Writing Screenplays That Sell: The Complete, Step-By-Step Guide for Writing and Selling to

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review




Great advice for a beginner, August 20, 2008
By J. Probst (Marseilles, France)
Writing a screenplay can be a daunting endeavor - for anybody, and not just beginners, and M.H. offers a realistic, easy-to-follow approach that will help you save time and concentrate on the most important aspects of the screenwriting process. The book is well structured in that you can begin on page one and read through to the end, writing your script as you go along, or (as I do) you can jump around in the book and use it as a quick reference when you want some helpful advice on a specific point (developing you story concept, structuring your film, writing a scene, making characters that jump off the page, etc.). He harps on a few main points that seem obvious but can be easy to forget during the creative process: developing interesting, motivated characters; creating a clear structure with a beginning, middle and end; helpful hints to get the creative juices flowing, etc. Plus he provides easy-access summaries at the end of each chapter with bullet points, and lots of concrete examples from films that have been commercial and artistic (depending on your POV) successes. A great time saver that will help you on your way - but remember: you'll still have to pay the piper and write the damn thing yourself!



I am an indie moviemaker and this book changed my life. , November 27, 2007
By Steven Kahler (Florida)
Hi all,

I am a seven time award winning moviemaker with two features to my credit. Many moons ago, before I became a screenwriter, I read quite a number of books about breaking into the "biz." All of the information was vague, overwhelming, lacked focus and a straightforward strategy that I desperately needed. To make matter worse they even peppered their information with limiting beliefs about why you would never be able to break into writing for the big screen unless you lived in LA, etc.

It was truly disheartening and I was about to give up the dream when I found Michael's book. It was a revelation. Here was a guy in the know, dashing all the stereotypical myth's, while presenting his material in a clear and concise manner. I finally had a winning strategy. I jumped into writing and was rewarded with seeing my stories come to life on the big screen. What a high!

If you want the dream, or you need a refresher course, then buy this book.

Steven Kahler
Moviemaker



Still Unbeatable, April 27, 2007
By Salvador Rubio Gomez (South of Europe)
I'll go straight to the point: the part on character creation and development is worth all the books published about the subject in the last twenty years. The simple-straightforward-logical method displayed here is simply unbeatable.

This is really an old book, but don't make the mistake to think of it as outdated. Sure, it's kind of weird read things as "recent films like Rambo" but all the eighties movies that he mentions and uses as practical examples are totally time tested.

Also, I would pay its full price for the single analysis of The Karate Kid included. Laugh if you want. I'm sure you will learn a lot.

A final thought: There are two kinds of "how-to" books. The ones that should be called "how-should" (yeah, that ones that tell you how a good script should look judging by the subsequent movie, i can do that too) and real "how-to's", that guide you step by step with a logical process so you can learn.

Obviously, Hauge's book stands proud among the last ones. Thank you, Mike, wherever you are.



I love this book, April 17, 2007
By M. Cox (Texas)
I just finished taking a continuing education course on script writing at my local college and this book has been very helpful with supplimenting what I learned. It is packed with all kinds of info and is very easy to read. There are several good books out there and this is one of them.



AWESOME Book for anyone who wants to learn or improve your Screen writing, March 31, 2007
By Neokanobi (Atlanta, GA)
I purchased this book and Mike's Hero's Journey DVD and he has a great way to explain the magic of screen writing, his advices and examples are clear and helps you apply right away to your screen writing. I enjoyed very much reading his book and seeing his DVD. I highly recommend any book or materials from Mike to anyone that might be aspiring to become a screen writer or wants to improve your screen writing techniques.