:: screenwriting for the 21st century

SCREENWRITING FOR THE 21st CENTURY encompasses an entire course in screenwriting. It was first published in the UK by Batsford/Chrysalis Books in 2004. Sold out, it is republished by Ritchie Books Publishers.

At RRP £12.99 the book offers information for which other websites would charge you hundreds of dollars. If you'd like an autographed copy, please contact Pat. You can also buy it from Amazon or Ritchie Books for £7.00 at a saving of £5.99.

Click picture for a larger image. Click picture for a larger image. First published:14 January 2004 ISBN: 0713488336 AUTHOR: Pat Silver-Lasky IMPRINT: Ritchie Books DETAILS: 230 x 160mm, 144 pages BINDING: Paperback	Barry Norman - The highly acclaimed film journalist, TV host and author, has called SCREENWRITING FOR THE 21st CENTURY: "A most invaluable guide for an aspiring screenwriter - clear, concise and entertainingly written. Here, based on the author's lifetime experience of the movie business, is all you need to know about what to do - and just as importantly what not to do - when composing that Oscar-winning screenplay.” John Boorman - The Academy Award winning director (presented a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 BAFTAs) took time from filming in Ireland to write: “Many thanks for letting me read your comprehensive guide to screenwriting. I have an irrational aversion to those ghastly script gurus, but your opus is quietly informative and exhaustively thorough. My only fear is that it will encourage even more people to write scripts, many of which will be sent to me.”
	BAFTA ACADEMY April 2004 book review by Quentin Falk Adrian Hodges is impressed by a comprehensive new 'How To' book, Screenwriting For The 21st Century. In any given week in the U.K., there are now so many screenwriting courses available it must be tempting for any aspiring screenwriter to avoid completely the ugly business of actually doing any writing in favour of remaining in full-time training. The explosion of screenwriting evangelism, which began with Robert McKee, no doubt contains its share of Elmer Gantrys along with its bona fide gurus and it is possible to argue that all this new training has yet to have much positive effect on British films. While is some ways more professional of late, they have too often been governed by stale formulas that pay little respect to the writer's creative imagination. Of course, this is not an argument against training as such, only bad training, and the question then becomes how to sort the bad from the good. Pat Silver-Lasky's thorough and exhaustive book belongs firmly in the latter category. Aimed squarely at the novice, it offers a wide-ranging overview of every aspect of screenwriting as well as a sharp analysis of the workings of the industry itself, including essays on marketing, distribution, exhibition and ancillary markets. All of which, she reminds her readers, are of vital importance to any writer's understanding of the industry in which they are setting out to work. Silver-Lasky is herself a writer with a successful track record and her tone is robust and unsentimental. Writing, she makes clear to her audience (would-be writers to a man or woman - this is not a book for the general readers) is governed by self-discipline and relentless self-criticism. Rewriting is everything. She covers every angle with admirable concision and an endearing enthusiasm for her craft. She is not afraid to show her likes and dislikes and her sometimes lively judgments on contemporary film and television add spice to what is in any case a very readable book. I'm not sure I agree with all her conclusions or approaches but I don't think Silver-Lasky would necessarily expect me to. What she seeks to do, in precise and jargon-free prose, is give the new reader a comprehensive foundation from which to build, and in this, she thoroughly succeeds. Adrian Hodges' film and TV writing credits include Charles II: The Power & The Passion, David Copperfield, Metroland, Tom & Viv (co-written with Michael Hastings) and Kavanagh QC.
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