Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Crafty TV Writing hits bookstores today. I hope y'all will rush right out to your local bookstores and buy it!

Or, just click on the link to the upper right and order it from Amazon.

My editor just faxed me a great review in Booklist, the publication of the American Library Association:

Epstein, Alex. Crafty TV Writing: Thinking Inside the Box. June 2006. 336p. Index. Holt/Owl, paper, $15.

Epstein, author of Crafty Screenwriting (2002), draws on his experiences writing for the television shows Naked Josh and Charlie Jade to create an essential guide for those hoping to break into television writing. Epstein starts ... by examining what great television series have in common: a hook that draws viewers in, compelling characters the audience cares about, and stories that unfold naturally on the small screen and make people want to return to the world of the show every week. From there he gets into the specifics of how to write a good script. ... 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.

YA/L: Ambitious teens who want someday to write for shows they love will find this an accessible read.

Whoo hoo!

(And by the way, while you're at your bookstore, if you haven't already picked up a copy of Crafty Screenwriting, check it out!)

UPDATE: Apropos Kelly's comment below: the book is not just for newbies. There's a lot in there that I didn't know when I started writing the book and doing the interviews.

And there's a lot in there that I haven't put in my blog!

9:40 AM

7 Comments:

congrats...hope it does well for you

By  wcdixon, at 12:59 PM  

Congratulations! I look forward to reading and learning from it.

By  Cunningham, at 1:12 PM  

Nice write-up. I really hope the book exceeds your financial expectations, Alex, and I will tell all of the screenwriter newbies I know to buy it.

By  Kelly J. Crawford, at 1:13 PM  

Congratulations! Even though I never did get a review copy ...

By  Diane Kristine Wild, at 1:45 PM  

Congratulations!

By  Melly, at 6:11 PM  

A tad late here, but as a writer with something like 150 produced TV credits in both sitcom and drama I definitely recommend the book and not just for newbies. I read an early draft of "Crafty TV Writing" and found info and advice that helped crystallize my thoughts on and further my skill in TV writing. A great addition to the field, Alex, congrats.

By  African Den, at 2:49 AM  

Yay, been waiting for this. Order placed with Amazon after reading the excerpt and learning the following:

Apprentice contestants must have really rigid spines in order to stoop at nothing;

"canceled" is a legitimate spelling.

Looking forward to making many other eye-opening discoveries!

By  Lee, at 11:30 AM  

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