Most screenplay writing books instruct on three-act structure, character arcs, and how to format a script. But most screenplay writing books have been made obsolete by screenplay writing software. The Secrets Of Film Writing tells a working writer's secrets—how to get it down on paper, how to get it read, how to get it sold.

Moreover, Lazarus tells aspiring screnwriters why they shouldn't use montage sequences, why "cut to" is obsolete, why actors pick scripts out of a stack, and what to do when an idea doesn't work. Not to mention how to pitch, how to follow up, how to polish, and how to present your work. This is the nitty-gritty on writing for the silver screen from a popular UCLA instuctor.