What do you think?
Rate this book
The First Time I Got Paid For It: Writers' Tales From The Hollywood Trenches
The First Time I Got Paid for It is a one-of-a-kind collection of essays by more than fifty leading film and television writers, with a foreword by screenwriting legend William Goldman. Linked by the theme of a writer's "first time" -- usually the first time he got paid for his work, but sometimes veering off into other, more unconventional, "first times" -- these always entertaining (and sometimes hilarious) pieces share what it takes to succeed, what it takes to write well, and other aspects of maintaining creativity and integrity while striving for a career in Hollywood. Richard LaGravanese ( The Fisher King , The Horse Whisperer , Living Out Loud ) confesses that his first paid writing job was crafting phone-sex scripts. Nicholas Kazan ( Reversal of Fortune , Matilda ) explains why, in Hollywood, an oral "yes" often turns out to be a written "no." Peter Casey writes about the unparalleled pitch meeting for the award-winning series Frasier . Virtually every big-name writer in Hollywood has contributed to this collection, making it essential research material for anyone trying to make it in the entertainment industry, and a perfect read for movie and television buffs everywhere.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2000
5 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Peter Lefcourt
20 books30 followersPeter Lefcourt is a refugee from the trenches of Hollywood, where he has distinguished himself as a writer and producer of film and television. Among his credits are "Cagney and Lacey," for which he won an Emmy Award; "Monte Carlo," in which he managed to keep Joan Collins in the same wardrobe for 35 pages; the relentlessly sentimental "Danielle Steel's Fine Things," and the underrated and hurried "The Women of Windsor," the most sordid, and thankfully last, miniseries about the British Royal Family.
He began writing novels in the late 1980's, after being declared "marginally unemployable" in the entertainment business by his then agent. In 1991 Lefcourt published The Deal -- an act of supreme hubris that effectively bit the hand that fed him and produced, in that inverse and masochistic logic of Hollywood, a fresh demand for his screenwriting services. It remains a cult favorite in Hollywood, was one of the ten books that John Gotti reportedly ordered from jail, and was adapted into a movie -- starring William H. Macy, Meg Ryan and L.L. Cool Jay -- that premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Subsequently, he has divided his time between screenplays and novels, publishing The Dreyfus Affair in 1992, his darkly comic look at homophobia in baseball as a historical analog to anti-Semitism in fin de siecle France, which The Walt Disney Company has optioned twice and let lapse twice in fits of anxiety about what it says about the national pastime and, by extension, Disneyland. He is hopeful that a major(or even minor) motion picture will be made from it in his lifetime. The book continues to sell well in trade paperback -- it's in its fifteenth printing, and, as such, acts as a small but steady cottage industry for its author, who, at this point, would almost rather keep optioning it than have it actually made. But not really.
In 1994, he published Di And I, a heavily fictionalized version of his love affair with the late Princess of Wales. Princess Diana's own stepgodmother, Barbara Cartland, who was herself no slouch when it came to publishing torrid books, declared Di And I "ghastly and unnecessary," which pushed the British edition briefly onto the best-seller lists. Di And I was optioned by Fine Line Pictures, in 1996, and was quietly abandoned after Diana's untimely death the following year. Someday it may reach the screen -- when poor Diana is no longer seen as an historical icon but merely as the misunderstood and tragic figure that she was, devoured by her own popularity.
Abbreviating Ernie, his next novel, was inspired by his brief brush with notoriety after the appearance of Di And I. At the time he was harassed by the British tabloids and spent seven excruciating minutes on "Entertainment Tonight." He was subsequently and fittingly bumped out of People Magazine by O.J. Simpson's white Bronco media event of June, 1994. In a paroxysm of misplaced guilt, the editors of "People," to make amends, declared it a "Beach Read," which helped put the book ephemerally on the Best Seller lists during the summer of 1994. Anecdotally, however, the author spent a lot of time combing the beaches that summer without seeing a single person reading his book.
