Kill the Dog: The First Book on Screenwriting to Tell You the Truth

by Paul Guyot

Kill the Dog is the first book on screenwriting written by an actual working professional screenwriter. Award-winning screenwriter Paul Guyot exposes the lies other screenwriting books have told, and presents authentic, essential instruction and motivation for anyone wanting a career as a professional screenwriter. This book provides all the answers, from what producers and studios actually want, to what makes one screenplay better than another, to why so many have been doing it wrong for so long. The author takes us inside the exclusive members-only world of professional screenwriters, from television writers rooms to meetings with producers and studio executives, to facts about formatting, structure, craft, art, and voice.Every aspect of screenwriting is covered with an authority and credibility never seen in any book to come before. Told with honesty, humor, and vulnerability from the real-world perspective of a working, professional screenwriter, Kill the Dog reveals the secrets of what it takes to have a successful career as a Hollywood screenwriter.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Film

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2023

Reviews

[Arvo Zylo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, it's a worthwhile read, but when you really boil it down, it is a lesser form of other books. For example, Stephen King's "On Writing" is similar in the sense that what you really take away from it is: don't use adverbs, practice a lot, read a lot, and don't be too reliant upon formula. King wrote his book while recovering from a severe injury, and as far as I know, it's his most autobiographical writing to date.

William Goldman was maybe a groundbreaker, and his book on screenwriting is also similar: Just Write. Goldman's book, however, also includes an entire screenplay and a number of good anecdotes as to what certain things work. Both of the aforementioned books don't imply that they want to replace all of the screenwriting how-to books, they are just writings or "adventures".

Guyot's book, by contrast, rips on another whole franchise of how-to books, and does give a number of helpful tips, as well as neat anecdotes, but falls short of replacing any how-to books. There are some suggestions about spacing, and some warnings about misleading trends outside of the industry. There is a glossary and a section on book recommendations. It's a worthwhile purchase.

However, "Kill The Dog" is too critical of other books, considering that it offers relatively little in terms of actual advice for someone who has never written a screenplay. It says to avoid cliches but then uses terms like "mad props" and "peeps" in a way that won't likely age well. A person with twenty plus years of experience might have spent some more time giving advice or guidelines on how long form shows are approached, how a season works from beginning to end.

There are obviously many different ways to approach a story, and Guyot does well at shutting down the other popular concepts that are often touted as a clearcut path to success. He likes to research, and doesn't like to make a huge outline, and that's great. However, for those of us who are looking for more than anecdotes, "Kill The Dog" falls short on illuminating us outliers on the actual nuts and bolts of how writing for TV works, in terms of what needs to happen from the premiere to the season finale, or how these things get fleshed out.

Overall, it was relieving to read this book. I confess that I did take an online course to be a "screenreader" a couple of years ago, and can confirm that what they teach people is harmful for storytelling. Prior to this book, I had heard something similar from Quentin Tarantino about writing a screenplay that is, in itself, a "masterpiece", and I take a lot of inspiration from that. Guyot rips on Tarantino a little, and compliments him later, albeit backhandedly, and none of the clearer details of this conclusion are really ever in view for the reader.

The author gives us an uproarious reappraisal in every area of preconceived notions possible. However, there is room for improvement in terms of guidelines and advice for things like dialogue, which may be remedied by the list of book recommendations. We shall see. If you approach it as a pep talk, it will be rewarding. If you're looking for home schooling on screenwriting, and although I will take some of these exercises to heart, I'm afraid "Kill The Dog" is just another lily pad in the swamp.

[Morley Swingle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Guyot writing about screenwriting is like Ted Williams writing about baseball or Dr. Christian Barnard writing about heart surgery. He knows his stuff. He's written shows you have watched. He's writing them now. I'm a novelist with bookshelves full of books about writing. Guyot's discussion of Voice is the best I've ever seen. As for word choice, he owns a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase: OMIT NEEDLESS WORDS. He gives concrete examples of when more words are needed; and when fewer are better. He explains steps to take to make your story the best it can be. I'll be reading this book more than once.

[Mark Jacobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bitter, Party of One!

