[.ca] Script Partners: What Makes Film and TV Writing Teams Work (ISBN 0941188752)

Why and How Two Heads are Better Than One:
With humor and insight, Johnson and Stevens delve into the psychology and pragmatics of creative collaboration. The authors (who are themselves screenwriting partners) have compiled anecdotes and advice from the best screenwriting teams in the industry on topics including brainstorming, diplomacy and respect, balancing one another's strengths and weaknesses, and the business aspects of the liaison. Additionally, Script Partners contains valuable information on the craft of screenwriting in general, and how to partner with anyone on anything.

Jumpstart Your Creativity:
This book exceeded my expectations and helped me discover better writing through partnership. I'd previously attempted screenwriting with a partner (with limited success), but had no model to base the partnership on. As a result of the interviews and examples the book provides, I was more confident that I could find a collaborator whose style more appropriately complimented my own. Needless to say, I found a screenwriting partner and through trial and error (with the book as a guide) we explored different styles of working, finally settling into a routine that has not only helped our writing improve, but has increased our productivity by leaps and bounds. I highly recommend that you pick up this book if you find your writing hits a dead end ? even if you don?t, it's the only book of its kind, a great read, and definitely worth a look.

It's About Time:
This book is orginal, timely, and indispensible. So many great insights into the collaborative process, including the "third voice," which is what filmmaking is all about, but seldom spoken of. The notes on accepting differences and working together toward making the script better are encouraging and inspiring. As someone who collaborates regularly, I'm finding the book more of a resource than a one-time-read. For anyone who is writing, or is thinking about writing with another person, this book is it!

Can't put it down:
Often script writing how-to books are intimidating and off putting. They make the reader feel as though writing is impossible and scary whereas Johnson and Stevens make me feel encouraged. This book is written in such a welcoming and conversational tone that as one reviewer put it, I too feel as though I am chatting with the writers, wine in hand, with a warm fire as background music. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is venturing into the world as a writer. If you have a writing partner, you'll be further convinced that the duet is the way to go. If you're writing solo, you'll soon be shopping for a partner.

"Work marriage":
SCRIPT PARTNERS can easily be expanded to a larger audience. In gathering information from other outstanding writing teams and their own experiences in working together, Claudia & Matt have captured the essence of the creative/collaborative relationship. Within the first few pages of the book, I was transported to an earlier experience in my career with another type of "work marriage"- co-therapy. The parallel between writing teams and co-therapy is quickly apparent. Both assist in the development of their characters/clients; both find themselves caught up in their own issues; both misread their character/client and discover that they are going down the wrong path; both experience the sadness and joy of discovery and human emotion. And (SCRIPT PARTNERS p.1) "we both know on some level that we could do this by ourselves...we both could, but we're better together and prefer it that way." As a therapist, if you've never experienced the joys of co-therapy or found solutions for the struggles, read this book. Claudia & Matt have given us a map that guides our partnerships through the ups and downs of a "work marriage". Don't miss it, it's an insightful, humorous, and refreshing book.