Lefcourt's research on a movie for HBO about the 1995 Bob Packwood canard was the germ for his next novel, The Woody. He began to see that the former senator's battle with the Senate Ethics Committee was a dramatization of the total confusion in America regarding appropriate sexual behavior for politicians. Packwood became the sacrificial lamb -- taking the pipe for an entire generation of men. Basically, he got his dick caught in the zeitgeist. After President Clinton got his caught in a younger zeitgeist, nearly costing him his job, The Woody became all the more topical. It asks the question: What is the relationship between a politician's sexual competence and his popularity in the polls? If Packwood had been as smooth as Clinton, he would be the majority lead
He began writing novels in the late 1980's, after being declared "marginally unemployable" in the entertainment business by his then agent. In 1991 Lefcourt published The Deal -- an act of supreme hubris that effectively bit the hand that fed him and produced, in that inverse and masochistic logic of Hollywood, a fresh demand for his screenwriting services. It remains a cult favorite in Hollywood, was one of the ten books that John Gotti reportedly ordered from jail, and was adapted into a movie -- starring William H. Macy, Meg Ryan and L.L. Cool Jay -- that premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Subsequently, he has divided his time between screenplays and novels, publishing The Dreyfus Affair in 1992, his darkly comic look at homophobia in baseball as a historical analog to anti-Semitism in fin de siecle France, which The Walt Disney Company has optioned twice and let lapse twice in fits of anxiety about what it says about the national pastime and, by extension, Disneyland. He is hopeful that a major(or even minor) motion picture will be made from it in his lifetime. The book continues to sell well in trade paperback -- it's in its fifteenth printing, and, as such, acts as a small but steady cottage industry for its author, who, at this point, would almost rather keep optioning it than have it actually made. But not really.
In 1994, he published Di And I, a heavily fictionalized version of his love affair with the late Princess of Wales. Princess Diana's own stepgodmother, Barbara Cartland, who was herself no slouch when it came to publishing torrid books, declared Di And I "ghastly and unnecessary," which pushed the British edition briefly onto the best-seller lists. Di And I was optioned by Fine Line Pictures, in 1996, and was quietly abandoned after Diana's untimely death the following year. Someday it may reach the screen -- when poor Diana is no longer seen as an historical icon but merely as the misunderstood and tragic figure that she was, devoured by her own popularity.
Abbreviating Ernie, his next novel, was inspired by his brief brush with notoriety after the appearance of Di And I. At the time he was harassed by the British tabloids and spent seven excruciating minutes on "Entertainment Tonight." He was subsequently and fittingly bumped out of People Magazine by O.J. Simpson's white Bronco media event of June, 1994. In a paroxysm of misplaced guilt, the editors of "People," to make amends, declared it a "Beach Read," which helped put the book ephemerally on the Best Seller lists during the summer of 1994. Anecdotally, however, the author spent a lot of time combing the beaches that summer without seeing a single person reading his book.
Lefcourt's research on a movie for HBO about the 1995 Bob Packwood canard was the germ for his next novel, The Woody. He began to see that the former senator's battle with the Senate Ethics Committee was a dramatization of the total confusion in America regarding appropriate sexual behavior for politicians. Packwood became the sacrificial lamb -- taking the pipe for an entire generation of men. Basically, he got his dick caught in the zeitgeist. After President Clinton got his caught in a younger zeitgeist, nearly costing him his job, The Woody became all the more topical. It asks the question: What is the relationship between a politician's sexual competence and his popularity in the polls? If Packwood had been as smooth as Clinton, he would be the majority lead
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 19, 2008
Great easy quick read of now-established Hollywood scribes and the trials and tribulations they had to endure to get that foot (and script) in/under the door.
August 25, 2010
The Writer's Guild Foundation asked a number of its members, screenwriters in film and television, and novelists who have worked in Hollywood, to write about the first time they sold a script, story, idea, etc.
The anecdotes range from humorous and silly to sentimental. Most are between three and seven pages long. The book begins with an introduction by William Goldman, so of course it gets started off correctly, with jabbing humor and all-CAPS profanities. From there it leads into stories of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the modern age of television, and other areas of entertainment.
