The Coffee Break Screenwriter: Writing Your Script Ten Minutes at a Time

by Pilar Alessandra

The writer receives guidance and tips at every stage of the often intimidating writing process with a relaxed, “ten minutes at a time” method that focuses the writer and pushes him or her forward. At each step, writers are encouraged to “Take Ten” and tackle an element of their script using the templates and tools provided. “What You’ve Accomplished” sections help writers review their progress. And “Ten-Minute Lectures” distill and demystify old school theory, allowing the writer to unblock and get writing.

Genres: Writing, Film, Nonfiction, Reference, Media Tie In

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely shouldn't be your first/only book on screenwriting. It's pretty thin, skimming/glossing over a lot of important material.

However, as an exercise book, it's extremely useful in getting you focused and writing, especially in the more amorphous planning stages of a script. Her strategies for structure and character are both especially useful. The advice from pros in the back of the book is also interesting.

The least successful sections deal with pitching and selling your script -- unlike the writing exercises, learning this stuff doesn't really work in short ten minute bursts. As it is, it's too simplistic and template-based.

Overall, though, one of the more unpretentious and useful books in a medium plagued by hucksterism and over-reliance on formula. It beats the crap out of anything Blake Snyder ever wrote, for instance.

[Rachael C Marek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift, and I couldn't be more thankful! Before even finishing the first chapter, I already had an idea of something I had missed in one of my scripts. The book is broken up into nice sections (that touches on both features and television) that make it an easy reference guide depending on the area of your screenplay you need to focus on; whether it's the first draft or the final polish. Due to its reference like format, this is a book I will have to reread in order to flag and highlight the topics that I found most useful.

I feel as if this is a book I will refer to with each screenplay I write, until some of the ideas become second nature. This is among one of the best screenwriting books I've read, and I highly recommend it!

[Diane DeMasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even great for novelists to help figure out the rough spots. Sometimes a different view opens up that block that seems so large.

Bite size, easy to digest and keeps you working on your novel or script. We can always find ten minutes.

[Fernando Suarezserna · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far, the most actionable and best book I've read about the topic. It's an "advanced book" on the sense that unless you know a bit of theory (which you can get reading McKee's Story and probably Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces) you'll be following the actionable guide by pure dogma, and probably will be unable to bend or break the rules when needed. That being said, while reading this book I got the same feeling I had when first reading "Save The Cat": how did I manage to tell a whole story without a blueprint?

Absolutely recommend. Best book I've read this year.

[J.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found that this method caused me to procrastinate more than doing any actual writing. This method might work well for some people, I guess I'm just not one of them.

[Rob Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read quite a few writing and screenwriting books, and Coffee Break Screenwriter is one of the most useful. The advice offered is practical and effective. Pilar does not get sidetracked with the various theories about how many acts there should be, whether plot or character comes first, and so on. She just presents simple techniques for making step-by-step progress planning and writing your script. In some cases these techniques can be done in 10 minutes, though most of the time you'll spend longer than that because you get excited about what you're doing. Highly recommended.

[Jeremy LaLonde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been a professional writer for almost a decade I still found this book completely refreshing and interesting with a lot of little exercises and tips that I was excited to try. I recommend it to screenwriters new and old for either fresh inspiration or to use as a how-to-guide to ease you into the world of writing for film and television. I dug it way more than I expected to.

[Paweł P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zajęło mi to chwilę, ale dotarłem do końca. Z pozycji, które przeczytałem na temat scenariopisarstwa ta była chyba najgorsza (aczkolwiek 3 lata temu zacząłem polecany mi "Scenariusz na miarę XXI wieku" i nadal nie skończyłem, więc kto wie...). Dużo rad powtarzało się z bardziej rozbudowanymi i lepiej uargumentowanymi pozycjami, które jednak nie są dostępne po polsku, więc można to potraktować jako zaletę. Mam jednak poczucie, że przytaczanymi przykładami autorka sama podważa swój autorytet, gdyż są one w dużej mierze albo naiwne albo po prostu kiepsko napisane.

Najlepiej widać to w ostatnim rozdziale, gdy seria tych samych pytań w formule "gdybyś miał(a) 10 minut jak poprawił(a)byś scenę/sekwencję/scenariusz/karierę" jest zadawana kilkorgu mniej lub bardziej znanych scenarzystów (raczej mniej). Mało kto odpowiada na pytanie rzeczowo (albo nie wiedzą, ile to 10 minut - jeszcze gorzej), dużo jest za to coacherskiego pierdololo na zasadzie "pisałbym codziennie maila do trzech nowych osób, bo ważny jest networking".

Jeśli umiecie czytać po angielsku to kupcie sobie którąś z klasycznych pozycji (albo "Uratuj kotka!", które wyszło niedawno po polsku), jeśli nie umiecie... wtedy chyba po prostu wykorzystajcie czas zaoszczędzony na lekturze na pisanie. Serio, lepiej na tym wyjdziecie.

[Juan Camilo Velandia Quijano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to take my chances and say the this book is the quintessential guide for screenwriting. After this, you might not need anything else. The author covers from the creation of the idea to one-sheet synopsis, how to prepare for a pitch and opinions from experts in the field about what they'd do in tma ten-minute period to fix something in a story. Why? Because that's the "ten minutes at a time" theory kept by Pilar Alessandra throughout the entire book.

It's so incredibly easy to read, words and explanations are friendly, with every single detail exposed so you have no chance to get lost in the middle. All you need to do IS WRITE!!!! A wonderful tool to read and go back to any time there's a doubt or a loss-of-inspiration moment.

I put many marks with different colors so I know where I can find what I need, because this is that kind of book, the one you keep close when you're writing and it only takes ten minutes (or even less) to read the chapter review and find what you need to move forward with your script or whatever it is you're writing.

This is, truly and quite honestly, the best book on writing I've ever come across with.

[Mark Renshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb screenwriting guide. I've been writing screenplays for a few years now but mainly shorts because writing is a hobby I have to squeeze in-between my day job, family commitments and the weird and wacky things life throws at me.

I have little time, therefore I've used this as an excuse to avoid features, when in truth I've also been afraid to tackle something so big.

This book changed all that for me. Do I have ten minutes? Sure. Now I have no excuse. Not only does the book break the entire process into manageable chunks, but the suggested exercises helped me work out what my feature was actually about, plus all the characters, before I wrote FADE IN.

Using it I've been able to write my first, proper feature script this year. I'm now following the re-write section to help polish it up in time for the London Screenwriting Festival in Sept where I'm going to pitch it and hope for the best.

Highly recommended for busy folks who have little time to write screenplays.

[Nancymimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to write in short bursts and got some validation here. I found the exercises very helpful, and great practice for someone who writes the way I do.

[Błażej · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zeszyt ćwiczeń, które - odrobione - dają solidny zarys opowieści. Książka pomyślana dla scenopisania ale do prozy też się nadaje.

[Abbie Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read yet, you are missing out on some cracking exercises to better your writing

[Hung Tran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cũng cũng.

[Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Got this as a Christmas gift, and it’s got some great insights for learning how to carve out time to write. Even if time management isn’t a struggle for you, a lot of the techniques shared here can still be applied in useful ways.

Extra points for the tips on trimming fat in your writing and the Q&A section at the end—featuring industry professionals sharing their own tricks for crafting a script.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this as a starting point for someone new to screenwriting (there are stronger foundational books out there), but if you’re looking to boost your speed and efficiency in your writing process, this is definitely worth a read.

[Rob Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read quite a few writing and screenwriting books, and Coffee Break Screenwriter is one of the most useful. The advice offered is practical and effective. Pilar does not get sidetracked with the various theories about how many acts there should be, whether plot or character comes first, and so on. She just presents simple techniques for making step-by-step progress planning and writing your script. In some cases these techniques can be done in 10 minutes, though most of the time you'll spend longer than that because you get excited about what you're doing. Highly recommended.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pilar always knows how to give writers a frame work for understanding how to write a story that speaks to readers/viewers. Broken down into bite sized chunks of information and experience, readers will walk away with a greater understanding of the craft of screenwriting and feel like their goals are achievable with commitment and consistency.

[Vy Do · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many useful tips on how to make your script better in terms of character development and dialog. The story, structure, and outline are also crucial and I will have to read them again. For me, one of the most important lessons is: if a scene doesn't advance the story or reveal the character, it must be cut. Murder your darlings.

[Matt Lohr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book chock-full of hands-on practical exercises that will get you writing and creating in no time flat. I've got a dozen screenplays under my belt, and even I found stuff I think I'll be able to use.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything it promises: this book has some really clear exercises to help you write.

[DiDi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It has given me so many ideas as I tickle its pages!

[Foxglove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful, will definitely reread.

[Claude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gimmicky title but a very helpful book. This would be one of the 4-5 books I’d give to beginning screenwriters. Also has lots of specific advice and strategies for TV writers.

[Alina Yasnaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally useful book for screenwriters.