500 Ways to Beat the Hollywood Script Reader: Writing the Screenplay the Reader Will Recommend

by Jennifer Lerch

If Your Screenplay Can't Get Past the Hollywood Reader, It Can't Get to Hollywood
This ultimate insider's guide to screenwriting is designed to get you past the fiercest gatekeepers in the Hollywood script readers. This small army of freelancers will be among the first to read and evaluate your script and then to recommend it -- or not -- to the studios, directors, and stars.
Designed for quick and easy access, these 500 points are a step-by-step recipe. They cannot guarantee success, but failure to follow them can almost certainly guarantee failure. Tips
* Get your foot in the 23 ways to make a good first impression on the Hollywood Reader
* Screen why it is essential to write dialogue that looks good on the page
* Your goals in each how to make your story unputdownable from beginning to end
* Specific genre writing a romance? a mystery? a thriller? Learn their special requirements and pitfalls
* The final how to go out with a bang that will wow the Hollywood Reader
* Still didn't get positive coverage? Inside info on what to do and how to do it
Written by an industry insider who has recommended scripts that have sold for as much as one million dollars, this is the only book to show you what the Hollywood Reader wants to see. Clear, smart, and completely authoritative, 500 Ways to Beat the Hollywood Script Reader is by far the simplest, most practical book ever to hit the entertainment shelf.

Genres: Writing, Reference, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 1999

Reviews

[Jay Amari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This simplistic approach to script writing could best be summarized as "Write at An Eighth-Grade Level Because You're Writing for Morons".
It's the lowest common denominational way to write for the pictures and MAYBE get your script through the myriad maze of labyrinthine arbitrary process called the Hollywood Movie -Making Machine.
Okay, that is a little harsh, and author Jennifer Lerch does a fantastic job boiling down how readers look at screenplays when they are directed to write coverage for a possible feature film. And she owns up to the fact that the process is not fair to intelligent readers with literate minds and experience, but this is a specific animal, the screenplay, and she clearly explicates how to get the thing structured so it will appeal to a reader and producer.
Separated into convenient little numbered sections for the addle-minded screenwriter, the book is a refreshing take on the craft.

[Mark Marinovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend 500 Ways to screenwriters who are just starting out or old hands who may be in need if a good refresher course. It's full of valuable screenwriting fundamentals and insights and crystallizes best practices for preparing your script for submission. I've written many screenplays so for me it was a breezy reminder of the do's and don't's of screenwriting. If you're just starting out, dive into relevant sections as you proceed with your script. 500 ways is conveniently organized in sequential sections that mirror industry standard screenplay format. It also includes helpful tips throughout for fixing issues or breathing new life into a stale script. 500 Ways is a fast and absorbing read. Jennifer Lerch is obviously a seasoned professional and any screenwriter can benefit from her book.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Needed this a few years ago and found this book full of useful gems for anyone into writing scripts or in case you are just curious. Still have it on my shelf. A riveting read? Not quite, but a very useful book.

[Alina Yasnaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book that every screenwriter should read. There is a handful of essential ones, and this is definitely part of that pack.

[J.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went through and highlighted everything I do wrong in my own screenwriting. Then I usually breeze through the highlighted parts again before starting something new, and when I feel like I might be doing something wrong. The tips are short and to the point, but incredibly useful, especially to be able to remind yourself of your own writing problems with such ease.