Review of GETTING IT WRITE by Lee Jessup

Title: Getting it Write: An Insider's Guide to a Screenwriting Career

 

Author: Lee Jessup

 

Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions

 

What It's About: Getting It Write is about pursuing, achieving, and sustaining a career as a professional screenwriter. 

 

Why I Read It: I've toyed with screenwriting a bit for a few years and have recently taken it more seriously as I've begun working on an original idea I came up with that I'm excited about. Though I don't hold any serious aspirations of becoming a full-time professional screenwriter to support my family, I have always had dreamed of writing at least one screenplay that got made into a movie. This book seemed like a helpful career guide.

 

What I Liked About It: Getting it Write is a serious unflinching career guide for anyone interested in the professional world of screenwriting. I heard about the book after listening to a podcast of Pilar Alessandra's On the Page where Lee Jessup was the guest. Jessup is a screenwriting career coach with years of experience and an incredible wealth of insight. She lays out what it takes to be a professional screenwriter and break into the business, and she makes it very clear that breaking in involves intentionality and hard work. The temptation is to write a great screenplay and be done, but Jessup tells readers that a great screenplay won't sell itself. You have to do the work, access the proper channels, and be relentless about trying to sell your script.

Another thing that I loved about this book, because I don't have ever plan to move to L.A., is that her advice isn't limited to those who have the most access by being physically near Hollywood. A screenwriter in the middle of the country can make it. It doesn't matter what your situation in life, if you can write a great screenplay, you can become a professional screenwriter. She carefully outlines some of the steps a screenwriter will have to take to succeed if they don't live in L.A. 

Furthermore, the book is packed with helpful information about screenplay submission, networking, the writing samples a screenwriter should have available, and a lot more. Jessup's book will help you to understand the business and career side of screenwriting better than ever before and give you the practical steps to make your screenwriting journey a successful one.

Review copy provided by Michael Wiese Productions

Where You Can Buy It: Amazon.com