Customer Reviews

Rewrite: A Step-by-Step Guide to Strengthen Structure, Characters, and Drama in your Screenplay

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Paul Chitlik, the author of "Rewrite," has many years' experience teaching MFA workshops in screenwriting. His tone is amiably authoritative, guiding with the attention of an experienced script doctor. Here are samples of the "To Do" items, chapter-by-chapter.

1. Clarifying Story and Structure for Impact. "To Do: Briefly outline your story in terms of seven points" (p 11): Ordinary Life; Inciting Incident; End of Act One; Midpoint or Turning Point; The Low Point; The Final Challenge; The Return to (the Now-Changed-Forever) Normal Life. Next "To Do" is to write a beatsheet or list of the scenes in your screenplay. The book's appendix presents an excellent example of a 67-item beatsheet with subheadings corresponding to the seven points.

2. The Powerful Protagonist. "Write your premise now. Do not tell the story, only the idea of the truth you want to prove." Does your protagonist help prove your premise? If not, adjust his profile. Ten more "To Do" items include the protagonist's apparent goal, what the goal changes to at the midpoint, and the personality flaw.

3. The Worthy Antagonist. "Write one line saying what your antagonist wants" (p 43).

4. Ensuring Dynamic Scenes. "Go through your beatsheet and examine each scene for conflict. Write what, exactly, is the conflict of each scene under your description of the scene. If there is no conflict, there is no scene. Sometimes you'll need to group several beats to make a whole scene, so not every beat will have conflict" (p 47).

5. Making Descriptions Leap Off the Page. "Go through the descriptive paragraphs in your screenplay and see if you can take out all the adverbs and as many adjectives and nouns as possible. Shorten your sentences. Shorten your paragraphs" (p 61). "To Do. Find a scene that is heavy in dialogue and try to express it completely in action and description" (p 62).

6. Life Support for Your Protagonist. "Go through your story and identify the supporting characters who are most important. Beef up their screen presence by giving them a quirk of some sort. Make them stand out. Have the quirk relate to their personality or function regarding your protagonist or your antagonist" (p 67).

7. Paring It Down. "Choose a ten-page excerpt from your script that you think is pretty tight already. Now cut a page from it. Use any tricks you can think of, but get it down to nine pages" (p 72). Chitlik presents an example from his own screenwriting: an 11-page excerpt pared down to 9 pages.

8. Where Am I? The "To Do" item asks you to complete the suggested Script Status Report on your rewrite.

9. The Right Look. The "To Do" items include standard formatting, correcting grammatical errors, and culling out camera directions.

10. Finishing: The "To Do" item is to go back and rewrite. How many rewrites? "A professional writer might revise a script 30 times.... In fact, a script isn't done until the final cut is made, and it goes into wide release. Even then some writers would like to do more" (p 111).

An eminent script doctor in paperback, Chitlik's REWRITE merits five shining stars.
-- C J Singh

Paul Chitlik is one of the better instructors at UCLA and for those lucky enough to have taken his classes, you will realize the book is just like having Paul teach you.

It's written in a personal way, just like he teaches (I am one of the lucky ones to have been taught by him). While the book is written with screenplays in mind, it is also a great way to rewrite any story (play, novel, short story...).

There are tons of books on how to write the first draft (and maybe Paul will write one one day), but screenplays are rewritten many times and it is easy to get lost or overwhelmed by the sheer amount of energy it takes to rewrite. Paul helps you break it down into manageable chunks and in the process, allows for a better and deeper rewrite than you might be able to do on your own.

I tend to give books away after I read them... I am keeping this one in my library.

Rewrite: A Step-by-Step Guide to Strengthen Structure, Characters, and Drama in your Screenplay


REWRITE is an essential for every screenwriter!!!! REWRITE is not only a book, it is a screenwriting course. It's not even just a screenwriting course, it is your own private tutorial. Paul Chitlik states and explains each step in the screenwriting process in a well defined and understandable manner. He then literally waits for the writer to complete the task at hand, before moving on to the next step! You feel like he is in the room with you, guiding you and patiently waiting while you use his tools. And, boy, is he patient! Using his tools might take a minute, an hour, a few hours or even a day. But he is right there, when you return!


Paul Chitlik's book is not solely for rewrites. This book should be used before you even begin to write your first draft. REWRITE is a user-friendly and well-organized "workbook" pared down to the essentials.


This is one of the most accessible books on screenwriting that I have ever read. Paul Chitlik uses words that are simple and clear; he follows up each screenwriting step with perfect examples; he then explains how to deal with the issue at hand. Sometimes dealing with an issue means taking a break from your writing, and he even tells you how to do that!

The examples he uses address the most difficult of scenarios. What if your protagonist dies in the end? THELMA AND LOUISE takes care of that. You will refer to REWRITE for examples and solutions to basically all of your needs. He's covered it all.

Paul Chitlik makes sure that every step in the screenwriting process is covered. The unique trait of his book is that it is relevant whether you are writing your first script, rewriting your first script, writing your 7th script, or rewriting your 10th script. You will keep this in your library forever. You will refer to it each step of the way, on any and every draft you will ever write.

REWRITE is compact. If you have a quick question, you don't have to wade through pages and pages of rambling prose. You can go straight to the page you need, review the element on which you need to work, and follow as his guide explains how to take the first step in solving your issue. He doesn't stop there. Once you take your first step, Paul Chitlik makes sure you continue working until the problem is solved!

REWRITE, using the 7 points of screenwriting, is written like a perfect screenplay. Everything Paul Chitlik tells you to do in your script, he has done in his book. He has focused on only the essentials in a structure that flows. He has made the reader the character in his book. He even addresses us as "you"! And he has cut out all excess.

This book is personal, accessible and a valuable asset to every screenwriter - be it a novice or a highly paid professional. IT IS A MUST!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is barely 100 pages of actual advice with over 60 pages of filler (including showing five barely different drafts of the author's terrible Olsen Twins script, no less!). Don't get me wrong, there is good advice here but it tends to be buried among information rehashed from the dozen or so other screenwriting books sitting on my shelf.

The author, like so many others I've read, makes painfully obvious errors when using Star Trek or Star Wars as examples, almost as if they've never actually watched the films in question (even Chris Vogler in The Writer's Journey does this). In the case of Rewrite, Mr. Spock is confused with '60s parenting expert Dr. Spock, and incorrect dialogue is put into Luke Skywalker's mouth upon first viewing the Death Star. A big deal? Perhaps not, as the author still manages to get his point across, but it is sloppy research (as in none!) and damages their credibility. Think about it: If the author can't be bothered to get their facts right, it sheds doubt on the integrity of the entire work and on the publisher for not bothering to catch these easy-to-spot errors prior to publication.

The author also assumes you're familiar with Lajos Egri's The Art of Dramatic Writing (1942) and does not bother to explain who he is or why his theories are so important even to this day. While I've read Egri, it is folly to assume most newbie screenwriters have. All the other screenwriting books I've read that mention Egri (and most of them do), are always careful to put him in context and explain why you should read The Art of Dramatic Writing. Rewrite doesn't bother to do this. It is not only a disservice to Egri (the godfather of the modern screenplay) but it is a mistake that could have easily been corrected by inserting a brief line or two.

For such a slim volume, I found it difficult to find the info I wanted by skimming. For example, the paragraph headers and "to do" lists should have been called out in a larger, bold typeface so they don't get lost when you're skimming through the book on subsequent reads.

I don't regret this purchase as there was some good advice here (particularly on cutting the heads and tails off your scenes and then cutting them 10% more) but I'm not exactly raving about Rewrite either. I bought it used and confess I would have felt cheated if I'd paid full price.

Publisher Michael Wiese Productions puts out a ton of filmmaking books and I suppose not all of them can be as useful or fun as The Writer's Journey, Save The Cat! or Directing Actors.

Years ago, when I was cheap and could not afford to go to college to take any writing courses, I thought I was clever to watch a course on television for FREE! The PBS show was about writing and it was set in a sit-com environment of a publishing house with characters that interacted. It was boring and I did not learn much. But what I did learn was a certain phrase: "All writing is rewriting." I have used that phrase so often I fear it will end up on my grave stone.

Knowing that "All writing is rewriting" is my mantra, I'm always surprised at how much my first drafts of scripts absolutely suck. I know full well that it's a first draft, I know in my heart of hearts that it will be flawed, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's going to need a lot of work but I always assume I've hit a home run out of the ball park but when I actually read it, I realize it's a dribbler down the first base line. Yeah, I make it to first base and it counts as a single - but only because the pitcher overran the ball and in the process made it go foul...only by a generous scorer it goes as a hit and not an error.

Paul Chitlik's wonderful book is an enormous help to any and all writers out there. It's a very simple book, simply told, and all it really does is just remind you: Did you note what your hero wants? Have you ratcheted up the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist? Do your descriptions need help? Are they too long? Too short? What about...??? Step-by-step (see title) he goes through the reminding process.

Using straight-forward text and many examples, he shows you how to avoid the traps writers fall into. Explaining why they are there and giving you ways around them.