Kidding. Kind of. I appreciate all the points the author makes. And I'm a fan of iconoclasts and people who point out the bullshitters in the world (and obviously there are many in the screenwriting industry). But, his bitter, curmudgeony tone becomes laborious after a while. And the name-dropping to sound contemporary is tiresome, too. However... There is lots of great-sounding advice on writing, especially exercises. (I say great-SOUNDING because what the hell do I know?). I feel like the book could have been half as long (and as tedious) if the name-dropping and boring "I'm really in the industry" war stories were left out, or at least abridged. It's fairly obvious that writing is not something that one can really teach; it's a craft that has to be practiced by doing it. So wasting time on "my process" stuff (to me) is just as irritating as some of the bs the author criticizes from others. I'm being a little rough, I realize, but it's only because I'm not a fan of bashing. It's... unbecoming. Like a long social media rant. And it's not really entertaining (despite the author's funny Voice). Anyway, it's definitely worth reading and there's lots of meaty info that makes it valuable, if you can get past the snobbery.

[Lis · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The only screenwriting book to tell the truth”
No kidding!

When. Started this book, I was dubious. It felt like Guyot spent a lot of time and space discounting all of the other screenwriting books out there. And then the irony was pretty blatant: You don’t need to read any screenwriting books! (Except for this one).

But what I love is that Guyot knows what he’s talking about, and he gives you the truth straight up. But instead of scaring me away from screenwriting, it actually made me feel more confident. Just write.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking to start a career in screenwriting. And like Guyot’s message in the beginning:Don’t bother with any other book on screenwriting. Except this one.

[Laura Akers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an honest take on screenwriting as written by an author still working in the industry. Many “iconic” screenwriting books on craft are old or written by people without the creds of this author. A blunt and useful book for those who want a real view of screenwriting.

[Tuesday Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel vindicated. That's it. That's the review.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

If it weren’t for the tone, I would have given this book four stars. Kill the Dog offers a fair share of valuable content and helpful insights into screenwriting, but the delivery is weighed down by Guyot’s constant trashing of other books and authors.

Throughout multiple chapters, he repeatedly attacks Save the Cat and other so-called “gurus.” The problem is, while criticizing them for being formulaic or self-important, he’s essentially doing the same thing: sharing his own perspective, his own “rules,” and trying to differentiate himself. That contradiction creates a sense of denial about what he’s actually trying to accomplish. Honestly, this whole critique could have stayed in the introduction, carrying it through the entire book gives the tone a gossipy, negative edge that undermines his credibility.

That being said, I pushed through because I wanted to understand what gave the book its reputation. And once you strip away the sniping and negativity (which feels like a third of the book), the rest is genuinely insightful. I enjoyed the anecdotes, the practical advice, and the glimpses into Guyot’s own process. Those parts are engaging and useful, even inspiring at times.

In the end, Kill the Dog isn’t for everyone. If you can look past the persistent bashing of other screenwriting authors, you’ll find real value inside. But if the tone puts you off early on, it may not be worth the effort.

[Jack Reickel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it would've been better and easier to recommend if it had been called On Screenwriting and positively associated itself with King's masterwork that way, instead of opting for Kill the dog and negative association VERSUS Save the Cat.

All the worst parts of this book were aggrieved complaints about other books on writing Guyot hates, and there was a LOT of that useless negativity. Reverse that and the list of good writing books at the end, just positively relate to other books on writing you like, and at the end list the ones you don't. Way. Better.

[Danger]

Fun approach. Could be summed up in two words: write better!

[Steven Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very honest book on the craft and industry. A must read.

[Booksquirm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book for its pure, unadulterated truth. Overall, the message seems to be that screenwriting is more instinctual than formulaic and can’t be “engineered” the way many false writing gurus tell you it can be. Wannabe writers who are more analytical than creative are probably not going to like this book because it really aims to nurture the creative artist who already has art inside of them and just needs a little boost to take their art to a professional level. There is no “get rich quick” scheme to writing. You MUST have some creative bones in your body and be willing to suck at first to learn the craft. “Writing begets writing”. I have not yet read “Save The Cat”, but at this point I don’t think I need to. Paul Guyot is a working professional writer who gives real-life anecdotes and actionable ways to become a better writer that are surprisingly very simple. I love all the recommendations and writing exercises included in this book as well. Cheeky, informative and fun. Highly recommend for serious aspiring writers.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comes off very malicious at some points, but filled with good advice from an established screenwriter.

[Mateusz Płocha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Ciekawa odtrutka na wszelkie sposoby, schematy i stereotypy nagromadzone wokół pisania scenariuszy, ale też nie tak konkretna i wnikliwa jakbym tego oczekiwał.

