Two really interesting articles, one recent, one not so recent.

Firstly, an excellent article by US screenwriter SHANE BLACK from last week’s Guardian, with tips on how to write an action movie – although you could adapt the principles to any genre of screenwriting.

And Nicolas Shindler’s 2002 Huw Wheldon lecture about story-telling in TV drama.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/22/shane-black-12-rounds

http://www.redproductioncompany.com/aboutus.asp?menuid=8

Philip Shelley

www.script-consultant.co.uk

Some more recommended books about screen-writing that may be of interest:-

The Pitch by Eileen Quinn & Judy Counihan
As far as I’m aware the only UK book specifically about pitching, treatments etc, and by people who work in the industry and know from personal experience what works and what doesn’t.

Conversations With My Agent by Rob Long
Gives a really good insight into the working life of a successful US writer. And it’s very funny.

Bambi vs. Godzilla : On the Nature, Purpose & Practice of the Movie Business by David Mamet.
A good section on ‘the screenplay’ – also ‘technique’, ‘genre’ and other interesting insights.

Monster : Living Off the Big Screen by John Gregory Dunne.
A fascinating insight into the work of a US screenwriter

Do The Right Thing by Spike Lee
As well as the screenplay, the book contains Lee’s journal about the writing and making of the film.

Going Mad In Hollywood by David Sherwin.
Autobiography by the writer of ‘If’ and ‘O, Lucky Man!’

Save The Cat! By Blake Snyder
A lot of this book did nothing for me – far too much structure that came across as formula, and a lot of the movies he references – eg Aladdin – don’t really inspire.

But as with all these books it’s a question of cherry-picking – there are some gems in there if you look hard enough. In this book it’s the end section – his insights on various ‘rules’ of screenwriting that he’s formulated stumbled upon in his years as a screenwriter.

Regards

Philip Shelley

script-consultant.co.uk

There are a whole host of screenwriting books on the market and their usefulness (or not) to writers is an interesting question.

There’s undoubtedly a place for the best of these books but I think it’s dangerous to view any of them as gospel – better to cherry-pick the best from each, use them to re-energise and inspire your work as a writer rather than use them as step-by-step manuals.

As a script editor, I think some of the books are in fact far more useful to us on the other side of the fence than to writers themselves. They often provide a really useful framework for analysing and improving scripts – but trying to write a first draft to a whole set of prescribed plot points, act breaks and turning points is bound to sap some of the creative energy and turn the process into something more like grappling with a mathematical equation. And the likelihood is, once you’re satisfied you’ve hit all the requisite plot points, what you’ll be left with is something deeply unspontaneous.

Here’s a list of some of my favourite screenwriting books in no particular order:-

On Directing by David Mamet

Yes it’s called On Directing but it actually has some of the best insights of any book into the craft of screenwriting, particularly about telling stories through the cuts between scenes.

Adventures In The Screen Trade by William Goldman – I was reminded of this by the South Bank Show on Goldman on Sunday night (26-4-09). More autobiography than screenwriting manual but packed full of good stuff nonetheless.

Image, Sound & Story by Cherry Potter; particularly Part Three: ‘The Creative Process and telling Your Own Stories’. There’s a really good section in here on ‘Free-writing’ – the other side of the process from the formulaic, structure-heavy ‘rules’ in some of the (less good) US screenwriting books.

Story by Robert McKee. Not as good as listening to the man himself – his three day talk is a brilliant performance – but there are a lot of really perceptive, fascinating ideas here. Also a lot of stuff you probably won’t agree with…

Screenwriting: The Art, Craft & Business of Film & Television Writing by Richard Walter.

Quite a basic introduction to screenwriting technique but very good nonetheless.

Story & Character : Interviews with Brtish Screenwriters. Edited by Alistair Owen.

There are many books consisting of interviews with screenwriters and this is as good as any.

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Part 2 of this blog on screenwriting books TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK…

In the meantime it would be great to hear from all you screenwriters out there about:-
whether you think screenwriting books serve a purpose, how they can be best be used to help your own writing processes and…
which other screenwriting books you would recommend to your fellow-writers.

Philip Shelley
www.script-consultant.co.uk