Tales from the Script - by Paul Robert Herman & Peter Hanson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A great gift idea for screenwriters: An unprecedented collection of exclusive interviews with Hollywood screenwriters, who reveal the secrets behind their successes and failures, offer uplifting stories about how faith in their talent has empowered their careers, and share colorful, entertaining anecdotes about our favorite stars and films.

Discover the secrets of Hollywood storytelling in this fascinating collection, in which fifty screenwriters share the inside scoop about how they surmounted incredible odds to break into the business...how they transformed their ideas into box office blockbusters...how their words helped launch the careers of major stars...how they earned accolades and Academy Awards(TM)...and how their careers affected their lives.

Entertaining, informative, and sometimes startling, Tales from the Script features exclusive interviews with film's top wordsmiths--Shane Black (Lethal Weapon), John Carpenter (Halloween), Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally...), William Goldman (The Princess Bride), Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver), John August (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), David Hayter (Watchmen), Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost), and dozens of others.

Tales from the Script is a must for movie buffs who savor behind-the-scenes stories--and a master class for all those who dream of writing the Great American Screenplay, taught by those who made that dream come true.

From the Back Cover

Discover the secrets of Hollywood storytelling in this fascinating collection, in which fifty screenwriters share the inside scoop about how they surmounted incredible odds to break into the business, how they transformed their ideas into box-office blockbusters, how their words helped launch the careers of major stars, and how they earned accolades and Academy Awards.

Entertaining, informative, and sometimes startling, Tales from the Script features exclusive interviews with film's top wordsmiths, including John Carpenter (Halloween), Nora Ephron (Julie & Julia), John August (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and David hayter (Watchmen). Read along as:

Frank Darabont explains why he sacrificed his salary to preserve the integrity of his hard-hitting adapta-tion of Stephen King's novella The Mist.

William Goldman reveals why he's never had any interest in directing movies, despite having won Oscars for writing All the President's Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Ron Shelton explains why he nearly cut the spectacular speech that helped cement Kevin Costner's stardom in Bull Durham.

Josh Friedman describes the bizarre experience of getting hired by Steven Spielberg to adapt H. G. Wells's classic novel War of the Worlds--even though Spielberg hated Friedman's take on the material.

Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) analyzes his legendary relationship with Martin Scorsese.

Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) reveals why the unrelenting hype around his multimillion-dollar script sales caused him to retreat from public life for several years.

Tales from the Script is a must for movie buffs who savor behind-the-scenes stories--and a master class for all those who dream of writing the Great American Screenplay, taught by those who made that dream come true.

Review Quotes

"Captures the excitement, frustration, and reality of being a working screenwriter in an accessible and essential volume that aspiring screenwriters will devour." -- Booklist (starred review)

"Fascinating tales from the belly of the beast." -- Lawrence Kasdan, Oscar-nominated writer/director of The Big Chill, Wyatt Earp, and Body Heat

"Tales From the Script gathers notable veterans of the screen wars who demonstrate the basic truth of our adventures in Movieland: Writing is the easy part." -- John Sayles, writer/director of Lone Star and Eight Men Out

"A must-read for anyone who depends on the screenwriter's craft. And that's a lot of us." -- Edward R. Pressman, producer of Wall Street, American Psycho, and Reversal of Fortune