The First Time I Got Paid For It

Peter Lefcourt

The First Time I Got Paid for It is a one-of-a-kind collection of essays by more than fifty leading film and television writers with a foreword by screenwriting legend William Goldman. Linked by the theme of a writer's "first time" -- usually the first time he got paid for his work but sometimes veering off into other more unconventional "first times" -- these always entertaining (and sometimes hilarious) pieces share what it takes to succeed what it takes to write well and other aspects of maintaining creativity and integrity while striving for a career in Hollywood. Richard LaGravanese (The Fisher King The Horse Whisperer Living Out Loud) confesses that his first paid writing job was crafting phone-sex scripts. Nicholas Kazan (Reversal of Fortune Matilda) explains why in Hollywood an oral "yes" often turns out to be a written "no." Peter Casey writes about the unparalleled pitch meeting for the award-winning series Frasier. Virtually every big-name writer in Hollywood has contributed to this collection making it essential research material for anyone trying to make it in the entertainment industry and a perfect read for movie and television buffs everywhere.>