A Screenwriting Book That is Pure Scriptwriting Gold

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Philip Gladwin has given us a screenwriting book essential with ScreenwritingGoldmine. His original e-book is tight, concise, packed with insight, and short. Unlike some of the other big name authors like Trottier, Seger, and Snyder, Philip Gladwin's book focuses specifically on crafting a script worthy of production. He has spent almost two decades working in British television and he delivers the sum of his experience with his e-book.

The Straight Goods

It is rather straight forward and to the point; he takes your hand and walks you through writing a script from concept to first draft. Character creation and mapping, essential plot details and how to do effective research are all covered too. There is also a very active member's forum associated with his screenwriting book (for registered users) that Gladwin moderates himself. This is an amazing resource for his e-book, which allows you to interact with other members and the author himself. His forum has a real "biz", get it good, get it made feel to it.

A Full Course Load

His screenwriting book is no longer just the original 65 page manual, it has blossomed into a full screenwriting course with audio (mp3's) and 3 additional volumes on the craft. I think this is a thanks largely to his main competitors in the market (i.e. The Screenwriters Bible) that offer more bang for the buck and cover sales and marketing for your screenplay. If you are getting serious about the biz, you should at least read both of these books (ScreenwritingGoldmine and The Screenwriters Bible).

Where can you get it?

Philip Gladwin's book is no longer available in a bookstore and can only be purchased online as an e-book.

http://www.squidoo.com/screenwriting-book

A Book Purely for Screenwriting
ScreenwritingGoldmine is perhaps the most focused book on screenwriting you may ever read. It is certainly not the only one you should read, but it's the best one purely for script craft. Gladwin doesn't get much press in North America because he works mainly in Britain; he however has more work credits than Snyder, Trottier and Seger combined (look him up on the IMDB).

Keep Up With Your MBA Friend - Reference Book Review

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There is a lot of knowledge that goes into the MBA programs at the top business schools in the United States. After all, it takes nearly 4 years to complete and there is a massive amount of studying that must be done to get that degree. What if I told you that you can get a pocket dictionary like encyclopedia of all the information in an MBA program all in one book?

It's true, and I happen to have a copy of it. The name of the book is;

"The Vest Pocket MBA," by Jae K. Shim Ph.D., Joel G Siegal Ph.D., and Abraham J. Simon Ph.D. CPA.

In this book there is information on advertising, marketing, promotion, public relations, packaging, factories, manufacturing, assembly lines, human resources, management, statistics, accounting, regulations, compliance, risk management, business planning, distribution, and everything else under the sun that you could possibly think of. If you've ever read a Cliff Notes, or picked up one of those college course note fold outs, then you are beginning to get the idea of what this book is all about.

It's packed with information, all of which is easy to look up either by the table of contents or the index section. If you were an idiot savant and picked up this book, and paged through it, you would basically know everything there is to know to get an MBA. There are even case studies in this book. No, you would not have the experience of a seasoned corporate executive, but you would know exactly what they are thinking, and how they go about the planning process.

As an entrepreneur, who does not have an MBA, I have spent many hours with this book studying all the ins and outs to help improve my business. But it also has helped me talk to my friend who is an MBA using all his terminology, buzzwords and business jargon. If you are a small business owner of any type I recommend you have this book on your library shelves at home. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in a solid reference library.

Questions Writers Ask - Wise, Whimsical, and Witty Answers From the Pros by Karen Speerstra

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Age Old Questions Writer's Ask - Fresh Contemporary Answers

"Questions Writers Ask" is a surprising gift, a compilation of nearly 6,000 quotations addressing questions asked by real writers. Karen Speerstra has been painstakingly scrupulous in her task of gathering and selecting the quotes for this project.

Writers from the past some contemporaries, well known greats, recognized authors, and a number of upcoming more recent writers provide bits of wisdom, wit, insight and advice participating in a world wide forum in dialog across an imaginary common table.

Using a conversational approach, Karen presents fresh writing insights and small gems of wisdom explaining why writers write, practical ideas on play writing, poetry, comedy and satire. The quotes she uses are often funny, sometimes profound, and always enlightening or entertaining.

Among the twenty topics covered in the book, I personally appreciated the information on editors and publishers, the thoughts on handling criticism, and where writers get their ideas. I plan to implement many of the thoughts on personal writing: journals, diaries, and memoir. Getting started and facing up to writer's blocks were also very helpful. The chapter on writing specifically for children and adolescents is packed with information and inspiration.

Karen is the perfect one to compile this book. Her thirty year career in publishing encompasses writing, acquisitions, newspaper columns, curriculum writing, and developmental editing.

"Questions Writers Ask" is destined to become a classic. I am adding it to my own permanent library to be read and re-read often for sheer enjoyment.

Robert D. Reed Publishers, 978-1934759325

As Reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Free Lance Writer,