How They Write A Script: Paddy Chayefsky

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Noted playwright, screenwriter, and probably the most famous television writer during its so-called golden age of live TV, Paddy Chayefsky is one of the most revered contemporary American writers. Here are some interview excerpts taken from the book “The Craft of the Screenwriter.” ON THE THREE-ACT STRUCTURE “The three-act structure is the form that I grew up in the Read MoreRead More via FilmmakerIQ.com

“It’s
purifying, it’s refining. Making it precise. Precision is one of the
basic elements of poetry. My own rules are very simple. First, cut out
all the wisdom; then cut out all the adjectives. I’ve cut some of my
favorite stuff. I have no compassion when it comes to cutting. No pity,
no sympathy. Some of my dearest and most beloved bits of writing have
gone with a very quick slash, slash, slash. Because something was heavy
there. Cutting leads to economy, precision, and to a vastly improved
script.” – Paddy Chayefsky