I recently finished another screenplay. I've sent it to a number of friends to get feedback. I have yet to dive back in. I know the script is going to take a lot of work to get to the next level (a solid double down the right-field line). Reading Mr. Chitlik's book has got the juices flowing again in my own mind and I have recently been peppering my co-writer with thoughts: "Well, we can fix this with this... And we need to make the Antagonist more evil - but not in a one-dimensional sort of way..."

If there is any issue I have with this book, it is that I wish there were MORE examples. More: "See this 100 word paragraph? Here it is in 30 words." Or, possibly, hints on how to work around things. For instance in a script I wrote I really needed a big speech at the end. Instead of having the hero do the speech and then move on to the next task, I used the speech as a voice-over while showing him move on to the next task. Two things accomplished, 5 pages cut. Hints and tips like that.

"All writing is rewriting." Paul Chitlik does an amazing job of dissecting the hardest job facing any writer: the dreaded rewrite. Step-by-step, word-by-word, he is like a writing coach looking over your shoulder. Excellent book.

I fully agree with Baron Von Cool and Steve. I think his students helped him to promote his book by spamming Amazon books 5 stars reviews. I also bought his book under influence of Amazon five stars reviews. Mr.Paul Chitlik, a teacher from reputed school UCLA ,totally missed the golden opportinity. There is nothing "NEW", no USP Authorship in this book. I wonder whether his intention was honest to offer something "NEW" to screenwriting community. Mr. Paul Chitlik must revise his book immediately to save his reputation (extreme repair work required for Second Edition). We are still waiting for a PRACTICLE MANUAL book on "REWRITING" which should be better than Linda Seger's "Making A Good Script Great". I think real Screenwriting Gurus (Underdogs compared to Syd Field, Robert Mckee, Christopher Vogler, Michael Hauge) are William Martell (Tips, Articles, Films Analysis at [']) and Blake Snyder (God bless his soul).

Hi Steve, Whom shall I believe? I bought it because "Rewrite" is Amazon Best Seller No. 12 in "Play & Screenwriting" category. Mr. Paul Chitlik teaches "Rewrite" subject in UCLA. He is the best teacher, script doctor in business but his student Terry Holdredge (like David Mamet's students on Directing lectures) designed outline and content of the book. Syd Field and Robert Mckee have given their inner voice and authorship in their books which is missing in Paul Chitlik's book. You can't compare his 121 pages (excuding pathetic uninspiring "Youngsters" rewrite drafts & revisions) with David Ball's "Backward & Forward" compact book. He should compare his teaching level with his book and "REWRITE" his book from "FRESH NEW DRAFT". I still believe there is no other better book for rewriting than Linda Segar's "Making A Good Scropt Great." Her another book "Creating Unforgettable Characters" is worst and all Amazon Reviewers are singing ga ga about her book. Stanislavisky method acting books are better for Creating Unforgettable Characters.

Review by Hester Schell

This book will help you be a better writer. Period. We hear it over and over: writing is re-writing. And it can be a challenge to really understand what to cut and what to keep. It's comforting to know there is someone on your side, who you can turn to for exactly what to do. And that person is script guru-expert Paul Chitlik. This book, REWRITE, will help you sort it all out in a structured, easy to follow work flow. What is really fabulous about this book is the actual scripts included: draft by draft he guides you through a detailed script revision process, showing you by example exactly where the revisions need to happen, why, then showing you the revision. You'll hear yourself saying "Yes! Is is better." And you'll understand why,whether a seasoned professional with a dozen script sales behind you, or new to script writing. Spend some time on chapter one: Clarifying Story for Structure and Impact. Without this, well... you may as well go have coffee and write something else, like a short story. Script writing is hard work, and not for the lazy, untalented or unwilling to recognize that good is not good enough. Good has to be re-written until it is excellent. Our industry demands it. So, pick up this book and get busy on your re-writes. Paul Chitlik is your new writing guru.

Casting Revealed: A Guide for Film Directors

This book is really a workbook. Yes the author says some corn things, but overall the content and application of what is contained in through book was very helpful. If you went to school for screenwriting , this may not be very challenging. But if you are learning or have a basic knowledge this book will help you. I highly recommend it as I begin my Rewrite.

Excellent book on rewriting a script once you have finished a first draft. The author sites examples from well known movies. He also provides exercises to complete.

As a screenwriter and a professional editor and writing coach, I highly recommend this book. It has already helped me personally in a quick turnaround re-write I needed to do. The book provides clear guidance while not prescribing formulaic cliches. The examples are excellent and the information invaluable. Chiltlik strikes a balanced tone of the work required in rewriting and the humor required in getting oneself to do the work. A true gem of a book.