Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd Edition: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV (46 page)

STORY LINE

FINDING GOLD IN YOUR LIFE STORY

JEN GRISANTI

Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story
is a practical and spiritual guide to drawing upon your own story and fictionalizing it into your writing. As a Story Consultant and former VP of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount, most of the author’s work with writers has focused on creating standout scripts by elevating story. The secret to telling strong story is digging deep inside yourself and utilizing your own life experiences and emotions to connect with the audience. As a television executive, the author asked writers about their personal stories and found that many writers had powerful life experiences, yet had surprisingly never drawn upon these for the sake of their writing because these experiences seemed to hit a little too close to home. This book is about jumping over that hurdle. The goal is not to write a straight autobiographical story which rarely transfers well. Rather, the intention is to dig deep into your well of experience, examine what you have inside, and use it to strengthen your writing. By doing so, you will be able to sell your scripts, find representation, be hired, and win writing competitions.

“
Jen Grisanti has spent her entire professional life around writers and writing. Her new book is nothing less than an instruction manual, written from her unique perspective as a creative executive, that seeks to teach neophyte writers how to access their own experiences as fuel for their television and motion picture scripts. It aspires to be for writers what ‘the Method’ is for actors
.”

– Glenn Gordon Caron, writer/creator,
Moonlighting, Clean and Sober, Picture Perfect, Love Affair, Medium

“
Jen Grisanti gets to the heart of what makes us want to be storytellers in the first place – to share something of ourselves and touch the spirits of others in the process. Her book is a powerful and compassionate guide to discovering and developing stories that will enable us to connect – with an audience and with each other
.”

– Diane Drake, writer,
What Women Want, Only You

JEN GRISANTI is a story consultant, independent producer, and the writing instructor for NBC’s Writers on the Verge. She was a television executive for 12 years at top studios. She started her career in television and rose through the ranks of Current Programs at Spelling Television Inc. where Aaron Spelling was her mentor for 12 years.

$26.95 • 250 PAGES • ORDER NUMBER 156RLS • ISBN 13: 9781932907896

THE SCRIPT-SELLNG GAME - 2ND ED
.

A HOLLYWOOD INSIDER’S LOOK AT GETTING YOUR SCRIPT SOLD AND PRODUCED

KATHIE FONG YONEDA

The Script-Selling Game
is about what they never taught you in film school. This is a look at screenwriting from the other side of the desk — from a buyer who wants to give writers the guidance and advice that will help them to not only elevate their craft but to also provide them with the down-in-the-trenches information of what is expected of them in the script selling marketplace.

It’s like having a mentor in the business who answers your questions and provides you with not only valuable information, but real-life examples on how to maneuver your way through the Hollywood labyrinth. While the first edition focused mostly on film and television movies, the second edition includes a new chapter on animation and another on utilizing the Internet to market yourself and find new opportunities, plus an expansive section on submitting for television and cable.

“
I’ve been writing screenplays for over 20 years. I thought I knew it all — until I read
The Script-Selling Game.
The information in Kathie Fong Yoneda’s fluid and fun book really enlightened me. It’s an invaluable resource for any serious screenwriter
.”

– Michael Ajakwe Jr., Emmy-winning TV producer,
Talk Soup;
Executive Director of Los Angeles Web Series Festival (LAWEBFEST); and creator/writer/director of
Who…
and
Africabby
(
AjakweTV.com
)

“
Kathie Fong Yoneda knows the business of show from every angle and she generously shares her truly comprehensive knowledge — her chapter on the Web and new media is what people need to know! She speaks with the authority of one who’s been there, done that, and gone on to put it all down on paper. A true insider’s view
.”

– Ellen Sandier, former co-executive producer of
Everybody Loves Raymond
and author of
The TV Writer’s Workbook

KATHIE FONG YONEDA has worked in film and television for more than 30 years. She has held executive positions at Disney, Touchstone, Disney TV Animation, Paramount Pictures Television, and Island Pictures, specializing in development and story analysis of both live-action and animation projects. Kathie is an internationally known seminar leader on screenwriting and development and has conducted workshops in France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Ireland, Great Britain, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and throughout the U.S. and Canada.

$19.95 • 248 PAGES • ORDER NUMBER 161RLS • ISBN 13: 9781932907919

THE COFFEE BREAK SCREENWRITER

WRITING YOUR SCRIPT TEN MINUTES AT A TIME

PILAR ALESSANDRA

BEST SELLER

At last, leading Hollywood screenwriting instructor Pilar Alessandra shows everyone who’s ever wanted to write a screenplay how to do it — without quitting their jobs or leaving their families. Packed with over sixty 10-minute writing tools,
The Coffee Break Screenwriter
keeps it focused and keeps it simple. Now, writers can make real progress on their scripts with only ten minutes of stolen time.

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 scripts 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 keep writing.

“
I had a ‘first-draft paperweight’ on my desk for months. With Pilar’s help, my scripts have transformed from desk clutter into calling cards. I’ve been hired by Warner Bros., signed with ICM, and am a new member of the WGA. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it weren’t for Pilar
.”

– Bill Birch, writer of
Shazam
, Warner Bros.

“
Pilar’s techniques not only fine-tune your draft but serve as lessons that stick with you and make you a better writer overall. I highly recommend her if you want to take your writing to the next level!
”

– Monica Macer, staff writer
Prison Break
and
Lost;
former creative executive Disney Studios

PILAR ALESSANDRA is the director of the Los Angeles writing program “On the Page,” which has helped thousands of screenwriters write and develop their feature and television scripts. She’s worked as Senior Story Analyst for DreamWorks and Radar Pictures and has trained writers at ABC/Disney, MTV/Nickelodeon, the National Screen Institute, the Los Angeles Film School, The UCLA Writers Program, and more. Her students and clients have sold to Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Brothers, and Sony and have won prestigious competitions such as the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition and the Nicholl Fellowship. See her website at
www.onthepage.tv

$24.95
•
280 PAGES • ORDER NUMBER 149RLS • ISBN 13: 9781932907803

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