[Ayla May · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading books on the craft of writing for a little over a year now, and while I have taken pieces of value from many of them, I have grown increasingly frustrated with the number of rules and must-do's must-nots I kept hearing my story was supposed to fit into. I began to feel paralyzed. It was already hard to get into any kind of creative flow or sometimes even think of what to write at all. And once I did manage to write something, I would find that I had just broken some rule or system or other. Furthermore, when studying classics and recent best-sellers, I kept finding these "rules" being widely "violated."

Where the rules or systems HAVE been useful was to give me ideas of what to do with a story when I felt lost or stuck, or to warn me of POSSIBLE problems. But when the rules were communicated as sweeping or obligatory, I began to feel more like one of my characters was supposed to be ... bound, gagged, and cornered. Can't move, can't write, and nothing I do is okay. The more books I read on the craft of writing, the more impossible it became to write a single line. And even if it took me two weeks to think of a paragraph, and if I kind of liked the paragraph ... well, I couldn't use that, because it violated something or other.

When I came across Kill the Dog the title immediately resonated with me, not literally, but because I suspected (correctly) what the title was referring to. I got the sample in Kindle and then the audiobook. The author is wonderful as a narrator and I'm SO glad he narrated it himself. No one else could have narrated it in ... his voice.

The book came as a huge relief for me, and has begun to unshackle me from advice that was often truly meant to be helpful, but in many cases, gave commands that should have been worded as suggestions, not requirements. Plus some stuff that was just straight-up nonsense.

The book also began to give me MANY examples, exercises, concepts, and tools that I can and do actually use to unlock the creative wavelength that needs to be there.

Math, word counts, rules, and spreadsheets may work for some as editing tools but they do not work (for me) as creativity tools. Yesterday, after reading this book, I spent several hours in a minibus bouncing through the mountains and about 6 hours going up and down a lake surrounded by sheer drops. It was an overcrowded ferry without much room to move, so I couldn't even sit at a table doing writing exercises in a notebook. Sometimes all I could do was sit on the floor staring at the water and thinking over plots, making occasional shaky notes with a pen on paper. I used Paul's techniques to do this, even mentally, many times.

By this morning, I had a full plot outlined for a story idea. This was something that I literally could not do once in the previous 5 months before I read Kill the Dog.

I have also spent many, many hours doing actual writing exercises and activities using what I learned in this book. It has begun to unlock my universe and make it possible for me to function at all as a beginning writer. Please note that I am a true beginner, where fiction is concerned, and was not able to get through a single scene of a short story before I read this book.

I have gotten more unlocked (where writing is concerned) with this book, than with a dozen or more other books of systems, beats, obligatory scenes, math, word counts, quotas, tropes, and rules. There ARE a very few other writing books I have found similarly useful, even if they aren't the most well known, and I will review them separately. This one is in the top three.

After finishing Kill the Dog, I now find myself re-listening to certain sections over and over and using Paul's advice regularly (often immediately). I use it to get myself writing again, to sort out plot questions, to create a characters, or just to unlock my creativity - and free myself from a blank stare at a dead screen and an empty document.

I had been looking for a book written by a successful working writer that would give me real tools I could use when I had no idea what to put onto a page, or into a plot, or when my creativity felt like a clogged drain pipe. I found it here.

Back-engineering stories that were successful and trying to mimic their plot structures DOES NOT UNLOCK CREATIVITY. What it can do is help, at times, to give inspiration or ideas. But NOT if it is expressed in the format of "rules."

I want to thank Paul for writing this book, and for narrating it. It's become like one of my best friends.

[Vivi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have conflicting views about this book and it's message.

For context; I am a working writer and director. I've been working in this field for over a decade now. I do not consider myself an expert or a guru. What I do consider myself is someone currently in the business with some insight into how it all works. When a teacher friend asked me to get this (she wanted my opinion on whether to use this as course readiness for her writing students) I was interested to see how it would relate to my experience.

Much of what Guyot says is true (at least for me). I was not taught "the rules", instead I just wrote well and from the heart, and my success followed. This sentiment can be found in his book and I agree... But does he have to be so rude, cynical, and jaded when he tells you?

Guyot talks about finding your writer's voice. It turns out Guyot's voice is angry. His style was a huge turn off for me. I realise he is framing this book like he's the bad boy of screenwriting, which comes with an edgy "fuck everyone else" tone. But, good grief, it's so icky. It makes it hard to take him seriously. Even if everything he says in the book is true, do we need to hear it in such a way and this?