This was a fun read, just the right length for this kind of book, and provided some entertaining insight into selling something for the first time.
The anecdotes range from humorous and silly to sentimental. Most are between three and seven pages long. The book begins with an introduction by William Goldman, so of course it gets started off correctly, with jabbing humor and all-CAPS profanities. From there it leads into stories of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the modern age of television, and other areas of entertainment.
This was a fun read, just the right length for this kind of book, and provided some entertaining insight into selling something for the first time.
August 12, 2021
In the immortal words of Nicole Byer, “What a treat! What a dream!” I enjoyed this collection of non-fiction essays on the theme of “first times” by screenwriters enormously.
The tales were brief and often funny, giving a glimpse of insight into the many paths that lead people to wrestle with The Blank Page, and the pressures that push writers to deliver a finished product (hint: it’s always money, they are always broke).
I picked this up initially because William Goldman (of The Princess Bride fame) wrote the foreword. I liked the mix of genres represented in the array of authorial voices - comedy writers, horror writers, dramatists, biopics, documentary films - you name it, they penned it. There’s a solid mix of male and female voices, and writers whose works are still screening or in production alongside pioneers of the industry who inspired their careers.
There’s even a husband and wife - Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord - each successful in their own right.
People rarely know the name of the writer in Hollywood, unless they’re doing double duty as the Director or Actor. I recognized Chuck Lorre from his vanity cards after Big Bang Theory episodes, and I knew Delia Ephron from You’ve Got Mail, (although I know her sister Nora’s rom com work better - When Harry Met Sally is a classic). Other names rang bells: Alan Alda from acting and writing MASH; Cameron Crowe from his directing work on Say Anything and Jerry Maguire...
What this book truly gifted me with was name-dropping older movies and books that I now want to watch and read, after hearing how they inspired comedy gold or moved an author to want to write a similarly great screenplay.
On my list is watching ‘Shine’, which I somehow missed in the late 90s, ‘Broadcast News’ with Holly Hunter, and a 1939 film ‘Ninotchka’ by Ernst Lubitsch. I also need to read ‘Enter Laughing’ by Carl Reiner, ‘Artistic Differences’ by Charlie Hauck, and ‘Father Sky’ by Devery Freeman.
I’m kicking myself for not taking notes as I was reading, since I’m sure there were a dozen other hot tips that I failed to mentally register.
This collection of anecdotes is now 20 years old(!) It was a joy to read stories by the people who made movies that formed my childhood and young adult years. I’d say the year 2000 is likely when my sense of humour calcified, and movies made since that time don’t often tickle my funny bone like older films do.
And so, this very positive review should be taken with a grain of salt by young’uns. As a late gen Xer, I loved it. However, I know that having turned 40 I am navigating old fogey territory when it comes to cinematic tastes; that applies to cinematic autobiographical works as well. You’ve been warned.
The tales were brief and often funny, giving a glimpse of insight into the many paths that lead people to wrestle with The Blank Page, and the pressures that push writers to deliver a finished product (hint: it’s always money, they are always broke).
I picked this up initially because William Goldman (of The Princess Bride fame) wrote the foreword. I liked the mix of genres represented in the array of authorial voices - comedy writers, horror writers, dramatists, biopics, documentary films - you name it, they penned it. There’s a solid mix of male and female voices, and writers whose works are still screening or in production alongside pioneers of the industry who inspired their careers.
There’s even a husband and wife - Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord - each successful in their own right.
People rarely know the name of the writer in Hollywood, unless they’re doing double duty as the Director or Actor. I recognized Chuck Lorre from his vanity cards after Big Bang Theory episodes, and I knew Delia Ephron from You’ve Got Mail, (although I know her sister Nora’s rom com work better - When Harry Met Sally is a classic). Other names rang bells: Alan Alda from acting and writing MASH; Cameron Crowe from his directing work on Say Anything and Jerry Maguire...
What this book truly gifted me with was name-dropping older movies and books that I now want to watch and read, after hearing how they inspired comedy gold or moved an author to want to write a similarly great screenplay.
