Talk the Talk. Penny Penniston

Talk the Talk

“Talk the Talk is packed with all sorts of tools to help the characters breathe, stand up, and come alive.”

— Shawn Lawrence Otto, Screenwriter and Co-Producer, House of Sand and Fog

“Put this book in action and see your dialogue leap off the page.”

— Joan Scott, Founder of Writers & Artists Agency and Joan Scott Management

“This is the book dramatic writers have been looking for! Teachers and students alike will find its sound advice and step-by-step approach invaluable and inspiring.”

— Rebecca Gilman, Playwright and Screenwriter; Author of Spinning into Butter and Boy Gets Girl

“Its discussion of status — its effect on dialogue, and how it shifts in various contexts — is particularly illuminating.”

— Wendy MacLeod, Playwright and Screenwriter; Author of The House of Yes, Schoolgirl Figure, and Juvenilia.

“Hollywood wants great scripts. Great scripts must have great dialogue. Great dialogue writing begins with this book.”

— Brantley M. Dunaway, Producer, Love in the Time of Cholera

“Talk the Talk opened my eyes to new ways of looking at developing characters and their dialogue. Highly recommended for course work or for the individual.”

— Paul Chitlik, Author of Rewrite: A Step-by-Step Guide to Strengthen Structure, Characters, and Drama in Your Screenplay

“Although Talk the Talk is a must-read for student and aspiring screenwriters, it also should be heralded as a fantastic resource for professionals. The exercises are simple, yet thought-provoking, and are easily adjusted for television, film or theatre. Talk the Talk will certainly help writers of all levels break free of old ruts and look at dialogue in a fresh, dynamic, creative way!”

— Steve Baldikoski, Television Writer and Producer, Glenn Martin, DDS; 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter; Andy Richter Controls the Universe

“Thorough, thought-out and extremely helpful… this book will make your dialogue explode off the page.”

— Matthew Terry, Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Teacher; Columnist for www.hollywoodlitsales.com

“Talk the Talk will help you determine which characters should be allowed to speak and what they should say, depending on their importance to your story.”

— Mary J. Schirmer, Screenwriter, Writing Instructor, Film Critic

“Talk the Talk is an accessible and wonderfully helpful book. Full of exercises, examples, and great advice, this book illuminates why, where and when dialogue is needed.”

— Jule Selbo, Screenwriter; Associate Professor, Lead of Screenwriting Program, California State University, Fullerton

“Talk the Talk is a perfect gem of a book that directly addresses the daunting challenge of writing dialogue that works. It should be a prerequisite for every writer's library, whether you're tackling a novel, play, or script.”

— Kathie Fong Yoneda, Script Consultant, Workshop Leader, Author of The Script-Selling Game: A Hollywood Insider's Look at Getting Your Script Sold and Produced

“Whether you're writing comedy or drama, movies or plays, even novels and short stories — Talk the Talk is a must-have workout for the imagination.”

— Chad Gervich. TV Writer/Producer; Author, Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer's Guide to the TV Business

“As Penniston states in the book's introduction, ‘Great moments of dialogue are the great moments of film and theater.’ With this workshop, you'll learn to create your own insightful, original dialogues that will give your writing a competitive edge. What are you waiting for?”

— Amanda Porter, Associate Editor, School Video News

PENNY PENNISTON

M I C H A E L W I E S E P R O D U C T I O N S

Published by Michael Wiese Productions

3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd. – Suite 1111

Studio City, CA 91604

(818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (FAX)

[email protected] www.mwp.com

Cover design by MWP

Interior design by William Morosi

Edited by Gary Sunshine

Printed by McNaughton & Gunn