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Screenwriting
 The Anatomy of Story
John Truby
John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood's most successful films. The Anatomy of Story is his long-awaited forst book, and in it he shares all his secrets for writing a compelling script. The Anatomy of Story draws on a broad range of concepts and archetypes from philosophy and mythology, offering fresh techniques and insightful anecdotes alongside Truby's own unique approach to building an effective, multifaceted narrative. Hardcover, 445 pp. $34.50.
 45 Master Characters
Victoria Lynn Schmidt
45 Master Characters will make your characters and their stories more compelling, complex and original than ever before. You'll explore the most common male and female archetypes - the mythic cross-cultural models from which all characters originate - and learn how to use them as foundations for your own unique characters. Softcover, 298 pp. $17.99.
 The Screenwriting Formula
Rob Tobin
The Screenwriting Formula is not just about how to write a killer screenplay - it also explains the structure that movie executives are looking for, as well as how ro transform an idea into a fully-loaded script, packed with action and ready to go. With The Screenwriting Formula, you have eveything you need to take you from idea to the big screen. Softcover, 202 pp. $17.99.
 Emotional Structure: A Guide for Screenwriters
Peter Dunne
Emotional Structure, by Emmy and peabody Award-winning producer, writer, and teacher Peter Dunne, is for those times when the plot fits nicely into place like pieces in a puzzle, yet an elemental, terribly important something remains missing. Scene after scene, Dunne's guide shows you how to develop the dramatic equilibrium of incident and response, of intellect and emotion that will turn your screenplay's problems into its power. Softcover, 405 pp. $19.95.
 Fast, Cheap & Written That Way
John Gaspard
This book bursts open the thinking behind 23 very successful low-budget movies and shares techniques for making a little go a long way. It includes in-depth interviews with screenwriters with such credits as Academy Award-nominated films as You Can Count on Me, Metropolitan, and Capote. Softcover, 304 pp. $35.95.
 Gardner's Guide to Screenplay: From Idea to Successful Script
Jule Selbo
The most practical and inspiring book for the beginning and experienced screenwriter. Featuring the Eleven Step Story Structure, this system is hailed as the gold standard for understanding film story through character. Full of examples and excercises and story breakdowns of major motion pictures, this book will stimulate your creativity. Softcover, 332 pp. $37.95.
 How to Write a Screenplay
Mark Evan Schwartz
This book is the first screenwriting manual written in the form of a screenplay, about an aspiring screenwriter named Danny who'll go through extreme lengths and mysterious places to be able to write a brilliant screenplay to win the heart of Bebe, the girl he is hopelessly in love with. The book also includes a foreward explaining how to get the most out of the screenplay, the log line, the synopsis, character bios, the treatment and "The Pitch"-- an important scene showing the author pitching his screenplay to a big-shot producer. Softcover, 110 pp. $19.95.
 The Scene Book: A Primer For the Fiction Writer
Sandra Scofield
The Scene Book is a guide to crafting more effective scenes in fiction. In clear, simple language, award-winning author Sandra Scofield shows both the beginning and the seasoned writer how to build better scenes, the underpinning of any good narrative. Softcover, 247 pp. $17.50.
 Screenwriting for Teens: The 100 Principles of Screenwriting Every Budding
Writer Must Know
Christina Hamlett
This book gives teens -- who go to movies more than any age group in the
world -- the tools to do more than just watch those movies; it gives
them the tools to write their own films. Targeted to the interests
and vocabularies of junior high school students, each chapter defines
a concept, illustrates it with examples of current and/or classic films,
and challenges its readers with creative writing, analytical, and discussion
exercises. Softcver, 228 pp. $24.95.
 Crafting
Short Screenplays That Connect
Second Edition
Claudia Hunter Johnson
The beauty and power of any story lies in its ability to connect with its
audience. Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect is the first screenwriting
guide to introduce connection as an essential aspect of creating stories
for the screen and of the screenwriting process itself. Written with
clarity and humour, this book teaches the craft of writing short screenplays
by
guiding beginning writers through carefully focused exercises. Softcover,
$36.95.
 Real
Screenwriting: Strategies and Stories from the Trenches
Ron Suppa
Real Screenwriting provides the real deal on the art, craft, business, and
everyday life of a screenwriter. Written by a former entertainment lawyer
turned successful Hollywood film producer and produced screenwriter,
and gleaned from the author's popular screenwriting seminars at UCLA
Extension school, this book provides aspiring writers with the inspiration
and
tools
they need to get their stories on the page, and eventually onto the screen.