On my list is watching ‘Shine’, which I somehow missed in the late 90s, ‘Broadcast News’ with Holly Hunter, and a 1939 film ‘Ninotchka’ by Ernst Lubitsch. I also need to read ‘Enter Laughing’ by Carl Reiner, ‘Artistic Differences’ by Charlie Hauck, and ‘Father Sky’ by Devery Freeman.
I’m kicking myself for not taking notes as I was reading, since I’m sure there were a dozen other hot tips that I failed to mentally register.
This collection of anecdotes is now 20 years old(!) It was a joy to read stories by the people who made movies that formed my childhood and young adult years. I’d say the year 2000 is likely when my sense of humour calcified, and movies made since that time don’t often tickle my funny bone like older films do.
And so, this very positive review should be taken with a grain of salt by young’uns. As a late gen Xer, I loved it. However, I know that having turned 40 I am navigating old fogey territory when it comes to cinematic tastes; that applies to cinematic autobiographical works as well. You’ve been warned.
September 14, 2020
"The First Time I Got Paid For It" is in need of a new edition. The collection of "Tales From the Hollywood Trenches" is dated in more than a few ways. For example, the three writers who dedicate time in their essays to praising Harvey Weinstein may want to (if they haven't already) request their essay be cut from future publishings.
But, of course, you can't fault the book (or those writers) for including praises that seemed valid when the book was published two decades ago. You can, however, fault it for some attitudes that remain included. For example, Melville Shavelson's long-winded riff on how he got sued by Eisenhower's family for discussing the President's possible affair - romanticizing the relationship and the man - while throwing in a Monica Lewinsky joke every two sentences. After it was clear Melville's hypocrisy would go unnoticed by him, I gave him the honor of being the First Time I Skipped a Sexist and Pretentious Essay in the book.
Shavelson was probably the worst offender, but the book is littered with sentiments that haven't aged well. The names that attracted the reader to the book, the Alan Aldas, Carl Reiners, and Eric Bogosians, are certainly the main attraction and are worth your time...but they are heavily outweighed by writers whose work you may know, but names you are likely hearing for the first time. I praise the editors for including a wide range of notoriety, but ultimately many of the essays are similar and since the book is ordered simply by last name, some start to blend together, their storied mixed and confused in the reader's memory.
"The First Time" came to me as a recommendation from a trusted source and I tend to jump blindly into those. I don't think I would have picked it up finding it myself. A fresh edition, one with some cuts, new writers (particularly writers of color), and up-to-date credits may be worth your time. Otherwise, sit down in the bookstore or library and spend a few minutes on the writers you're interested in, then slot it back on the shelf and move on.
But, of course, you can't fault the book (or those writers) for including praises that seemed valid when the book was published two decades ago. You can, however, fault it for some attitudes that remain included. For example, Melville Shavelson's long-winded riff on how he got sued by Eisenhower's family for discussing the President's possible affair - romanticizing the relationship and the man - while throwing in a Monica Lewinsky joke every two sentences. After it was clear Melville's hypocrisy would go unnoticed by him, I gave him the honor of being the First Time I Skipped a Sexist and Pretentious Essay in the book.
Shavelson was probably the worst offender, but the book is littered with sentiments that haven't aged well. The names that attracted the reader to the book, the Alan Aldas, Carl Reiners, and Eric Bogosians, are certainly the main attraction and are worth your time...but they are heavily outweighed by writers whose work you may know, but names you are likely hearing for the first time. I praise the editors for including a wide range of notoriety, but ultimately many of the essays are similar and since the book is ordered simply by last name, some start to blend together, their storied mixed and confused in the reader's memory.
"The First Time" came to me as a recommendation from a trusted source and I tend to jump blindly into those. I don't think I would have picked it up finding it myself. A fresh edition, one with some cuts, new writers (particularly writers of color), and up-to-date credits may be worth your time. Otherwise, sit down in the bookstore or library and spend a few minutes on the writers you're interested in, then slot it back on the shelf and move on.
