Writing Scripts Hollywood Will Love [Paperback]

Katherine Herbert (Author), Katherine Atwell Herbert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000

This fully updated, career-boosting book arms aspiring and experienced writers with an insider's insights into the process of conceiving, writing, and marketing a winning film or television script.

A veteran story analyst reveals what is demanded of scriptwriters in today's competitive marketplace and offers guidance on everything from the script's appearance to plot, structure, characters, dialogue, and innumerable subtle clues that shape analysts' opinions. Revised and expanded, the book provides timely coverage of opportunities on the Internet and in film festivals and contests, topped off with sample scripts and interviews with legendary and emerging professionals in the field.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Writing Scripts Hollywood Will Love is a realistic insider’s view of the screenwriting process..." -- Gerald Petievich, founder and director of the Palm Springs Writers Conference, author of To Live and Die in L.A. and many other scripts

“...I wish it had been around when I started out. It's an invaluable resource for the writer.” -- Richard Rossner, story editor and writer on Full House, She's the Sheriff, and The Live Aid Concert

“...covers the good, the bad and the basics of screenwriting and gives you the insight and confidence that you need...” -- Regan Letourneau, independent writer-director

“...like a lot of writers, I wish I knew the secret of getting my scripts praised by a script analyst...” -- Bill Richmond, writer-producer of The John Larroquette Show, Blossom, Three’s Company, Carol Burnett; and author of eight produced screenplays including The Nutty Professor

About the Author

After getting an agent with her very first script, Katherine Atwell Herbert moved to Los Angeles and began working in the business. At DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group, she was a script analyst and the executive assistant to the vice president of production. Later she became the development director for a production company at MGM Television and has worked with Backroads Productions preparing films for production.

She has also analyzed scripts for Fox Broadcasting, IRS Films, Carolco, and other, including Multimedia, Viacom-Showtime and Lightstorm–Jim Cameron’s company. Her scriptwriting includes episodes for Trial by Jury, Murder She Wrote, and Quantum Leap, among others. The writer-analyst has won several national and local awards for her work from the National Federation of Press Women and was nominated as an Outstanding Young Woman in America. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Allworth Press; 1 edition (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581150741
• ISBN-13: 978-1581150742
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,280,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile but a little negative, August 28, 2001

By 

David Segrove "DinA" (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Writing Scripts Hollywood Will Love (Paperback)

Ms. Herbert paints what I believe is a realistic picture of what any screenwriter will find himself/herself up against in the world of motion pictures. Having a great story is one thing, getting it sold (or even read) by someone is hard work.

Ms. Herbert's book covers the script development and review process more than most books. She doesn't delve quite so much into story development, act structure etc. that you would expect to find in standard screenwriting books. This gives her book a refreshing edge because it looks at the industry rather than the art of script writing.

Having said that, however, the writer does come across as a little too negative. By the end of the first couple of chapters, it's quite obvious that Hollywood is a tough place to break into and it will be hard work to do so, but she keeps beating it into the reader so that, by the time, you've reach the halfway mark you want to say "HEY! I'VE GOT IT. OKAY!". I'm also a little unsure about some of her suggested methods for getting a script into the hands of a producer or director (dressing up as a pizza delivery person and delivering it) or her seemingly strong belief that you can't break into the movie industry unless you live in California (preferably in LA).

Nontheless, there are some good parts of the book that make it worth reading (hence the 4 stars). Ms. Herbert does have a unique insiders perspective (she was a scripts reviewer and teaches screenwriting) so it's worth paying attention.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Information is way out of date and written by a non-expert., September 11, 2007

By 

Corporations "Super" (Grey Area) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Writing Scripts Hollywood Will Love (Paperback)

So the writer had an entry-level position back in the 80s reading scripts. As evidenced in the book, this hardly qualifies her as an expert on what 'Hollywood will love'.

Just because someone watches movies, doesn't mean they know how make one. This is a classic example of 'Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach.' Only, Katherine Herbert Atwell fails at both.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic and funny!, July 29, 1999

By 

T. Fleming "piggydiva" (Louisville, KY, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Writing Scripts Hollywood Will Love (Paperback)

Herbert's book was helpful in every creative area imaginable. She included step-by-step process so that your script won't be recognized as an amatuer. The book also contains many interesting bits of information about actors, writers, and the hollywood process. A definite MUST for anyone interested in screenwritring.