Softcover, 409 pp. $39.95.
 How
to Be Your Own Script Doctor
Jennifer Kenning
How to Be Your Own Script Doctor is the first book to
teach screenwriters of all levels how to professionally evaluate and amend
their script the same way as a professional. It's a focused, analytical
tool dedicated solely to the rewriting process of a screenplay - and an
inexpensive alternative to hiring a professional. Softcover, 164 pp. $18.95.
 How
to Build a Great Screenplay: A Master Class in Storytelling for
Film
David Howard
Drawing on decades of practical experience and savvy, David Howard deconstructs
the craft of screenwriting and carefully reveals how to build a good
story from the ground up. He eschews the "system" offered by other
books, emphasizing that a great screenplay requires dozens of unique
decisions by the author. Using examples from classic films such as Pulp
Fiction,
American
Beauty, Trainspotting, North by Northwest, Chinatown, and others, this
is a veritable bible for the burgeoning screenwriter. Softcover, 446
pp. $19.95.
 Writing
the Character-Centered Screenplay
Andrew Horton
Since it first appeared in 1994, Writing the Character-Centered
Screenplay has become a "must read" for screenwriters
everywhere and turned many a novice into a professional screenwriter. In
this expanded
edition, Horton surveys the New Hollywood while always emphasizing
the one element
of a film that truly holds our interest -- character. Softcover, 237
pp. $25.95.
 Understructure
of Writing for Film & TV
Ben Brady
This comprehensive introduction to screenwriting offers practical advice
for the beginning writer, whether college student or freelancer.
Based on their experience as professional writers and as teachers
at large, successful
screenwriting programs at California State University, Northridge,
the authors provide a progression of assignments at manageable screenwriting
lengths for beginners. They lead students through development of
a premise,
treatment, stepsheet, and, finally, miniscreenplay -- essential elements
in writing a longer script.
Softcover, 273 pp. $30.95.
 The
Death and Life of Drama: Reflections on Writing and Human Nature
Lance Lee
Using examples from both well-known classics and recent films, Lance Lee
investigates how writers handle dramatic elements such as time, emotion,
morality, and character growth to demonstrate why some films work while
others do not. The Death and Life of Drama offers a rich understanding
of the principles of successful dramatic writing for screenwriters and
indeed everyone who enjoys movies and wants to know why some films have
such
enduring
appeal for so many people. Softcover, 258 pp. $27.95.
 The
Way of the Screenwriter
Ammon Buchbinder
This is much more than a "how-to" manual; it illuminates the
why behind the how, treating screenwriting as the convergence of
storytelling, writing and filmmaking. Full of useful contemporary
examples, this is a
book that will powerfully enhance the practical skills of beginning
and experienced screenwriters alike. For anyone who loves movies, The Way of
the Screenwriter reveals a rarely seen view into the heart of the
world's pre-eminent storytelling medium.
Softcover, 283 pp. $26.95.
 Writing
Short Films
Second Edition
Linda Cowgill
Making short films is the best training ground for any aspiring filmmaker.
In today's Hollywood, it is far easier to get an agent, producer or studio
mogul to view a short film than it is to read a feature length screenplay.
Using several popular examples, this book takes the reader through each
and every step necessary to write a successful short screenplay. Softcover,
256 pp. $25.95.
 Creating
Characters
Marisa D'Vari
Jumpstart your creativity with this captivating and powerful set of writing
techniques to craft exciting characters who shock, surprise, and
fascinate. Creating Characters introduces a new system of characterization
that gives
you the power to capture the personality traits of each character
-- their mental fixations, unconscious thoughts, and defense mechanisms
-- to write
deeper, more authentic characters.
Softcover, 233 pp. $34.95.
 Save
the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
Blake Snyder
He's made millions of dollars selling screenplays. Now one of Hollywood's
most successful spec screenwriters tells all in this fast funny,
and candid look inside the movie business. Save the Cat is
just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable
and your script
more satisfying -- and saleable. This ultimate insider's guide reveals
the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's
proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat. Softcover,
195 pp. $34.95.
 Screenwriters'
Masterclass
Kevin Conroy Scott
The secret of writing a successful screenplay is sought after by
ever-growing numbers of scribes and enthusiasts. Screenwriters'
Masterclass offers state-of-the-art
advice in that line, through interviews with nineteen of the leading
scriptwriters of our day whose insights are invaluable to any aspirant.
