Pitching Hollywood: How to Sell Your TV and Movie Ideas

A no-nonsense guide to navigating the competitive market for movie writing, that covers everything from learning how to create a great idea, to what goes into a good pitch, to how long a pitch should be, how to protect one's idea, when a full screenplay is better than just an idea, how pitching a movie differs from pitching a TV show, and much more. A "must-have" for anyone seriously dedicated to selling one's ideas and writings, and highly recommended for anyone considering movie/TV writing as a career.

The Screenwriter's Bible

The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider's Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers

Features interviews with 14 screenwriters, arranged by subject. The result reads like a fascinating panel discussion, touching on subjects such as collaboration, schmoozing, discipline, Hollywood, and story pitching.

How to Write
a Selling Screenplay

Takes writers through the entire screenplay process, from developing a story to finding the best agent. Using an annotated version of an often-optioned screenplay of his own, and citing examples from movies ranging from Casablanca and Lethal Weapon to Sling Blade and The English Patient, the author discusses how to create three-dimensional characters, find a compelling story, build an airtight plot structure, fine-tune dialogue, tips on the difference between writing for film and television, dealing with Hollywood movers and shakers, and much more.

Breakfast with Sharks : A Screenwriter's Guide to Getting the Meeting, Nailing the Pitch, Signing theDeal, and Navigating the Murky Waters of Hollywood

Written from the perspective of Michael Lent, an in-the-trenches working screenwriter in Hollywood, this is a real-world look into the script-to-screen business as it is practiced today.

Crafty Screenwriting: Writing Movies That Get Made

Fresh, provocative, and funny,this book not only offers a successful screenwriter's tricks of the trade, but explains what development executives really mean when they complain that the "dialogue is flat," or "the hero isn't likeable." A crucial book for anyone who has ever wondered what it takes to get their movie made.

Hot Property: Screenwriting in the New Hollywood

Screenwriter Christopher Keane's groundbreaking step-by-step screenwriting workshop clues every writer in on how to shift their focus to meet the wants of a new independent Hollywood and still remain true to a personal vision.