Brimming with confidence, you've just signed the check purchasing the rights to adapt John Doe's fabulous, but little known novel, Lawrence of Monrovia, to screenplay form. Suddenly, panic sets in. "What was I thinking? How the devil am I going to convert this 400-page novel to a 110-page screenplay?"

The answer is ... 

Help to the writer by a judge of several major TV script and screenplay contests. Advice and tips on preparing a script before entering a contest.

You've seen one or two bad movies in your time, right? And you've told your date, "I could do better than that." Your instincts are probably right.

You already know Hollywood seems locked into making the same tired, old plots, over and over. But you have an idea for a better movie rolling around inside your brain. Well, here's opportunity knocking.

Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a prize-winning writer you need to master organizational skills, take creative risks, and learn how best to present your final product. For the aspiring screenwriter, Tom Lazarus' book, "Secrets of Film Writing" is one of the best. An exceptional screenwriter with five produced screenplays, Lazarus developed this book for beginning writers enrolled in his classes at UCLA.