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The UK Scriptwriters Survival Handbook: or How to Earn an Actual Living as a Writer Kindle Edition

4.6 out of 5 stars 49 ratings

To make it as a scriptwriter, a working writer, a writer who gets paid, you need to have the right attitude and approach. This guide is going to break down practical and proactive techniques to help you get started, and show you how to maintain a career once you’re up and running.

It’s a guide that’s less about the craft of scriptwriting and more about being a working writer.

There are lots of books about rare occurrences of someone ”selling it big”. This book is about being part of the hard-working majority, not a one-off fluke. If you picked up a book about investing your money, you’d be rightly disappointed if the advice inside was “win the lottery”. There’ll be no “sell a script for a million dollars on your first go” nonsense here. This book is about long-term success through graft. How do you survive as a writer?


FOREWORD BY TONY JORDAN - "Tim and Danny have put together some great tips for surviving the (writing) process.



"What a great book, I wish there'd been something like this around five years ago."
Michelle Lipton (Hollyoaks, Rocket Island)



"This is awesome. I'm so glad I have it!"
Sophie Petzal (Wolfblood, Danger Mouse)

Illustrations by Emily Gilbert

Product description

About the Author

Tim Clague wrote the BAFTA-nominated short film Eight, the story of a young boy’s quest to find out about his dad. Since then he has written and directed an array of short films that have screened at international festivals and won awards. Tim also has broadcast credits with ITV and BBC. His focus is on new techniques and new technologies across a range of formats and genres. He created the popular comedy web series Mr Vista. He was Senior Creative Designer (senior writer) on the large-scale PC game called APB. He has written and directed corporate films, adverts and e-learning material, with budgets of up to £300,000. Danny’s TV writing credits include EastEnders, Doctors and high-profile children’s shows such as Octonauts and Roy (both CBBC), and Thunderbirds Are Go! for CiTV. He also writes and directs. His supernatural thriller, Origin, won Best Horror at the London Independent Film Festival in 2012. He script edited the feature films The Man Inside and Kings, and for many years was a story analyst for film companies such as Working Title, Pathé, Miramax and UK Film Council. He writes the popular blog, Scriptwriting in the UK, which inspired him to set up the Red Planet Prize, a scheme to discover new writers, with writer/producer Tony Jordan. As a team, Tim and Danny have worked on the UK Scriptwriters podcast, screenwriting talks, adverts and corporate films. They have taken their collaboration one step further by co-writing, producing and directing the live-action children’s film Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg?

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01AY35EHG
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 21 Jan. 2016
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1.2
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.7 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 226 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 49 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
49 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides practical advice for working writers, with one noting it contains years of knowledge. They appreciate its concise and clear writing style, making it a good read.

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13 customers mention ‘Advice’13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a fantastically practical guide, with one customer noting that years of knowledge are crammed into its pages.

"...This is a no-frills, straight-to-the-point guide on how you can get your career rolling, as well as how to ply your writing skills in other areas,..." Read more

"Finally someone has written a tangible and useful guide to the business of being an independent writer!..." Read more

"...No empty promises, no nonsense, just facts. Years of knowledge are crammed into this book, they inspire and educate in equal measure and you will..." Read more

"...All of their advice is actionable and transparent, seeming to come from a gentle, tough-loving place. I read this book in less than a couple hours...." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Pacing’4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, describing it as a concise read where information is conveyed wonderfully clearly.

"...It's very readable, avoiding a lot of industry jargon and just focusing on how you can approach places, what your strategy should be and how to..." Read more

"This is a great book written in plain English with complete honesty...." Read more

"...you both - covering many aspects rival books don't - all conveyed wonderfully clearly. I thoroughly recommend it." Read more

"...A very clear and concise read, and one that inspires me." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Readability’4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and well-written.

"...I read this book in less than a couple hours. My marker for a good read is something I can re-read over again...." Read more

"I just bought this and thoroughly enjoyed it...." Read more

"Very good and informative." Read more

"Frank and extremely helpful. Great job." Read more

Solid Advice For Writers and Filmmakers
5 out of 5 stars
Solid Advice For Writers and Filmmakers
Finally someone has written a tangible and useful guide to the business of being an independent writer! Tim and Danny share their advice from the ups and downs of their own careers, and importantly they explain a side of the business not often talked about; the side of the working Film/TV/Media writers who make a living and pay their bills with their craft. A lot of the advice later in the book will also be helpful to independent filmmakers, directors and producers. Use the 'Look Inside This Book' function and skip to the Taking Control chapter (page 170) to get a flavour of the advice ('What would Charlie Chaplin do?') The UK Scriptwriters Survival Handbook is full of solid, down-to-earth information you can actually apply to yourself and you work. I think if you're an aspiring screenwriter or filmmaker, your career will only be helped by making this the next book you read.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 March 2020
    One of the most often crushing parts of pursuing a career in writing, especially when it comes to screen media, is direction. Where do you go? What do you do? Who do you talk to? What do you do inbetween movies and/or TV shows? For all the websites out there, this is an area often ill-discussed, leaving newcomers confused and often demoralized, like they're getting nowhere.

