Writing a Screenplay? - a list by kayzee

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The best books and seminars on how to do it.

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Playwright, Screenwriter, now attempting a novel

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Viewing 1-10 of 14 Items

The Anatomy of Story: Truby

First to recommend

Description

John Truby's famous 22 steps of storytelling are now collected in book form. Previously, his method was only available on expensive cd's or seminars. Truby disdains the 3 act structure, and gets specific so that a writer can figure out which scene to write next, and why.

Updated Nov 1, 2008

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Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting

First to recommend

Description

Here is everything you need to know about story structure. Wish I'd read this book long ago - it would have saved me loads of time. I also took the seminar, but it is exactly the book, except for the 3rd day where McKee dissects Casablanca. The seminar costs around $400, and the book is 25 bucks. So I'd go for the printed word. If you want to hear the master's voice, you can get the audio version. One of my favorite movies, Adaptation, sends up McKee's strict demeanor and cult-like devotees.

Updated Jan 24, 2007

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A Story Is a Promise: Good Things to Know Before You Write That Screenplay, Novel, or Play

First to recommend

Description

I took Bill Johnson's seminar at Screenwriter's Expo 2, and it was completely inspiring. This book will remind you of the basics as you set out on your writing journey.

Updated Jan 12, 2007

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Writing a Great Movie: Key Tools for Successful Screenwriting

First to recommend

Description

It's great to get a new set of tools, and Jeff Kitchen will give them to you in this book, a distillation of his popular L.A. writing course. Most compelling for me is his use of dilemma. If you ramp up the stakes on the dilemma, your script will already be so much more dramatic. Also interesting are his use of Bartlett's and the Enneagram. I have the very first edition of this book, hot off the press, complete with typos. If this new edition is the same, then in the 2nd part of the book, he develops an original screenplay using his techniques. Very helpful to see an actual application of theory. (via Jeff Kitchen)

Updated Jan 22, 2007

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Writers Store: Truby's Advanced Screenwriting Audio Course

First to recommend

Description

John Truby breaks a script down into 7 basic steps and 22 more elaborate steps. If you have trouble filling in the pages between plot points, his 22 steps can help solve that.
Also, his series on the various genres - horror, sci-fi, myth, comedy, etc. - seem to be the most comprehensive out there.
Truby generally leads seminars at the Screenwriter's Expo in L.A. (in October) and that's a good way to try out his philosophy and see if it suits you.
Personally, his Blockbuster software is too techie for me, but his lectures are illuminating.

Updated Jan 21, 2007

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David Freeman's "Beyond Structure" - The Premier Screenwriting Workshop

First to recommend

Description

Once you've absorbed McKee's "Story," you're ready for David Freeman's seminar. McKee is for theory, Freeman is for action. He'll give you the nuts and bolts of how to get the job done. After analyzing what makes a screen character likeable, you'll look at the world differently, and start noticing how often we respond to "rooting interest" qualities in the people around us. He has great shorthand techniques for building character, and developing plot twists. I refer to my notes from this class again and again.

Updated Jan 22, 2007

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Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television

First to recommend

Description

Judith Weston lives in L.A. and teaches script analysis. When she was in NYC, I took her excellent seminar called "Acting for Directors." Although this is a book about directing and acting, I used Weston's technique to give feedback on another writer's script that was giving me difficulty. The breakthrough came when I listed each character's personal images in their dialogue. What became clear was that the main character was speaking in directional words: up here, over there, look down there, etc. while other, more interesting characters had speech that was loaded with images on which an actor could build a performance. I was able to give constructive advice on rewriting the script.
This book has wonderful, practical advice on how to get the best from your actors, avoiding useless direction such as "make it edgier." Her techniques are simple, yet magically effective.

Updated Jan 22, 2007

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Impro

First to recommend

Description

For me, this was a life-changing book. Improvisation is a powerful tool for creating drama. Keith Johnstone will also give you some tools for understanding your fellow human beings. If you like this one, try his other book "Impro for Storytellers," which also rocked my creative world.

Updated Jan 22, 2007

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Bartlett's Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs

First to recommend

Description

In his book "Writing A Great Movie," Jeff Kitchen suggests using Bartlett's to come up with a theme for one's script. In my favorite movie ever, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," the title comes from a character quoting Bartlett's. Can we assume that the brilliant Charlie Kaufman uses this book when shaping the spine of his story?
As the foundation for a tale I have in mind about Fame, perhaps I'll use this quote from John Wolcot (1738-1819):
"What rage for fame attends both great and small!
Better be damned than mentioned not at all!"

Updated Jan 10, 2007

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Screenwriting Expo

First to recommend

Description

I attended the 2nd Screenwriter's Expo and loved it. Hear the top writers discuss their craft, and so many instructive seminars, you'll wish you could be in several places at once. My favorite, though, is the Writing Tournament. A roomful of writers are given a topic, and 90 minutes to write it. The finalists have their short scripts read by actors to an auditorium packed with thousands of fellow-writers. What a rush! To try it out, download the story prompts from past Expos, and see how you do.

Updated Mar 11, 2008

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