marcos, California. |
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