    Well, leave it to the maestros behind the fantastic UK Scriptwriters podcast to provide the answers. This is a no-frills, straight-to-the-point guide on how you can get your career rolling, as well as how to ply your writing skills in other areas, such as copywriting (a field where a number of screenwriters moonlight, and for good reason) to make some cash. It's very readable, avoiding a lot of industry jargon and just focusing on how you can approach places, what your strategy should be and how to increase your opportunities in unlikely, helped by examples provided from the authors' own experiences. It's not a direct line to Working Title, but it will help out any fears of networking, submissions and querying.

    New writers will benefit the most, but even vets can appreciate a little refresher. Really, just get it already.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2015
    Finally someone has written a tangible and useful guide to the business of being an independent writer! Tim and Danny share their advice from the ups and downs of their own careers, and importantly they explain a side of the business not often talked about; the side of the working Film/TV/Media writers who make a living and pay their bills with their craft.

    A lot of the advice later in the book will also be helpful to independent filmmakers, directors and producers. Use the 'Look Inside This Book' function and skip to the Taking Control chapter (page 170) to get a flavour of the advice ('What would Charlie Chaplin do?')

    The UK Scriptwriters Survival Handbook is full of solid, down-to-earth information you can actually apply to yourself and you work. I think if you're an aspiring screenwriter or filmmaker, your career will only be helped by making this the next book you read.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Solid Advice For Writers and Filmmakers

    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2015
    Finally someone has written a tangible and useful guide to the business of being an independent writer! Tim and Danny share their advice from the ups and downs of their own careers, and importantly they explain a side of the business not often talked about; the side of the working Film/TV/Media writers who make a living and pay their bills with their craft.

    A lot of the advice later in the book will also be helpful to independent filmmakers, directors and producers. Use the 'Look Inside This Book' function and skip to the Taking Control chapter (page 170) to get a flavour of the advice ('What would Charlie Chaplin do?')

    The UK Scriptwriters Survival Handbook is full of solid, down-to-earth information you can actually apply to yourself and you work. I think if you're an aspiring screenwriter or filmmaker, your career will only be helped by making this the next book you read.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2016
    Very helpful
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 December 2019
    This book tells you everything you need to know after you have finished writing your script. It tells you things you didn’t realise you needed to know. The authors don’t make outlandish claims, they tell it like it is. No empty promises, no nonsense, just facts. Years of knowledge are crammed into this book, they inspire and educate in equal measure and you will be bursting to get proactive by the time you’ve finished the first chapter. If you are serious about becoming a script writer, buy this book, it will be the most important investment you will ever make in your career.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2019
    Some of these action points mirror a few ideas of my own, like making a doc for pre-production research and marketing for investment/funding. All of their advice is actionable and transparent, seeming to come from a gentle, tough-loving place. I read this book in less than a couple hours. My marker for a good read is something I can re-read over again. I’m convinced to use this approach of stall to seek an agent. Definitely a recommended guide.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 September 2017
    This is a great book written in plain English with complete honesty.
    It doesn't teach you the craft of scriptwriting but explains clearly the different options open to you to hone, develop and explore with your writing.
    There's some practical advice from two guys who have done this first hand.
    Also some insightful quotes from people in the industry.
    I've bought and read a few books about writing that have left me feeling pretty nonplussed but this one is a keeper.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2016
    A fantastically practical and well-written handbook which provides some genuinely fresh ideas and advice for working writers. Unusually, this is a handbook which is useful to both writers just setting out on their careers as well as those with more experience looking for new work opportunities. I really liked the tone of the book which was professional, warm and funny. Although experienced writers with excellent credits, Danny and Tim are never patronising and come across as generous and genuine people. Highly recommended.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 November 2018
    The two writer-directors of the film NELSON NUTMEG outline the ways to make a living as a writer - taking in all sorts of practical and helpful advice. For any writer at any stage of their career, this is useful stuff. Highly recommended.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Money well spent.
    Reviewed in Canada on 4 February 2016
    No nonsense advice. Sound common sense. Sounds like the authors have been in the trenches, pay attention to them. Well layed out and easy to read.

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