Crafty TV Writing: Thinking Inside the Box

By Alex Epstein

Book Overview

A professional TV writer's real-world guide to getting paid to write great television

"No need for me to ever write a book on TV writing. Alex Epstein has covered it all . . . along with a few things I wouldn't have thought of. Save yourself five years of rookie mistakes. Crafty TV Writing and talent are pretty much all you'll need to make it."
--Ken Levine, writer/producer, MASH, Cheers, Frasier, The Simpsons, Wings, Becker

Everyone watches television, and everyone has an opinion on what makes good TV. But, as Alex Epstein shows in this invaluable guide, writing for television is a highly specific craft that requires knowledge, skill, and more than a few insider's tricks.

Epstein, a veteran TV writer and show creator himself, provides essential knowledge about the entire process of television writing, both for beginners and for professionals who want to go to the next level. Crafty TV Writing explains how to decode the hidden structure of a TV series. It describes the best ways to generate a hook, write an episode, create characters the audience will never tire of, construct entertaining dialogue, and use humor. It shows how to navigate the tough but rewarding television industry, from writing your first "spec" script, to getting hired to work on a show, to surviving--even thriving--if you get fired. And it illuminates how television writers think about the shows they're writing, whether they're working in comedy, drama, or "reality."

Fresh, funny, and informed, Crafty TV Writing is the essential guide to writing for and flourishing in the world of television.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805080287
• ISBN13: 9780805080285
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

A great book for Beginners

This book is perfect for beginners. It uses simply, practical words. Contains a glossary of terms. Displays an example of a breakdown, beat sheet, and Act. It's a straight forward book. Tells the ups and the downs of the business in both America and Canada. Tells you how to break in, and what to expect as a staffer among other things.

A solid writer's manual that covers all the bases

Experienced professional television screenwriter and story editor Alex Epstein presents Crafty TV Writing: Thinking Inside the Box, a solid writer's manual that covers all the bases. From the hidden structure of TV series, to turning great story ideas into workable scripts, the many tips, tricks, and techniques of a writer's toolkit, the realities of working in TV land (including how to break into the business, get hired, and get promoted!) and much more. Appendices, resources, and spot-on advice from direct personal experience distinguish this absolute "must-have" for aspiring and practicing television writers alike.

Buy this now if you want a tv gig

I own both of Alex's books and I have to say that this is my favorite. What you'll get with this book is straight talk with workable examples. His take is fresh and his comments are clear. There comes a time when you stop reading these kinds of books and you just start writing. I've cleared my writing bookshelf of how-to books, but Alex's two books remain. Make time for this read and you won't regret it. JDC

100% helpful

Great book. I've worked on a few late night shows, and Alex's blog and book have helped me shape my spec and move into scripted work. If you're getting ready to go to meetings, this book will give you the right language to use so you don't sound like an amateur. I completely recommend it, especially to stand-up comedians who want to write more than jokes.

just what you need to know.

I just finished my compulsive three-day read of "Crafty TV Writing" after following Epstein's blog for quite some time. The same things I like about his blog are totally on display here: straightforward, no-nonsense, right-to-the-point advice about every aspect of TV writing you can think of. He's got multiple audiences with this book: I imagine only a sliver of his readers are in a position to actually pitch pilots to important people, but there's still a ton to be gleaned about the techniques of episodic storytelling that are of use in a wide range of contexts - I picked up the book because I've been writing and developing episodic internet shows, for instance, and although I may never get to enjoy sitting in a professional writers' room, the insight into collaborative storytelling is quite valuable. Ultimately what I appreciate most about the book is that, like the best television, it's not pretentious; it acknowledges that television at its best is a wonderful art form, but it's also a craft, and frankly, it's also a day job for the people who are doing it right. Shed some romanticism and learn the nuts and bolts - that's what I appreciated most about this book.