I could go on and on about why this book works or doesn't work. So let's say this: Guyot wants you to forget the rules and just write from the heart. That is a beautiful sentiment, and easier said than done. This book will not help you become a writer, but it will encourage you to write. I suggested my teacher not use the book for her students, or if she does, she should pair it with a traditional approach to story so students can see both approaches.

[Silver Petticoat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once, I wanted to be a screenwriter. When I create stories, I always imagine them visually, with actors, and how the story would look on the screen. But I got pulled in a different direction. Still, I find myself interested in screenwriting, and the old pull of that dream rises to the surface every once in a while.

Well, I discovered this book while attending the Tucson Festival of Books. I was instantly intrigued. I brought the book home and read it, taking in all the stories and advice.

It’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look into Hollywood while also giving helpful screenwriting tips – albeit with some snark. If you’re looking for a book that gives you all the screenwriting rules, this is not that. Rather, it’s a helpful book that reminds you of what’s most important in screenwriting: being a great writer and telling a fantastic story.

Overall Rating: 4.5

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book dispels the myths around screenwriting "rules," formatting, and so-called "hacks" to breaking cinema-quality story. Recommend for all aspiring screenwriters.

It exposes the truth about the para-screenwriting world and gives you permission to be yourself and choose your voice.

"As a screenwriter, you have one job: To elicit an emotional response from the reader."

Boom. Mic drop.

I read Save the Cat and it got me 18 pages into a first draft. Then I stalled. I read this book, and I finished that first draft in 20 days. Then I wrote a first draft for a different script in 10 days. About to finish another first draft after 20 days.

It's not over - I now have multiple iterations of rewrites for three different stories, but that's okay - that is the process.

[LastArcanum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in two sittings only because I had to put it down to write.

This book is everything the other screenwriting books pretend to be while at the same time undoing them.

It simultaneously creates a pulling force that drags you towards your script while freeing you from the shackles that the other books give you.

The language was beyond engaging and though Guyot tells you he can't teach voice the book itself is a great example.

Most importantly though the book comes from the heart which is what every other screenwriting book is missing.

[Charles Hustmyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a C-list working screenwriter…

And I thought this book was FANTASTIC. Finally, someone with the brass spheres to tell the truth in a book, not just whisper it at the (metaphorical) watercooler. I picked up some good tips in the book and will incorporate them into my method.

Unfortunately, most aspiring amateur writers won’t believe anything in this book. That’s okay, there are those who actually believe the earth is flat. Let them keep writing their STC formula scripts, less competition for the rest of us.

[Carrie Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a game changer! If you are a screenwriter, even novel writer, you must read this book. With so much information on the internet, it is full of misconceptions that need to be blown out of the water. Paul Guyot is giving the truth in spades about how we have followed the lies about writing and business. It is all about the writing and the freedom to write! Read it, keep it, and re-read it. It will change how you write and save you time by not following the so-called gurus!

[Mark Archuleta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Voice. The #1 takeaway from this book is the power of writing with a strong voice. The #2 takeaway is not being locked into the formatting rules and being fearful of making a mistake. Guyot takes the reader on his journey as a successful screenwriter with its many ups and downs. (I could certainly relate to the downs of working as a television staff writer.) While he does spend a great deal of time denigrating other screenwriting books, notably the Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, I firmly believe good ideas can be found everywhere. I read Syd Field in 1983 and studied with Robert McKee, and each offers excellent insight that gets your mind working. However, I firmly believe, after reading Kill the Dog, no matter how solid your story structure is, it won't stand out unless the writer has a distinctive and compelling Voice. Note: I listened to the audiobook read by the author.

[Edward Woeful · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main idea of ​​this book is: when it comes to screenwriting there is no silver bullet, secret ingredient or “formula”. Just keep writing and rewriting. Also there are some funny Hollywood stories about screenwriting, useful exercises and a good list of books for further reading. I liked it.

[Patrick McNerney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Trevor Hollen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fully support any book that recommends making playlists for each script.

[Phil]

Best book on practical screenwriting

[caleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Balbert Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on screenwriting I’ve ever read.

Yeah I said it.

[Marc F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really different take on writing/screen writing vs popular tomes/thought like save the Cat.. Enjoyed it a lot

[Tommaso Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super interessante, se interessa il genere

[David Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring read. It claims to be the best book on the craft of screenwriting, and by golly, I have to agree. This book blew me away.