Booklist Review

Rose, who penned the screenplay for McHale's Navy (1997) and now teaches screenwriting at Ohio State University, mixes writing and business advice in this practical guide. The first half of the book is devoted to screenwriting basics: how to write a log line describing a project so that it will intrigue readers, how to properly outline and structure a script, and how to develop characters. Once he's got the writing tips out of the way, Rose turns to the business of navigating a screenwriting career, from finding representation to attracting producers to a project to pitching a movie idea. Rose includes several sample contracts to give aspiring scribes an idea of which agreements are standard and which are to be avoided at all costs. Though his primary focus is on screenwriting, Rose devotes a few chapters to other creative outlets, such as TV, video-game, and graphic-novel writing. Though he makes launching a writing career in Hollywood sound a bit easier than it usually is, Rose's guide is an accessible introduction for those writers just starting to explore an interest in feature writing.--Huntley, Kristine Copyright 2018 Booklist