Books
From WikiScreenplay
My screenwriting library - the best and worst that's out there
Creative Screenwriting: Understanding Emotional Structure
TBD.
Essentials of Screenwriting: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television
TBD.
How To Write A Movie In 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method
TBD.
Rewrite: A Step-by-Step Guide to Strengthen Structure, Characters, and Drama in your Screenplay
I didn't find this book much at all useful. The title is misleading. This is not a book that explores rewriting in depth. This is just a basic book on how to put together a screenplay. This text covers the same basic points that almost every other book covers. At 173 pp and costing thirteen bucks and change, this is a tough call. I do have it, I did read it. It's not a complete waste of time. But I can't offer much more than that.
Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
TBD.
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told
TBD.
Screenplay : The Foundations of Screenwriting
TBD.
Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach
Oh dear. I am afraid Gulino is a bit of a dinosaur. You won't find much use in this book. While Gulino does a great job covering the six sequences he believes comprise feature films. He doesn't go beyond that. Instead he spends the bulk of his text demonstrating these six sequences in the context of film examples. I did find the examples somewhat useful. I rarely look at this book. Most of what he has to say has been said elsewhere, and said better.
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting
Oh my goodness. Now this is the book. This monster, weighing in at 480 pp for only twenty six bucks is a steal in my opinion. One of the greatest accomplishments of McKee's book isn't what is in here, it's what he's left out. McKee does not pad his text with chapters on how to pitch, market, or sell your screenplay. McKee just goes into a wonderfully in depth discussion of the meat of screenplay - story structure. McKee covers this end to end. I have referred to this text often. His writing is dense. He can share more with you in one paragraph than some writers will spend a chapter trying to explain. McKee knows his stuff. This is a must have book on any writer's bookshelf.
Teach Yourself Screenwriting
I think this is a surprisingly underrated book. I always have a fond appreciation for economical writing; Frensham says more in 320 pp than other writers have in over eight hundred. Blake's 15 beat structure is also mentioned in the structure section along with other story models. Despite its small size and simplistic title - this book is a gem.
The 101 Habits Of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider's Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers
TBD.
The Coffee Break Screenwriter: Writing Your Script Ten Minutes at a Time
I have some good things to say, and some bad things to say. I love all the tables. I love them. I can't stand opening a book on crafting screenplays only to see page after page of dense text. I like to see a book structured the same way a screenplay is. And that's with a lot of structure. Not just streams of text. My main issue is this text overlooks a detailed discussion of theme. It's almost a non-issue. Two full chapters spent discussing how to market your work is typical. And Alessandra doesn't' disappoint. I'd like to think this is the publisher's idea rather than the author. But we'll never know. All I can say, is I do appreciate her method. I have referred to her book on many occasions.
The Moral Premise: Harnessing Virtue & Vice for Box Office Success
This text is fantastic. Not a vast tome by any means. Loaded with practical advice with many samples. The best part of this book is that Stan avoids covering the basics. He focuses his text on theme, what he calls moral premise. If you want to learn specifically how to craft theme into your story, this is the book to read. Williams has a blog at MoralPremise.com that supports the text well. Updates are regular and current. Great book Stan! :)
The Screenwriters Workbook
TBD.
The Screenwriting Formula: Why It Works and How To Use It
TBD.
The Tools of Screenwriting: A Writer's Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay
TBD.
The Writers Journey : Mythic Structure For Writers
TBD.
Writing a Great Movie: Key Tools for Successful Screenwriting
TBD.
Writing for Emotional Impact: Advanced Dramatic Techniques to Attract, Engage, and Fascinate the Reader from Beginning to End
TBD.
Writing Movies: The Practical Guide to Creating Stellar Screenplays
TBD.
Writing Subtext
TBD.
Your Screenplay Sucks
TBD.