Interviewees
include: Ted Tally, Chris Weitz, Wes Anderson, Darren Aronofsky,
Alex Garland, Alexander Payne, Scott Frank, and David O. Russell.
Softcover, 391 pp. $34.50.
 Ten
Minutes to the Pitch
Chris Abbott
Countless late nights at the computer and untold amounts of blood,
sweat and tears have gone into your screenplay, but now that it's done,
what do you do with it? Your next step in "the Pitch", but unless
you possess the skills and know-how, your brilliant script will never
progress beyond the printed word. Ten Minutes to the Pitch is a priceless
resource,
jam-packed with essential information that you are going to need
to know before you pitch your idea.
Softcover, 120 pp. $18.95.
 Psychology
for Screenwriters: Building Conflict in Your Script
William Indick
To make their stories come alive, screenwriters must understand
human behaviour. Using this book, writers can make Sigmund Freud, Carl
Jung, Alfred Adler, Erik Erikson, and Joseph Campbell their writing
partners. Psychology for Screenwriters helps scribes craft psychologically
resonant characters and conflict. You'll learn to create convincing
motivation, believable identity development, and archetypes that produce
authentic screen moments. Softcover, $37.95.
 The
Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting
Second Edition
Skip Press
From devising your story and formatting it as a script to pitching your project
to producers and studios, this comprehesive guide will de-mystify the art of
screenwriting and get you well on your way to completing your first screenplay.
This revised second edition is loaded with practical advise and industry tips,
certain to help you advance
your screenwriting career. Softcover, 390 pp. $28.50.
 Screenwriting:
The Sequencing Approach
Paul Joseph Gulino
Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach explores an often over-looked tool that
can be key in solving the problem of sustaining audience involvement. The Sequence
Approach has its foundation in early Hollywood cinema and has been rediscovered
and used effectively at an increasing number of film schools. This concise, fascinating
book exposes a wider audience to the approach for the first time, introducing
the concept and then providing Sequence analysis of eleven significant feature
films
made between 1940-2001. Softcover, 230 pp. $19.95.
 Alone
in a Room: Secrets of Successful Screenwriters
John Scott Lewinski
This book tackles the hard truths that other screenwriting books are afraid to
confront. Film and TV writing is the most competitive literary field in the world,
and if an aspiring writer does not get the work done properly, he or she will
fail. Lewinski lets his readers in on the secrets they must know to succeed.
Softcover, 211 pp.
$27.95.
 Writing
your Screenplay
Lisa Dethridge
Experienced screenwriter, script and story editor Dr. Lisa Dethridge takes you
beyond a formulaic approach, offering insights into classic mythic structures
as well as contemporary storytelling techniques that underlie good screenwriting.
Both budding and veteran screenwriters would be well advised to follow the guidance
offered herein. Softcover, 255 pp. $25.95.
 Final
Draft Presents Ask the Pros: Screenwriting
101 Questions Answered by Industry Professionals
Howard Meibach & Paul Duran
This book addresses scrennwriter questions and problems with multiple
answers that offer a range of approaches and perspectives from multiple
areas of the film and television world. Demo Disc of Final Draft software
is enclosed. Softcover, 205 pp. $24.95.
Story and Character: Interviews with British Screenwriters
Alastair Owen
Praised by dramatist David Hare as "the most purely likeable book about
cinema
that I have ever read," Story and Character is the first-ever anthology
of interviews with British screenwriters. Lively and funny, challenging and revealing,
this series of exclusive interviews with the unsung heroes of contemporary British
cinema provides a unique behind-the-scenes look at the movie business. Softcover,
310 pp. $31.95.
 Screenwriting
for the 21st Century
Pat Silver-Lasky
Successful scriptwriter and lecturer Pat Silver-Lasky takes the reader through
the basics of screenwriting and beyond, and, as she freely admits, while she
can't teach talent, she can teach technique. In addition, she provides concepts
that will make it easier for you to harness your own vision and creativity to
write successfully. Topics covered range from the basics of screenplay writing
technique to minimalism and anti-structure in screenplay writing. Softcover,
137 pp. $22.95.
