Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 26-30 of 73
 A good book that's useless as a reference tool October 3, 2005
Mike Smith (Albuquerque, NM)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
This book is full of many examples of bad screenwriting, and does a good job of pointing out these examples' various problems, and how these problems can be fixed. I think it would be an enjoyable (although often overly cynical) read for anyone writing a screenplay. For the most part, I recommend it.
However, once you've finished reading this, as a reference book this book is USELESS. It doesn't have an index. It doesn't have an index...and even its table of contents isn't that helpful. If you want to look something up, you'd better remember what page it was on, or you'd better hope you marked it well, because you're going to have quite an interesting time trying to find what you're looking for.
 One of the very best screenwriting books September 1, 2005
K. Munch (New York, NY)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I've read a ton of them, and this is one of the two or three best books on the writing of sellable screenplays that you'll find. Flinn has a no-nonsense approach for writing a coherent script that will catch the attention of the notoriously overworked script readers in Hollywood. Some of the reviews have complained that Flinn is not "inspiring" enough. I feel that these reviewers miss the point. Flinn is not here as a life guide, to lovingly help you nurture your story ideas into some recognizable form---he assumes you've already done that. What he aims to do is warn you of all the mistakes that well meaning and sincere new writers tend to commit (the mistakes that will automatically lead script readers to dump your masterpiece in the "rejected" file), and he does it in a dry and often quite funny way. If he sounds cynical, he's only trying to prepare you for working in a very cynical business. A very good guide, not for the complete novice perhaps, but for the writer who is further along the journey toward getting his/her work read by the people that matter.
this is an intervention August 26, 2005
Audrey (ROK)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
this book has the answers you bought all those other books to find.
Read this AFTER you have completed writing your screenplay August 17, 2005
HARRISON CHUA (Melbourne, AUSTRALIA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a great book! You should read this book after you have completed writing your screenplay. Great for beginners and professionals, the writer divulges the industry tactics of ensuring the screenplay is cohesive and flows naturally.
How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make August 17, 2005
A. Malarchik (Rhode Island)
I found this book to be a well written and helpful tool. The examples, taken from actual screenplays, are great for learning what not to do when writing a script. I am already using many of the tips in the book. I recommend this book to anyone, regardless of experience, that is trying to write an up to date screenplay that will be an easy read for the Hollywood Reader.
Showing reviews 26-30 of 73
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