Notes on Coppola’s Notes

• Take notes as you read: Coppola tells us, this is the best way to capture your first impressions of a book.

• Know your focus: Coppola read The Godfather knowing he would make a film from it. So, we find him paying attention to character development and key plot points.

• Synthesize : After reading a section of Puzo’s

Francis Ford Coppola writes in his books. More than that, he thinks this practice is essential:

I think it’s important to put your impressions down on the first reading because those are the initial instincts about what you thought was good or what you didn’t understand or what you thought was bad….