August 28, 2015
This delectable collection of entertaining essays by more than 50 TV and screenwriters is a treat not only for neophytes hoping to break into the business, but also for film buffs.
While most of the contributors write about their first paying job in the profession, many of the tastiest tales venture off to detail other "firsts":
Chuck Lorre (Roseanne; Cybill) hilariously recalls the first time he was fired (from a Beany & Cecil revival show);
Melville Shavelson recollects the first time he was sued (by former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower to stop the filming of a movie about the Ike-Kay Summersby affair);
and 12-time Emmy winner Carl Reiner remembers getting $1,000 to write his first novel, "Enter Laughing."
Many of the short pieces create suspense by withholding the name of a long-delayed or much-rewritten project until the very end. One of the best stories illustrating Hollywood's fickle nature is Australian Jan Sardi's piece on being at the center of a fierce bidding war over "Shine"; it concludes with the sobering fact that, over 12 years, he's had six movies produced in Australia but none in America.
Each reminiscence is only a few pages long (Michael Tolkin's biography at the end of his recollection is almost as long as his story), which keeps the pace quick and the writing lively. The sassy title, eye-catching faux noir cover art and the impressive list of contributors (Steven Bochco, Eric Bogosian, Cameron Crowe, Delia Ephron, Larry Gelbart, Lawrence Kasdan and Joan Tewkesbury are just a few listed on the back cover) make this a compelling item for film buffs.
While most of the contributors write about their first paying job in the profession, many of the tastiest tales venture off to detail other "firsts":
Chuck Lorre (Roseanne; Cybill) hilariously recalls the first time he was fired (from a Beany & Cecil revival show);
Melville Shavelson recollects the first time he was sued (by former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower to stop the filming of a movie about the Ike-Kay Summersby affair);
and 12-time Emmy winner Carl Reiner remembers getting $1,000 to write his first novel, "Enter Laughing."
Many of the short pieces create suspense by withholding the name of a long-delayed or much-rewritten project until the very end. One of the best stories illustrating Hollywood's fickle nature is Australian Jan Sardi's piece on being at the center of a fierce bidding war over "Shine"; it concludes with the sobering fact that, over 12 years, he's had six movies produced in Australia but none in America.
Each reminiscence is only a few pages long (Michael Tolkin's biography at the end of his recollection is almost as long as his story), which keeps the pace quick and the writing lively. The sassy title, eye-catching faux noir cover art and the impressive list of contributors (Steven Bochco, Eric Bogosian, Cameron Crowe, Delia Ephron, Larry Gelbart, Lawrence Kasdan and Joan Tewkesbury are just a few listed on the back cover) make this a compelling item for film buffs.
April 22, 2015
This is the perfect bathroom / bedside book. Short essays by writers that are often entertaining. Great fluff reading to fill a few moments, but unfortunately, nothing more. That's why I can only give it two stars ("it was okay" rating). It was passed on to me by a writer and now that I've finished, I'll pass it on to someone else.
August 13, 2016
More entertaining than inspirational, but I do love to read about writers writing.
April 18, 2013
Should be much more interesting than it actually is.
June 24, 2024
Short blurbs from different screenwriters make for a dull read. Only 3 or 4 are worth glancing at, and many fail to even address the book’s theme.
Some of the best known TV and movie writers are the worst here. They range from 3 paragraphs to a few pages, but even the old-school writers fail with their typical shtick. The editors also don’t provide detailed credits so I have no idea who at least a third of these people are.
They are doing it for free to promote the Writers Guild, but prove they’re not worth the huge paydays they earn in Hollywood. One claims there are no longer any TV censors in 2000 (wrong) and another is surprised that men in “flyover country” get her sensitive feminist characters. Yawn.
It’s only meant for serious WGA newbies and has so few good stories that no reader should pay for it.
Some of the best known TV and movie writers are the worst here. They range from 3 paragraphs to a few pages, but even the old-school writers fail with their typical shtick. The editors also don’t provide detailed credits so I have no idea who at least a third of these people are.
