About the Book:

Professional screenwriters know that the rewrite is what separates the money-makers from the neophytes.

The bad news is that no great screenplay has gotten that way without a rewrite. Or twenty. Writing is rewriting is the mantra of every successful screenwriter. The good news is that Rewrite: A Step-By-Step Guide to Strengthen Structure, Characters, and Drama in Your Screenplay, is a practical, step-by-step guide to the most efficient and economical way to rewrite. Neophyte dabbler to award-winning scriptors may use this book to help bring their screenplays to the next level.

Legendary screenwriting instructor and award-winning writer Paul Chitlik presents an easy-to-read, step-by-step process to take your script from first draft to submission draft. He reveals the hidden structure of screenplays, sequences, and scenes, as he guides you through the process of examining your draft, restructuring it, and populating it with believable, complex, and compelling characters. Along the way he outlines how to make your action leap off the page and your dialogue crackle. While the first edition was widely used in film school rewriting classes, it was also recommended as an introduction to screenwriting craft by a number of professors and professionals. Paul Chitlik has included, for the second edition, more examples, exercises, and applications for television, web-based, and transmedia, using a wide range of citations in film, television, and the Internet to underline his approach.

Rewrite shows you how to attack your screenplay bit-by-bit, arc-by-arc, in the clear, easy-to-follow language of an experienced and trusted mentor.

What people say:

"This book breaks down not only rewriting, but screenwriting in general, to its smallest possible components, allowing the writer to examine his story piece by piece and reassemble it as a stronger whole. It's filled with valuable exercises to inspire the writer to keep thinking about his story and push on to the next level." — Bobby Moresco, Academy Award-Winning Screenwriter, Crash

"Rewrite is the most important step in getting the audience's emotional investment on the screen. Emotional architecture is what it's all about." — Quinn K. Redeker, Oscar Nominated Co-Writer: The Deer Hunter

"Rewrite really helps you understand the difference between the first draft and the final (shootable) draft, and how to get from point A to point B. I highly recommend Rewrite as a practical guide for all screenwriters and directors." — David Hurd, Editor, P3 Update magazine

About the Author:

Paul Chitlik is Clinical Assistant Professor at Loyola Marymount University's School of Film and Television. He has written for all the major networks and studios. His TV writing and producing credits include The New Twilight Zone, Who's the Boss, Brothers, Amen, Perfect Strangers, Small Wonder, and the made-for-television movie Alien Abduction for UPN.