About the Book:

The Agony and Ecstasy of Writing and Surviving in Hollywood

Ah, the life of a successful screenwriter! Sitting in your Malibu beach house finishing the script that will bring in the next million dollar check. Doing lunch at The Ivy. Hollywood party-hopping where you're the idol of stars, movie execs and paparazzi. Yeah, right! Not if you're Doing It for Money!

The true process of writing for the Hollywood Machine is finally revealed in the Writers Guild Foundation's book Doing It for Money. Clueless executives...temperamental stars... rewrites that "re-wrong" the script you've poured your blood, sweat and tears into. Welcome to the wonderful world of screenwriting!

More than a compilation of "war stories," these insightful, sometimes acerbic, but always entertaining essays from 48 top movie and TV writers cover it all: from attempting to write (and putting it off!); to breaking in; to pitching and selling a script; to tales of rewrites, notes and unexpected "help" from execs, stars, friends of the caterer and everyone in between. Contributors include Stephen Gaghan (Syriana, Traffic, NYPD Blue), Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek), Leslie Dixon (The Thomas Crown Affair, Mrs. Doubtfire), John Sacret Young (The West Wing, China Beach) and many more.

Also included in Doing It for Money are valuable "insider" Secrets from Hollywood Pros on making it in this cutthroat industry!

Here, then, is your invaluable ticket to a personal behind-the-scenes tour of what it's really like to be Doing It for Money in the mad, mad world of entertainment.

What people say:

"A hilarious, insightful, and thoroughly entertaining book....This is an intimate conversation over endless cups of coffee with screenwriters of all generations, a candid and privileged glimpse at the whole crazy zen tapestry of what we do...the pains, the joys, and the absurdities of our trade." — Frank Darabont, writer/director, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile

"Hollywood loves a happy ending, and this book of anecdotes is full of them. A talented individual (the writer) risks family and poverty to follow his/her dream. After countless knockbacks, they finally have their work accepted, only then to have it ruined by the 'creative contributions' of egomaniac actors. But hey, they could still be flipping burgers, right? For the most part, that's the form here, but Doing It for Money remains an addictive read, as it has (though diplomatically so) all the essential ingredients of the behind-the-scenes Hollywood story: money, mania, talent and gossip." — The Guardian (UK)

"[A] smart, funny, sad, triumphant book about writing, about the joys and concerns of writing, about the impossibility of writing, about writing....This is a book for anyone who has ever written for money and for everyone who hasn't." — Howard A. Rodman, Professor and Chair, Division of Writing School of Cinema-Television, University of Southern California (USC)

"Doing It For Money: The Agony And Ecstasy Of Writing And Surviving In Hollywood is a no-nonsense, insider's account of what writing for the 'Hollywood Machine' is really like. From idiotic executives to volatile stars to rewrites that shred the intentions of the original script, Doing It For Money tell it like it is, and offers a wealth of tips, such as registering one's work with the Writers Guild of America as a hedge against plagiarism (both guild and non-guild members can do this for a small fee). A highly readable account, filled with fascinating anecdotes sure to entertain even non-writers as surely as they educate aspiring writers about what to expect. Deftly edited by Daryl G. Nickens for The Writers Guild Foundation, Doing It For Money is a 'must-have' reference for any aspiring or practicing entertainment industry screenwriting professionals." — Midwest Book Review

About the Author:

Daryl G. Nickens (1949-2006) was a screen and television writer and a former chair of the graduate screenwriting program at American Film Institute (AFI). He is perhaps best known for co-writing the first feature film written by African-Americans to open number one at the box-office: urban comedy hit House Party 2, co-written with Rusty Cundieff. An Emmy, WGA and Humanitas Prize nominated screenwriter, he wrote pilots for CBS, Paramount, and Nickelodeon, as well as wrote or co-wrote episodes for such shows as The Parkers, Viper, Benson, What's Happening Now, and The Famous Jett Jackson, in addition to serving as a staff writer on several hit TV series, such as A Different World, 227, and Webster. He also edited and contributed to the Writers Guild Foundation book, Doing It For Money: The Agony and Ecstasy of Writing and Surviving in Hollywood.