They are doing it for free to promote the Writers Guild, but prove they’re not worth the huge paydays they earn in Hollywood. One claims there are no longer any TV censors in 2000 (wrong) and another is surprised that men in “flyover country” get her sensitive feminist characters. Yawn.
It’s only meant for serious WGA newbies and has so few good stories that no reader should pay for it.
July 28, 2020
Fun read as is to be expected from the faux “lurid” cover referencing the “first time” aspiring screenwriters got paid for their written work in Hollywood.
Beginning with a forward by legendary screenwriter William Goldman (Oscar winner for both Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All The President’s Men), the book is a light, fluffy, and quite entertaining recounting of “first times” from legendary well-known writers and some that are not so well-known.
Includes reminiscences from the likes of Alan Alda, Steven Bochco, Eric Bogosian, Cameron Crowe, Larry Gelbart, Lawrence Kasdan, the recently late great Carl Reiner, and Steve Zaillian.
Recommended for fellow Movie Buffs out there looking for an easy quick summer read.
Beginning with a forward by legendary screenwriter William Goldman (Oscar winner for both Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All The President’s Men), the book is a light, fluffy, and quite entertaining recounting of “first times” from legendary well-known writers and some that are not so well-known.
Includes reminiscences from the likes of Alan Alda, Steven Bochco, Eric Bogosian, Cameron Crowe, Larry Gelbart, Lawrence Kasdan, the recently late great Carl Reiner, and Steve Zaillian.
Recommended for fellow Movie Buffs out there looking for an easy quick summer read.
November 6, 2024
Quite short essays from screenwriters about their starts. What strikes me is how similar the writing is in a certain way. Largely, the same set up and payoff from all of them. There are many ways to tell the same story. Also, the writing is, well, good.
I have kept this and a few other books on this topic because I had hoped to write a screenplay at one time and also because they are entertaining. It feels as if you have a secret connection to all those folks behind the scenes. You don't but it feels like it.
I am finally ready to give some of these books up. When I retire, I think I will write.
I have kept this and a few other books on this topic because I had hoped to write a screenplay at one time and also because they are entertaining. It feels as if you have a secret connection to all those folks behind the scenes. You don't but it feels like it.
I am finally ready to give some of these books up. When I retire, I think I will write.
January 5, 2021
This was a great book that chronicles in their own words, the first time writers got professional jobs to write. A great book of recollected stories of success in theater and film.
May 29, 2025
A cool read, but it might be stronger if more of the essays stayed truer to the original conceit.
November 23, 2010
More than 4 dozen screenwriters write (mostly) about the first time they were paid to write for the screen. Some go astray and discuss the first time they were paid to write, and a few manage (like my students) to turn in a paper that avoids the assignment. Most of the contributors are on the A-list in the profession. Most contributions are entertaining enough to repay time spent of them. Budding Hollywriters should take note of these experiences, and the books is interesting to those who study the place of writers in modern society. I can't imagine why others would be interested. I'm not sure this book really needs to exist, but it does and it whiles away a few hours pleasantly.
July 31, 2007
I picked this book up initially because my favorite screenwriter, William Goldman, did the foreword. Luckily, I enjoyed many of the fairly short anecdotes from established writers about their first break in the business. Goldman's story was the best...of course.
August 24, 2010
Funny and inspiring collection of essays written by screenwriters who have Made It, about one of their memorable firsts -- getting paid, getting fired, getting rewritten, etc.
January 5, 2011
Disappointing. I was hoping for something really fun and dishy and inspiring a la And Here's The Kicker, but it mostly just bummed me out.
February 9, 2013
the funny stories were REALLY funny, but even the ones that weren't were naked, honest and on some level at least, inspiring.
November 27, 2013
Nice anecdotal stories, but not particularly an actionable source of guidance.
August 24, 2015
Great collection of essays from successful writers in Hollywood about how the got their big breaks. I'll keep this on hand for motivation when I'm in a rut.
February 18, 2015
An enjoyable read about a lot of well known screenwriters first pay check. I read quite a few and may have to check it out again later.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews