Tales From The Script
579656
The interviews with the screenwriters and writer/directors is very insightful and eye opening about how things work in Hollywood.  If you know anything about how the writing process works in Hollywood and how writers are treated and looked at this book isn't going to be shocking or that eye opening but it's still informative and entertaining.
I've been out there working for producers and have seen the treatment of writers first hand so I very much related to everything said, described, and related upon.

If you want to be a screenwriter but don't know how Hollywood treats writers (screenwriters that is) and what they are thought of AND what the development process is and what it does to scripts, including how you or any writer may be rewritten by one, two, or twenty writers.

Very insightful, informative, and entertaining, this book is a a great read for any aspiring or working screenwriter whot wants to know what they don't regarding Hollywood's view of us writers.  Even if you're working and produced you'll probably enjoy this, because you'll probably be able to relate.

A great variety of talented writers are interviewed and it's an easy, quick, concise, read.
66117
It's a script, but edited, I think, for readers. In any case, it reads smoothly and easily, and story is terrific.
3031846
This book includes delightful scripts that are very appropriate for short performances.
Tiny Timmy's Tinker Toy tongue twister puts a smile on your face just to say it, Agnes' Accident with its surprise twists, the sentimentality of My Mothers Face and bantering comedy of So You Think You're a Hero gives a wide variety of scripts to fit the mood.

The book also includes valuable pointers for the beginner or well needed reminders for the more experienced actors. I think the book is wonderful and will be appreciated by many theatre goers, whether you are performing or just reading for pleasure.
876157
Writing from personal experience can be a great tonic to exorcise one's demons while remaining authoritative at the same time. It can also result in a self-serving rant. Thomas Thonson is a veteran of the Hollywood film industry and the theme of his unpretentious collection, You Don't Die of Love, is Hollywood and people whose lives it impacts.

Fortunately, these stories appear to have been slow-cooked over time to remove any acrimony (not to mention predictable Tinseltown clichs) while staying authentic. This is helped by a detached yet warm tone, giving the writing an agreeable melancholy. Periodic passages of movie speak succeed and are not gimmicky because they fit, artistically. I particularly liked this one from the opening to the third story, Caper:

****

By all accounts Gary Grand had been naked when he ran across the Hollywood freeway in the dwindling dusk of that Friday rush hour. Various witnesses had given their accounts. The newsmen from all the local channels had gotten them all on tape beneath a circling helicopter, the chug-chug of the blades stirring the air, their hair lifting delicately from the heads, staring blankly into the camera's blinding light, as they breathlessly recounted their stories: "I looked up and there he was . . ."

A sequence emerged: a shifting shape, stutter-stepping, blurry, pixilated by the stabbing headlights, a comic sequence, silent movie speed, Keystone Cop funny . . . pale figure, arms flailing, a slab of white paper in his hands . . . defying all odds as he slashed across the lanes in a zigzag run.

****

That the stories vary widely in length and narrative style does not affect the unity of the collection. The interrelation of dissolute characters, along with the filmic context, reminds me of Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio.

The book opens with Western, which takes place after the death of Harry Dare an old time actor of Westerns whose private life was more dramatic than his cinematic one. While not an active character, his ghost lingers and affects family, friends, lovers, acquaintances, and colleagues. The themes of love and death, as implied by the title, echo throughout.

I saw Harry's corporeal death as symbolizing the death of Hollywood, or rather an anachronistic version of the Hollywood in which the big studios ruled. Harry Dare; Hollywood: there is a phonetic similarity. There is also a parallel between Harry's posthumous influence and that of  the old ways of Hollywood upon the characters. To me, Hollywood is not as much the subject of You Don't Die of Love, as it is the blood of its content.

The title and final story is the most in-depth and arguably strongest piece, even though it seems to lack a central character. It does have one in Dare's daughter Nora, who struggles to reconcile her outwardly glamorous person with her inner and duller (yet more fascinating) anal-retentive self. Unfortunately, the impact of her story is diluted by getting into the heads of lesser characters, particularly Victor. Nonetheless, it's a satisfying way to tie it all together.

My only regret is that the book needed one more rigorous round of copyediting and proofreading. The former to prune some excessive narration, such as authorial intrusions and superfluous background biographical information; the latter to fix basic technical errors. These stories deserve as much, particularly the last one.

That doesn't prevent me from wholeheartedly recommending You Don't Die of Love.
3112686
Great book containing the shooting script with director's notes and hundreds of stills. The last third of the book contains artwork and storyboards and how they were transformed into film, complete with explaining notes by the film's makers. Poster gallery and credits included. All color photos and artwork, high quality print, great book on this great film!
1469687
The explanations at the beginning of the book helped a lot in understanding the script/story. A little difficult to keep characters straight as names are similar and that is probably due not being used to that culture.  Interesting, though.
2582451
With this script the highly acclaimed and prolific tutor for screenwriting Dave Trottier incorporates one of the most famous rules for writing: Show, don't tell. A fast-paced, action packed story is combined with a breathtaking and humorous plot - perfectly formatted (by Dr. Format himself) and entertaining the reader until the very end; Dave Trottier shows once more how excellent screenwriting is put into praxis. I am looking forward to see this script as film on the big silver-screen soon.
1118765
This is a nice collection of stories from writers with many different styles. Most deal with the ups and downs of the human condition. They are very insightful stories that convey deep emotions. As someone who leans toward fiction I would have liked to have seen a few lighthearted fiction tales. But these stories are well written and interesting.
4769689
I write scripts, but I've made my career as an advertising copywriter.  No matter what your medium, if you have a story to tell, you can benefit from reading this book.  Everyone has a journey; include this book in yours.
2383533
This is a book every screenwriter should keep nearby when working on a script. The analogy of screenplay to myth is both helpful and illuminating; it reminds me of Neil Gaiman's illustrated children's book, Instructions, which symbolizes through mythical figures the journey every hero must take in a well-told story. It also echoes Joseph Campbell's Hero of a Thousand Faces, but gives closer inspection to the individual steps of the hero's journey in a contemporary context. It's impossible to look at movies the same way now; I see these 23 steps in all sorts of films (and not just the ones covered in the book). Already I've started incorporating this paradigm into my own writing process; not only have I seen improvements in the strength of my story structure, but all of my characters (let alone the heroes) have more depth. My writing looks and feels more professional, and I'm more confident about achieving success as a screenwriter and bringing evocative, compelling stories to the screen.
4365947
This book is exactly as advertised: a great collection of comic scripts by some of the best writers in the field. This is important for two reasons:

1) There is no set format for comic scripts, so seeing examples of how other people write theirs is invaluable.

2) It can be hard to find sample comic scripts online, especially by the top names in the field. Here's nine of them in one shot.

Reading this book will give you great insight into how comics are made, and also how some of the best creators in the field approach their craft.
2801830
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was great to hear the Actors tell their stories about acting in plays and film. The book is done in a Q&A conversational format. My favorite interviews with Stockard Channing, Charles Durning, Victor Garber, Madeline Kahn and Cynthia Nixon. It was very informative to hear about their experiences.
2753782
Finished this book last night. Despite the author's claim that it contained inferior works, or works that HAD to be written for rent or food, I found most of the stories vastly enjoyable. The novel and the novella were tricky, since the thrust kept on changing (as admitted by the author in his interesting end-words), and the endings remained somewhat open (which perhaps adds to their allure, since they were unpredictably different from contemporary pulp fiction). Overall, I enjoyed the stories. Readers with a penchant for stories written by Eric Frank Russell and Robert Sheckley should lap up this wonderful volume brought out by NESFA press. Highly recommended.
2097380
Quite interesting tales of a humble actor. As a hard-working farm child he turned his family-driven work ethic into a love of theatre production, then acting. As for the book, the "second part" of each chapter read as more of an aside rather than something that complete or even complimented the previous text.
3105669
I loved this book even though I'm not a screenwriter. I picked it up because I'm a movie buff who loves behind-the-scenes stories. I never knew how badly screenwriters are treated, and I never knew how important screenplays are. But after reading this incredibly entertaining book, I feel like I just got to know all of the writers included. They're a fun bunch of people, they've seen everything there is to see in Hollywood, and their stories are just as compelling as the movies they write!

The photos of the writers make it feel like they're sitting right in front of me, and the extra interviews at the end of every chapter are really cool -- it's great to get the viewpoints of a development executive, a movie director, a guy who runs a script contest, etc. Thanks to "Tales from the Script," I have a new appreciation for how hard it is to write a movie, and I loved hearing all the stories about the making of "Bull Durham," "Butch Cassidy," "X-Men," "War of the Worlds," "The Mist," and so many others.

I know friends who write scripts, and I'm going to recommend this book to all of them, but it's not just for screenwriters. If you love movies, you'll enjoy this book as much as I did! Oh, and I can't wait to see the "Tales from the Script" movie when it comes out on DVD!
1200509
STORY MAPS is a clearly written, insightful tool for screenwriters of all levels to learn how to construct the architecture of a screenplay.  Highly recommended!
4514896
I can't write well today but by tomorrow I'll have forgotten. Unusually, I liked every story, even the self maligned "Darknight" from when she was 15.

These are not simple stories. Some, like "St. Ailbe's Hall" and  "Giftt of the Winterking" address religious practices and human reality. "Kin," "Kitchen Magic, with Recipes" and "In the Witches Garden" deal with family made, not born. Some are wrenching. Two, "Brother Mac" and "The Manual", will appeal to those who have slogged the trenches of the computer industry.

I'm usually glad of a short story collection because the format dictates that the tales are worked, reworked and polished. It gives me time in between to contemplate and savor each one (and run errands). These did not disappoint.