Script Tease: Today's Hottest Screenwriters Bare All

by Dylan Callaghan

The Newest Screenwriting SecretsWhat do an erstwhile stripper, an ex–gambling addict, and a stoned Canadian teenager have in common? They wrote your favorite movies, and they're not who you'd expect.Diablo Cody (Juno), Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler), and Seth Rogan (Superbad) are among the scribes interviewed in Script Tease, your main line to the most current screenwriting wisdom. Their funny, even touching tales of how they made it despite the odds will give you a revealing look into what it really takes to get into the industry.With the guidance of recent greats like Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and the Coen Brothers (True Grit), you will learn how to hone your craft and make it in an industry where only the best succeed.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Writing

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2012

Reviews

[Sohail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book, I stumbled upon some scant pieces of excellent advice from people whom I expected the least. Here is one, from someone who has been panned by critics (and for good reason), and yet what he says is surprisingly enlightening:

"I read a few of those books on how to write a screenplay, but, just like I told you with the school thing, once again, most of those books are written by someone who’s never written a good script. You look at the writer’s credits and they’ve written one episode of The Golden Girls or something. People who write good scripts, write scripts. They don’t write books about writing scripts."

- Rob Zombie

[Mad Hapa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended read for aspiring screenwriters. It includes useful tips from some of the best (working) writers in the biz and is very snackable. If you've only read structure-focused books like Save the Cat, Story, etc., this book will give you a more balanced diet and a little inspo.

[n · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is nothing more than self-congratulatory interviews with people. It initially was introduced to me as a "tips and tricks" (which would've been questionable at best), but it was really nothing more than... just rubbish. No reflection, just "what I'm amazing at" without thinking about challenges or anything of that nature.

It probably also doesn't help that I find most of these people to not... be as good as people think they are. With few exceptions. And even their interviews are boring to read (Sofia Copolla and Diablo Cody come to mind here).

[Nicholas Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good (if brief - every writer only has a few pages of interview space) piece of coverage interviewing a variety of screenwriters. It's interesting to see a varied approach (some scriptwriters will start with a rigid act structure, some write a scene backwards etc). A variety of personalities come through as well, so I'm sure each reader will find some writers charming and some less so (Juno's writer came across as obnoxious to me personally, for example).

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

These interviews don't delve much into the actual screenwriting process. They're interesting if you want to feel like you're chatting with a screenwriter, but you won't learn how to write a screenplay from this.

It took me months to read this because I only read an interview or two when I needed something to make me fall asleep at night.

[Josh Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knocked this out quick, and that's actually a good thing. I went through this highlighting in nearly every writer's interview, picking up little tips all over the place. There were some writers I didn't care to hear from, so I passed them over, but overall, I really like this collection. Really, the best part of it is that every writer is so diverse. There were a couple writers that felt more like me, and that made me feel so much better about myself. I'm still working on that first script that works for me, but at least I know a bit more about what I'm looking for now.

I think this is worth a pickup, though Id on't know if it would be usable for deep study. There are books that may be better for that, though I don't know for sure. I'm still looking for more books on the subject.

[Luiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have recently been indulging my interest in writing and picked this up to see what it had to offer. Not much. And nothing that i hadn’t really heard before. essays/interviews were short. Some were moderately interesting. Seth Rogen's about his comedies starting from an emotion was cool. And Sylvester Stallone's was probably the best at delving into techniques of writing with character development. Most were work hard, be creative, work with a partner.

The story wonks podcast and doing an afternoon of google searches will probably serve you better.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you have read many books on screenwriting this book offers nothing new.Except what the process is like for certain noted screenwriters giving a glimpse into their process.The interviews are very short like excerpts taken away from longer interviews. The best and most informative interview is with Gary Ross. If you have read other books this isn't necessarily one you need to read. If you haven't it might be a good starter book.

[Tom Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the interviews could have been longer, they are nevertheless informative, inspirational, and influential. If you're only interested in reading one interview, I highly recommend reading Vince Gilligan's.

[Sereena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This shouldnt've have been a book. It ought to have been a blog. The pages are thin, interviews are sparse and there was nothing of real value in here. However, it was still a fun book.

[dAVE · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book provides interesting insight into several of today's greatest screenwriters, but each person's thoughts and stories seem too limited and incomplete.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look inside the minds of some of today's best screenwriters. Not much here, kinda sparse, but still a fun read.

[Aaron · Rating 1 out of 5]

aie ya ya, man

don't do that to me, no no no

i'm just a city boyyyy, born and raised in...