Hi,
During March I worked my way through a pile of books in essence covering similar ground but in different styles.
The Complete Idiots Guide to Screenwriting – It gives a broad overview of the history of the film industry, the market, the current screenwriting gurus and their approaches, some info on writing, and how to sell your final script. Good overview but not a writing manual.
How NOT to Write a Screenplay – A good set of what not to do and what to do. Probably best after you’ve written your first draft. Worth the money.
Billion-Dollar Kiss – All about writing for American TV. A real eye opener. It’s on sale at a ridiculously low price on Amazon.com. At that price worth a read.
How To Write A Movie In 21 Days – A gem of a book that convinced me that it was possible to do a first draft in about 30 days. Viki King is inspirational.
Save The Cat – by Blake Snyder. A more sophisticated expression of some of the ideas in the Viki King book. It extends and contributes some additional ideas and refinements. Worth a read and a ponder.
The Moral Premise – Thought provoking and insightful. Has ideas that seem applicable to all types of writing and indirectly claims to eliminate writer’s block. Worth a read.
A book just arrived today from Amazon UK The Anatomy of Story – by John Truby. Still to read but the videos on youtube.com make interesting watching. Search for John Truby, Anatomy of Story.
Like so many things sometimes it boils down to a matter of taste of what works for each of us.
Guildenstern Words. Words. They’re all we have to go on.
– Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead