The Script Doctor

What does it take to succeed as a Hollywood script doctor? For starters, the ability not to offend the stars you work with. That’s the challenge that faces screenwriter Gareth Dyer. Follow Dyer as he travels to exotic locations on assignments for a well-known director and famous stars and tries to overcome obstacles to achieve success in an impossibly demanding industry.

What does it take to succeed as a Hollywood script doctor? For starters, the ability not to offend the stars you work with. That’s the challenge that faces screenwriter Gareth Dyer. The novel follows Dyer as he travels to exotic locations on assignments for a well-known director and famous stars. Dyer’s a very insightful writer, which is what gets him into trouble. He sometimes confuses what he perceives and what he invents. As a result, his script rewrites reveal truths that are embarrassing to the stars he works with and nearly career-sabotaging for him.

J.M. Villaverde has one story collection (Dance of the Suitors) to his name, along with stories in Nat. Brut, Cerise Press, The Fiddlehead, The Antigonish Review, and The Malahat Review. His novel The Script Doctor is set in the “haphazardous” world of movie-making, including Hollywood and Cinecittà. Currently, he is shuttling between Paristanbul Express and The Tangier Waltz, two novels-to-be.