Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories [Paperback]

Peter Hanson (Editor), Paul Robert Herman (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 2010

Discover the secrets of Hollywood storytelling in this fascinating collection, in which fifty screenwriters share the inside scoop about how they surmounted incredible odds to break into the business, how they transformed their ideas into box-office blockbusters, how their words helped launch the careers of major stars, and how they earned accolades and Academy Awards.

Entertaining, informative, and sometimes startling, Tales from the Script features exclusive interviews with film's top wordsmiths, including John Carpenter (Halloween), Nora Ephron (Julie & Julia), John August (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and David hayter (Watchmen). Read along as:

Frank Darabont explains why he sacrificed his salary to preserve the integrity of his hard-hitting adapta-tion of Stephen King's novella The Mist.

William Goldman reveals why he's never had any interest in directing movies, despite having won Oscars for writing All the President's Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Ron Shelton explains why he nearly cut the spectacular speech that helped cement Kevin Costner's stardom in Bull Durham.

Josh Friedman describes the bizarre experience of getting hired by Steven Spielberg to adapt H. G. Wells's classic novel War of the Worlds—even though Spielberg hated Friedman's take on the material.

Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) analyzes his legendary relationship with Martin Scorsese.

Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) reveals why the unrelenting hype around his multimillion-dollar script sales caused him to retreat from public life for several years.

Tales from the Script is a must for movie buffs who savor behind-the-scenes stories—and a master class for all those who dream of writing the Great American Screenplay, taught by those who made that dream come true.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Much like The Mailroom (2003), which looked at the wheeling and dealing in Hollywood from the perspectives of power players who came up through agency mailrooms, Tales from the Script offers a comprehensive look at the realities of working as a screenwriter from the perspective of those who have made careers out of writing for the big screen. Editors Hanson and Herman interviewed 50 writers for the book, including William Goldman, Antwone Fisher, and Nora Ephron. The writers offer candid thoughts and anecdotes about everything from breaking into the business to learning how to accept rejection, from finding a niche in the business to dealing with getting fired off a project. In between the writers’ commentary are sections that feature thoughts from others involved in the business, including a contest judge, a development executive, and a therapist. “There is a sense of being in the Old West here—it’s like panning for gold,” writer Steve Koren opines. In all, this overview captures the excitement, frustration, and reality of being a working screenwriter in an accessible and essential volume that aspiring screenwriters will devour. --Kristine Huntley

Review

“Tales From the Script gathers notable veterans of the screen wars who demonstrate the basic truth of our adventures in Movieland: Writing is the easy part.” (John Sayles, writer/director of Lone Star and Eight Men Out )

“A must-read for anyone who depends on the screenwriter’s craft. And that’s a lot of us.” (Edward R. Pressman, producer of Wall Street, American Psycho, and Reversal of Fortune )

“Captures the excitement, frustration, and reality of being a working screenwriter in an accessible and essential volume that aspiring screenwriters will devour.” (Booklist (starred review) )

“Fascinating tales from the belly of the beast.” (Lawrence Kasdan, Oscar-nominated writer/director of The Big Chill, Wyatt Earp, and Body Heat )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: It Books; 1 edition (January 26, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061855928
• ISBN-13: 978-0061855924
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #316,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #91 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Reference

More About the Author

Michigan native Peter Hanson studied film at New York University and journalism at the University at Albany, then spent ten years as a writer/editor for various publications before expanding into books and movie projects. He is the author of "Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories," "Dalton Trumbo, Hollywood Rebel" (a finalist for the Theatre Library Association Award) and "The Cinema of Generation X." In addition to directing the acclaimed feature-length documentary version of "Tales from the Script," he directed the feature-length documentary "Every Pixel Tells a Story" and the award-winning short "Stagehand," and he co-wrote the narrative feature "The Last Round." His horror screenplay "Savage" recently sold to production company Picture Road, and Hanson is preparing to direct the dramatic feature "The Eulogist," based on his own original script. Hanson writes the "Beyond the Page" column for "Script" magazine and the blog "Every '70s Movie." His website, which features extensive original content, is GrandRiverFilms.com. He lives in Beverly Hills, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Informative, February 13, 2010

By 

Sharon Sydney (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories (Paperback)

I loved this book even though I'm not a screenwriter. I picked it up because I'm a movie buff who loves behind-the-scenes stories. I never knew how badly screenwriters are treated, and I never knew how important screenplays are. But after reading this incredibly entertaining book, I feel like I just got to know all of the writers included. They're a fun bunch of people, they've seen everything there is to see in Hollywood, and their stories are just as compelling as the movies they write!

The photos of the writers make it feel like they're sitting right in front of me, and the extra interviews at the end of every chapter are really cool -- it's great to get the viewpoints of a development executive, a movie director, a guy who runs a script contest, etc. Thanks to "Tales from the Script," I have a new appreciation for how hard it is to write a movie, and I loved hearing all the stories about the making of "Bull Durham," "Butch Cassidy," "X-Men," "War of the Worlds," "The Mist," and so many others.

I know friends who write scripts, and I'm going to recommend this book to all of them, but it's not just for screenwriters. If you love movies, you'll enjoy this book as much as I did! Oh, and I can't wait to see the "Tales from the Script" movie when it comes out on DVD!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Perspective on How Hollywood Actually Operates, March 2, 2010

By 

xxxxx "xxxxx" (Cary, NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories (Paperback)

I was completely surprised by this book. I'm just an average movie-goer and I had never heard of most of the people that were interviewed. It's an unusual paradox. These are some of our society's favorite writers, yet almost nobody knows who they are.

"Tales from the Script" provides thoughtful interviews with an impressively broad group of writers that ranges across a huge number of films from "Alien" and "X-Men" to "Taxi Driver" and "The Shawshank Redemption". The truth behind the curtain is funny and insightful.

It's a shame that the actors and directors steal all of the limelight!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book of screen writer interviews!, July 25, 2010

By 

Rayna Rowell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories (Paperback)

This book by Peter Hanson and Paul Herman is an excellent read. Whether you are a film geek, a writer, or someone who likes to read interviews, you will find something to entertain you in this book. Learning about the journey scripts take from writer to film from the people who write them is fascinating. Paul Herman and Peter Hanson did an excellent job choosing a variety of screenwriters to interview, so many different genres of screen writers are represented. Additionally, reading this book is a great way to discover some new movies that you might not have seen before. I highly recommend this book. There is also a film version which is very well done - so check that out if you enjoy the book.