Riding the Alligator
Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing...and not getting eaten
By: Pen Densham
Published: January 1, 2011
Format: Paperback, 272 pages
ISBN-10: 193290784X
ISBN-13: 978-1932907841
Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions
"The right way to create is the way that works best for you", writes accomplished and successful Hollywood screenwriter, and principal of Trilogy Entertainment Group, Pen Densham, in his comprehensive and idea packed book Riding the Alligator: Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing...and not getting eaten. The author takes the aspiring screenwriter behind the scenes, and describes the process and the passion that drives a Hollywood movie and television screenplay writer.
Pen Densham has achieved acclaim and numerous awards, from his peers and the from the film industry as a whole, for his well known screenplays. While he written and sold numerous blockbuster scripts, the author maintains a balanced view of what it means to mark one's mark as a writer in Tinseltown. Pen Densham starts his discussion of screenwriting with a call for passion. While the author acknowledges that the very idea of suggesting passion has morphed into an overworked cliche, he also understands its critical importance. Without a passion to propel the writer forward, and to overcome the very high odds against a screenplay being purchased, the would be screenwriter might give up completely. The passion creates the preparation for success. With strong preparation, a well written script, and a little luck, the writer can beat the odds. With the passion in place, Pen Densham describes the essential skills and strategies that must be learned to become a success in Hollywood.
Pen Densham (photo left) recognizes that creating and selling a script, in the highly competitive movie and television fields, is not easy. The author begins by asking why do people watch movies. While a seemingly obvious question, the answers are partly philosophical, psychological, and personal. Story is embedded deeply in the psyche and emotions of all people, and Pen Densham points to the writer as the conduit and modern day shaman, to bring story and the human condition to life. Pen Densham shares his philosophies for finding story ideas, and for trusting one's own instincts. He makes clear that the experts and studio moguls can be wrong. The author provides insights into creating characters, and for developing roles that stars will want to play on the screen. Once written, Pen Densham describes the challenging process of selling a script for production, and for getting paid for the work.
For me, the power of the book is how Pen Densham provides an honest and unvarnished description of the entire process of screenwriting from start to stardom. The book contains a nice mixture of the author's philosophy and theory of screenplay creation, combined with the nuts and bolts process for putting story to paper. At the same time, the book features very crucial sections on the business side of becoming and remaining a Hollywood writer. Pen Densham describes candidly the pitfalls that can await the unwary, and how to avoid some of the most deadly mistakes. The author offers his experiences, both good and bad, as guidance for the novice writer.
Along with the thoughts and strategies shared by Pen Densham, are the ideas and philosophies of other well known Hollywood screenwriters. Their additional perspectives, and alternative concepts of writing, enhance the overall value of the book. By providing essays from other leading script developers, Pen Densham gives the reader other viewpoints on writing, and on the industry as a whole. Not content with simply providing his own work, and that of the other writers, Pen Densham gives the would be writer even more value. Included in the book are suggestions for other books that can provide additional information and techniques for writing and selling movie and television screenplays. Overall, the author provides a complete package that will benefit any novice screenwriter.
I highly recommend the informative and essential book Riding the Alligator: Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing...and not getting eaten by Pen Densham, to anyone seeking an insider's guide to success in the tough Hollywood market. The author provides the tools necessary to help the writer find the stories, create the roles, and write the scripts that will sell for production.
Read the delightful and practical book Riding the Alligator: Strategies for a Career in Screenplay Writing...and not getting eaten by Pen Densham, and start living your dream of success as a writer of Hollywood screenplays. This book will give you more than just the basics. It will provide both the inspiration and the techniques for creating that Hollywood blockbuster screenplay.
