Crafty Tv Writing: Thinking Inside the Box - Softcover

Epstein, Alex

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0805080287 ISBN 13: 9780805080285

Publisher: Owl Books,U.S., 2006

Synopsis

A professional TV writer's real-world guide to getting paid to write great television

"No need for me to ever write a book on TV writing. Alex Epstein has covered it all . . . along with a few things I wouldn't have thought of. Save yourself five years of rookie mistakes. Crafty TV Writing and talent are pretty much all you'll need to make it."
--Ken Levine, writer/producer, MASH, Cheers, Frasier, The Simpsons, Wings, Becker

Everyone watches television, and everyone has an opinion on what makes good TV. But, as Alex Epstein shows in this invaluable guide, writing for television is a highly specific craft that requires knowledge, skill, and more than a few insider's tricks.

Epstein, a veteran TV writer and show creator himself, provides essential knowledge about the entire process of television writing, both for beginners and for professionals who want to go to the next level. Crafty TV Writing explains how to decode the hidden structure of a TV series. It describes the best ways to generate a hook, write an episode, create characters the audience will never tire of, construct entertaining dialogue, and use humor. It shows how to navigate the tough but rewarding television industry, from writing your first "spec" script, to getting hired to work on a show, to surviving--even thriving--if you get fired. And it illuminates how television writers think about the shows they're writing, whether they're working in comedy, drama, or "reality."

Fresh, funny, and informed, Crafty TV Writing is the essential guide to writing for and flourishing in the world of television.

About this title

Review

"After offering insightful writing hints and tips on how to write comedy, Epstein walks writers through finding jobs writing for television--and how to get along with everyone from story editors to show runners once one does. Enlightening and straightforward, this is a must for anyone who wants to write for television."- Booklist

Synopsis

This is a real-world guide to getting paid to write great television. A professional TV writer takes readers inside the world of screen writing. Everyone watches television and everyone has an opinion on what makes a good show. The difference between knowing what makes a good show and being able to write one is this book. TV writing is a highly specific craft that requires knowledge, skill and a raft of insider's tricks. It is not enough simply to have good ideas, or to be able to tell what ingredients make a show work where others make it suck - any aspiring television writer needs to be armed with the practical know-how that people outside the business are not privy to. Epstein, a veteran TV writer and show creator, provides essential information on the entire process of television writing, both for beginners and professionals who want to go to the next level. He explains how to understand the hidden structure of a TV series - the best ways to generate a hook, write an episode, create characters the audience will never tire of, construct entertaining dialogue and use humour.

He shows readers how to navigate through the tough but rewarding TV industry - from writing their first "spec" script, to getting hired to create a show, to surviving - and even thriving - in the event of being fired. Fresh, funny and informed, "Crafty TV Writing" is the essential guide to writing for and living in the world of the small screen.

About this edition

• Publisher: Owl Books,U.S.
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0805080287
• ISBN 13: 9780805080285
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336