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Writing Treatments That Sell: How to Create and Market Your Story Ideas to the Motion Picture and TV Industry
A fully revised guide to turning your movie idea into a treatment that can persuade even the most jaded movie producers
As Hollywood insiders know, the first step in selling your story idea for film or television is preparing a treatment, the brief pitch that sells the concept to a busy producer or agent. Now including updates on the latest trends in the industry, writers-producers Kenneth Atchity and Chi-Li Wong tell readers everything they need to know to create an effective and saleable treatment, one that incorporates such key elements as conflict, likeable characters, plot twists, a climax, and visual drama.
Using dozens of the latest examples from actual productions, Writing Treatments That Sell distinguishes between scripts designed for feature films, episodic television, and made-for-TV movies, and shows step-by-step how to prepare a selling treatment for each. Also included is essential information on copyrighting and acquiring rights along with a comprehensive glossary of industry terms. This book is essential for anyone hoping to get a foot in the door of the exciting scriptwriting business.
As Hollywood insiders know, the first step in selling your story idea for film or television is preparing a treatment, the brief pitch that sells the concept to a busy producer or agent. Now including updates on the latest trends in the industry, writers-producers Kenneth Atchity and Chi-Li Wong tell readers everything they need to know to create an effective and saleable treatment, one that incorporates such key elements as conflict, likeable characters, plot twists, a climax, and visual drama.
Using dozens of the latest examples from actual productions, Writing Treatments That Sell distinguishes between scripts designed for feature films, episodic television, and made-for-TV movies, and shows step-by-step how to prepare a selling treatment for each. Also included is essential information on copyrighting and acquiring rights along with a comprehensive glossary of industry terms. This book is essential for anyone hoping to get a foot in the door of the exciting scriptwriting business.
257 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
12 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Atchity
59 books51 followersKenneth John Atchity is an American producer and author, who has worked variously in the world of letters as a literary manager, editor, speaker, writing coach, brand consultant, and professor of comparative literature.
At home among the many worlds of communications and storytelling, he was labeled a "story merchant" by a visiting ambassador to the United States.
Atchity was born 16 January 1944 in Eunice, Louisiana, son of Fred J. and Myrza (née Aguillard) Atchity; he grew up between Louisiana and Kansas City, Missouri. He and his companies, The Story Merchant, Atchity Entertainment International, Inc., The Writers Lifeline, Inc., and The Louisiana Wave Studio, LLC, in Shreveport, Louisiana produce films and develop books for publication; and books, screenplays, and films for television and cinema, and consult with writers about their career strategies and tactics.
At home among the many worlds of communications and storytelling, he was labeled a "story merchant" by a visiting ambassador to the United States.
Atchity was born 16 January 1944 in Eunice, Louisiana, son of Fred J. and Myrza (née Aguillard) Atchity; he grew up between Louisiana and Kansas City, Missouri. He and his companies, The Story Merchant, Atchity Entertainment International, Inc., The Writers Lifeline, Inc., and The Louisiana Wave Studio, LLC, in Shreveport, Louisiana produce films and develop books for publication; and books, screenplays, and films for television and cinema, and consult with writers about their career strategies and tactics.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 24, 2011
I am torn between giving this book a two star review or a three star review. So it is really a 2.5 but goodreads does not permit an in between answer.
What I liked: They explained the benefeits of writing treatments.
They explained the way television shows are written
They explained how to copyright scripts and use the WGA
They explained the benefeits and difficulties of writing from a true story
Weaknesses
I suppose this is probably just how it is but I did not feel like I understood how to go about writing feature length movie treatments by the time I had finished the book.
THe book focused more on television then movies.
After writing this review. I realize I am giving it a bad rating because my expectations were different then what the book offered. But now that I think about it. This is a pretty decent book. I will give it 3 stars.
What I liked: They explained the benefeits of writing treatments.
They explained the way television shows are written
They explained how to copyright scripts and use the WGA
They explained the benefeits and difficulties of writing from a true story
Weaknesses
I suppose this is probably just how it is but I did not feel like I understood how to go about writing feature length movie treatments by the time I had finished the book.
THe book focused more on television then movies.
After writing this review. I realize I am giving it a bad rating because my expectations were different then what the book offered. But now that I think about it. This is a pretty decent book. I will give it 3 stars.
May 19, 2025
A very practical book for anyone wanting to write into the screenwriting market. Plenty of example treatments and lots of information on how to structure stories for these markets too. In some ways it may be a touch dated, because the Netflix style market now exists, which changes things a little - but I expect not too much.
