This is the HARDBACK version. The famed director Robert Altman once said, "I don't think screenplay writing is the same as writing-I mean, I think it's blueprinting." Well, the late filmmaker couldn't be more wrong, and in these pages you will meet thirteen screenwriters who will disagree with that statement. Since the beginning of the film business it seems as if screenwriters have been getting the short end of the stick and have been treated more like hired help than the artists they really are. This book, written by a screenwriter for current and future screenwriters, seeks to shed light on the tireless keyboard mashers who spin the tales we remember and the catchy dialog that rings in our ears for years to come. Ranging from micro-budget cinema to Hollywood blockbusters, the illustrious screenwriters interviewed here will relay their down and dirty behind-the-scenes stories and expound on what it really takes to be a screenwriter and survive in Hollywood. It takes a thick skin to be a writer, but it takes bulletproof armor to be a screenwriter. Author, screenwriter, and bon vivant, Jose Prendes, is currently taking part in a top secret NASA space program and is unavailable to provide a complete biography beyond mentioning that he enjoys short walks and long naps.