Screenwriters help

HenryDee

HenryDee

Active member
I have a newb question more or less. I just took a course on story structure.
I learned how to break down a story like this.. Introduction, Attack, Complications, Crisis, Climax, Resolution.But it wasn't a scriptwriting class So im wondering if the screenwriters bible would help me understand the whole 3 act breakdown a little more ?

any help is appreciated.
 
thank you...downloading....do you recommend any books perhaps ? maybe something that covers writing to theme...If not thank you for the link..it's appreciated.

Henry.
 
HenryDee,

I don't know of any books that just focus on writing to theme. I think most books touch on it but I'll shake my brain to try and come up with one that deals with it well.

From Charli's list (which is a great starting point, and if I'm honest, a pretty well rounded one that should keep you going for a long while) I would look at Save the Cat (STC) as he loves to press the importance of theme in specs.

EJ
 
thank you very much .....wow that pdf you linked me to EJ is pretty amazing.....my question is ..what isn't in here ? Im sure I sound amateur by saying that but it seems really concise to me...but then again I am an amateur and just starting out sooo lol.
 
HenryDee, off the top of my head, that list is pretty comprehensive.

If you want to know more about it, you can contact the author of the file by looking up his thread a few below from this. It's titled SOLD MY SCRIPT by kyle.

EJ
 
Screenwriting resources

Screenwriting resources

HenryDee said:
thank you very much .....wow that pdf you linked me to EJ is pretty amazing.....my question is ..what isn't in here ? Im sure I sound amateur by saying that but it seems really concise to me...but then again I am an amateur and just starting out sooo lol.
Click to expand...

The links are good; Done Deal is a great site. The Hollywood Creative Directory's is another site you'll want to visit once you've got a script done.

I put together an Amazon screenwriting list a few years ago that speaks directly to this. You can check it out here. Just be aware that, like books on writing in general, ultimately they become rather repetitious. You don't need to read a lot of books on the subject. Find two or three that sum up the process the best for you, and then read *scripts*. Read lots and lots of scripts, both for bad movies and for good. (I lean toward the good because while bad scripts show what not to do, what I want to have in my head is how it feels to read a good script.)

Of the books I list on Amazon, the best one, I find, isn't available there anymore, but you can get it as an e-book from the author on her website. Just get it. It's the best all-around book on screenwriting I've read, and I've read lots of them since I began screenwriting in 1993. Robert McKee's STORY is a good one as well. But again, the best advice is to read actual scripts, both early drafts and shooting scripts of the same film if you can, to see the difference.

Some other very good resources online are Wordplay, Terry Rossio's website (POTC 1-3, Shrek, The Mask of Zorro); the Artful Writer, Craig Mazin's website; and John August's website. Oh, and the WGAw website has some outstanding resources.

Enjoy.

Clint
 
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