 What
Are You Laughing At: How to Write Funny Screenplays, Stories & More
Brad Schreiber
What Are You Laughing At is the definitive book on how to "write funny",
and the first to compare writing comedic screenplays with fiction and nonfiction
in all forms. Using the principles described in this informative and entertaining
book, you'll be well on your way to writing hilarious dialogue and scenarios
for
television, movies, and the stage. Softcover, 278 pp. $29.95.
 Screenplay:
Writing the Picture
Robin U. Russin & William Missouri Downs
This is a complete screenwriting course that provides in-depth discussions of
theme, development, story research, script plotting and structuring, character
development, methods that aid the actual writing and rewriting processes, the
ins and outs of marketing and pitching scripts, and much more. Softcover, 438
pp. $34.95.
 From
Script to Screen
Linda Seger & Edward J. Whetmore
In interviews with over 70 of the top professionals in the film
industry, Seger and Whetmore examine each artist's role in making a
great script a great film. Along the way, you will meet the industry's
leading writer's, directors, producers, actors, editors, composers,
and others behind the scenes, each of whom offer their input into the
collaborative art of filmmaking, vis a vis screenwriting. Softcover,
232
pp. $27.95.
 The
Screenplay Workbook
Jeremy Robinson & Tom Mungovan
Not only is writing a screenplay difficult, with its rigid format, page counts,
visual writing style, and realistic dialogue; screenwriting demands preparation.
With The
Screenplay Workbook the process of preparing a screenplay has forever been
made easier. Inside you'll find worksheets for the creation of characters, plot,
and concepts that will not only help you start a screenplay but successfully
complete one as well.
Softcover, 200 pp. $27.95.
 The
Everything Screenwriting Book
Robert Pollock
This book contains all the insider information you need to create
a sellable script. You'll learn how to write a professional treatment,
create credible dialogue, flesh out memorable characters, edit and
rewrite like a pro, and find an agent and market your screenplay.
No matter what your ambition in the film business may be, The
Everything Screenwriting Book is packed with information that
can make
your dream come true. Softcover, 273 pp. $22.95.
 Screencraft:
Screenwriting
Declan McGrath & Felim McDermott
An inside look at the art of writing for film through intimate
interviews with 13 of the world's best screenwriters. Screenwriters
interviewed include: Paul Schrader, George Axelrod, Steven Zallian,
Robert Towne, and Atom Egoyan. Several rare photographs supplement
the text. Softcover, 176 pp. $53.95.
 Teaching Scriptwriting, Screenplays and Storyboards for Film
and TV Production
Mark Readman
With everything from a glossary of fundamental term and concepts,
right up to detailed formatting information, this practical guide
provides everything that you need to introduce scriptwriting to
your students, and establishes the basis for a high standard of
coursework for Film and Media Studies. Softcover, 77 pp. $37.95.
 Writing the Comedy Film
Stuart Voytilla/Scott Petri
This book takes you into the world of comedy, and helps you discover
the essential elements in writing for comedy. Using concise examples
from the masters of the trade
-- from Preston Sturges to the Farrelly Brothers -- Voytilla and
Petri show you how to apply the time-proven "tenets of laughter" to
your comedy screenplay. Softcover 213 pp. $23.95.
 Writing
Treatments That Sell
Second Edition
Kenneth Atchity and Chi Li Wong
Using dozens of examples from actual productions, Writing Treatments That
Sell provides step-by-step instructions for preparing dynamite treatments for
both film and television. Revised and expanded, this guide to writing treatments
is an essential component to laying the foundation of a successful career in screenwriting.
Softcover, 257 pp. $23.95.
 Crafty
Screenwriting
Writing Movies That Get Made
Alex Epstein
Seasoned Development Executive, Alex Epstein shows the reader how
to write a script that will make a producer think, "This is a movie!" Fresh,
provocative, and funny, this book answers questions other books don't even
ask and cheerfully
slaughters the sacred cows of how-to screenwriting. Softcover, 274
pp., $21.95.
 Raindance Writers' Lab: Write and Sell the Hot Screenplay
Elliot Grove
In this practical guide to screenwriting, the reader will learn everything from the
basics of developing an idea, to making that all important sale. The included CD-ROM
contains interviews with screenwriters, sample screenplays, writing exercises and
much more. Softcover, 239 pp. $41.99.
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See also:
Film > Screenplays
Television > Screenplays
Theatre > Playwrights |
Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters
Scenario:
The Craft of Screenwriting
Global Scriptwriting
Story
Secrets of Screenplay Structure
Alternative
Scriptwriting: 
Screenwriting From the Heart