I was interested, but as an outsider looking in. I am not looking to write any screenplay, and a lot of the advice was too specific for me. Yet the concept of writing a treatment is still a good one for the structuring of stories, so there was still information of interest in here.
For anyone wanting to write into that market, I'd say this would be exactly what you should read. Otherwise it is interesting, but not essential.
I was interested, but as an outsider looking in. I am not looking to write any screenplay, and a lot of the advice was too specific for me. Yet the concept of writing a treatment is still a good one for the structuring of stories, so there was still information of interest in here.
For anyone wanting to write into that market, I'd say this would be exactly what you should read. Otherwise it is interesting, but not essential.
March 27, 2018
A perfect primer to feel like you're ready to start writing your treatment, tweak the one you've done, or get better at it in general for the experienced. This book made me excited to start writing some treatments and gave me the tools to have direction on it, which is exactly what I was looking for!
September 21, 2021
There's something good to be said about all screenwriting books, but there's something bad, too. Namely, that you should put down the book and write.
September 15, 2015
The bad news here is that this book does not really tell you in detail how to write treatments. The good news is that it does tell you a lot of other things that are useful to know. Really, this is more of a general book on the presentation and business sides of writing for film and television than it is a book on treatments.
Some attention is paid to the subject. The best way to teach writing (or anything else for that matter) is to use a lot of examples. The only examples used here are ones from the authors’ production company, and they are not from well-known or successful productions. There probably are examples floating around on the web somewhere At the end of the book, I had a better idea of how to write a treatment, but if the book had lived up to its title, I would have had a much better idea.
This book, though, was not a waste of time. It was written by legitimate industry pros who know the game and have much practical wisdom to impart. The writing is clear and concise and covers a number of useful topics, such as copyright issues, what buyers look for in a script, the basics of mainstream screenwriting (which it never hurts to read again), adapting true stories, and breaking into television. It was a straightforward and useful read.
Some attention is paid to the subject. The best way to teach writing (or anything else for that matter) is to use a lot of examples. The only examples used here are ones from the authors’ production company, and they are not from well-known or successful productions. There probably are examples floating around on the web somewhere At the end of the book, I had a better idea of how to write a treatment, but if the book had lived up to its title, I would have had a much better idea.
This book, though, was not a waste of time. It was written by legitimate industry pros who know the game and have much practical wisdom to impart. The writing is clear and concise and covers a number of useful topics, such as copyright issues, what buyers look for in a script, the basics of mainstream screenwriting (which it never hurts to read again), adapting true stories, and breaking into television. It was a straightforward and useful read.
April 1, 2012
Practical, to the point, "How To" book that explains the difference between beat sheet, outline and treatment. Essential points that need to be covered whether the treatment is 3 pages or 20 in order to "pitch" your concept, story flow, hook, characters, theme and central conflict long after you leave the Pitchfest.
Useful for original scripts, adaptations, true stories as well as scripts for TV, the authors give you one more tool in the marketing arsenal to leave behind for producers to read should your "One Page" fall flat.
Useful for original scripts, adaptations, true stories as well as scripts for TV, the authors give you one more tool in the marketing arsenal to leave behind for producers to read should your "One Page" fall flat.
December 14, 2016
Excellent advice! Everything a screenwriter needs to know for their film or TV career!
October 10, 2011
According to this writers, Hollywood is more than willing to buy any well-written treatment. However, from my experience, the industry prefers screenplays.
That said, this book may be helpful for a writer who wants help with the treatment process before script or needs to see a model of a TV series bible.
That said, this book may be helpful for a writer who wants help with the treatment process before script or needs to see a model of a TV series bible.
October 25, 2008
Really stresses the "selling tool" aspect of the treatment and in fact the screenplay itself. A good primer for those of us self educating about the screenwriting world. Comes highly recommended to me by folk in the biz.
August 21, 2007
.........kejar tayang? gimana duooong???
January 27, 2013
I used this to help outline one my screenplays and it helped tremendously. I would highly recommend this book for other screenwriters.
Want to read
June 30, 2013kindle cloud
November 27, 2013
Great book in the example of treatments. Needs to be updated to use current internet terms etc.
December 25, 2013
Not very spectacular. Quite basic and conventional. I labored through it simply for the sake of completism.
July 24, 2014
Very helpful for my future plot treatments. I enjoyed a lot of the examples, very useful.
February 16, 2012
It was helpful, but I would've loved an actual sample treatment.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews