Zen and the Art of Screenwriting

The essays cover such topics as avoiding the obvious, the birth of ideas, the process of rewriting, dealing with writer’s block, creativity and spontaneity, handling rejection, breaking the screenwriting “rules,” and episodic forms.


Interviewed are 

Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption)

Callie Khourie (Thelma & Louise)

Eric Roth (Forrest Gump)

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (Remains of the Day)

David Peoples (Unforgiven)

Janet Peoples (12 Monkeys)

Bo Goldman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)

Larry Gelbart (Oh, God!)

Stuart Kaminsky (Hidden Fears)

Laurence Dworet (Outbreak)