Writing Movies: The Practical Guide to Creating Stellar Screenplays

Bought it for a class, but it’s a good reference book to have. I wish it would be available on Audible like Gotham’ s book on fiction.

Item was as described and shipping was fast...the thick packaging well protected my book. A+

This book is for anyone who wants to really learn the art and craft of screenwriting. The problem with most screenwriting "how to" books is that they all purport to have the secret sauce that will lead you to success. This book is very different, it's old school - it takes a nuts and bolts approach to help you write your stories without following some cookie cutter nonsense and one size fits all structural advice. "Writing Movies" will teach you all of the relevant structural theories as well as the best way to think about and write action and dialog. Every chapter is a master class on its topic, whether it be dialog, action, plot etc. and the writing is witty and easy to read. If you want to learn how to write a high quality original screenplay, look no further than "Writing Movies". It is hands down the best and most complete book on screenwriting ever written - that's why I gave it five stars. Get it. Read it. Absorb it. And then start writing a couple of hours every day and read great screenplays along the way. Good Luck !!!

Writing Movies is a good book. I am very glad I read through to the last chapter before I started writing my movie (320 - 355). The last chapter says "To write and be successful move and live in Los Angeles or New York City (351 -352)." This idea to live in a big city, I find very important. I have tried to get my stage play produced for seven years now. The state of Virginia people who read my play has such comments as, "It was so interesting, I read it all in one sitting," and "I was never bored." I now believe if I had lived in a big city, my stage play would have had a chance. I don't know if one should live in a big city to write short stories and novels to get them published, also? If I write a movie, I will return and do another critique on this book.

This book is an excellent guide for turning an interesting but poorly written screenplay into a compelling one that has more sales potential. Each chapter is by a different author and emphasizes a certain aspect of the writing process, such as the need for action rather than dialogue, and the importance of character development. The book uses the screenplays of five well-known films to illustrate how this should be done. I found this method of teaching very useful and enjoyed the different views of the authors.The book assumes that the reader plans to write a standard, feature-length movie. Many independent filmmakers, myself included, make shorter films which present additional challenges not mentioned in this book. Telling good stories in less than 30 minutes may require different plots, fewer characters, fewer scenes, and less dialogue. Planning is critical because every frame counts. For making short films, I highly recommend a second book: "The Short Screenplay" by Dan Gurskis, also available from Amazon.

If you want to work as a screenwriter, this book is probably the best introduction (and perhaps the only one you need in terms of learning story). If you read this cover to cover and then start listening to all of the best screenwriting podcasts (Scriptnotes, On The Page, The Treatment, etc), you will notice that its best points eventually come out as advice (not because "Writing Movies" said it first, but because it's what writers know after having written movies).I should note though: this book is old and does cover certain ways of breaking in that exist today. I don't think at any point Craigslist, online job boards, or cold emails were mentioned. That's where those podcasts come in handy. That's my only reason for giving it one star fewer.

Who would have thought a book about writing screenplays would be so entertaining? Books of this genre are supposed to be drier than five-minute sourdough toast. 'Writing Movies' is witty, thoughtful, and most important, elucidating. It offers--through an analysis of a variety of well-known movies--all the tools and maps for creating your own winning screenplay. Solid formulas that are not formulaic. Aristotle's poetics could not have set the conventions down better than this.It is rare for me, as an author, to take notes about how to weave a tighter plot, create more intriguing protagonists, or nastier antagonists. I thought I had learned it all in my sixty years of living and writing. The charming crew at Gotham Writers' Workshop proved once again to me that we can continue learning and still be entertained doing it. My legal pad is nearly full and this book will be placed (open) next to Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing, and the Strunk and White's Elements of Style.

I've read a few screenplay books and this one may be one of the best, plus it's a fairly recent publication, which counts for something, even though the screenplay craft hasn't changed much in decades. This book provides numerous tips on how to write a screenplay somebody may actually want to buy. It shows numerous references to actual movies, explaining key points in great detail. Be that as it may, it didn't cover absolutely everything I've read about screenplay development, so I definitely wouldn't call it a "complete book of screenwriting." But you wouldn't need such a book anyway. If you don't have enough talent, time and motivation to write and market a screenplay, no screenplay book, complete or otherwise will be enough.

good guide