Note: This was originally posted on my blog An American Bookworm in London on May 31, 2017.
My first foray into screenwriting was a disaster. Okay, not a disaster in the sense of a cinematic Titanic or because it caused several small villages to be burned to the ground. But aside from a handful of comedy sketches, it was a prose writer’s first real attempt to write a script. And it showed. But it taught me one very important lesson:
I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO WRITE A SCRIPT.
(Actual footage of me writing my first screenplay)
Again, not exactly true, but I think it’s important to underestimate your knowledge whenever possible. If you go into a learning situation assuming total ignorance you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the things you do know and are good at. It’s once you’ve gained the information that you can then sift and synthesis.
At the time, I was aware that lots of books about screenwriting were readily available. In hindsight, I wish I had looked into these more before starting my programme, not because they could stand in place of it but because it would’ve given me a little more context about what I was learning in school.
Why 6? I mean, there are thousands of resources out there, and you should read as much as you can, in my opinion. I easily could have chosen 10. But if you’re just starting out I really think this is all you need to start learning the basics of screenwriting.
Screenplay by Sid Field: An oldie but a goodie – for a reason. This was the first book I ever read about screenwriting and it’s been the most helpful book I’ve read so far about structuring the story of a film. If you’re looking for a great introductory book, it has to be this one.
The Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier: While this book also talks about structure, character development, and so on, where it really shines is an explanation about the technical details of formatting a screenplay. How else will you know how to write a montage or introduce a character?
Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit: Even though I’m currently only working on one romantic comedy, the way this book breaks down the rise and fall of a relationship in a romantic comedy is useful in every genre of screenwriting. Does your film feature at least two people who interact with each other? Then you’ll find a use for this.
On Writing by Stephen King: Half instruction booklet, half memoir, allll Stephen King. Stephen gets into the nitty gritty of writing and the challenges all writers face. Excellent motivation for dealing with rejection, “writer’s block”, and the overactive imagination that comes with being a writer.
Thesaurus.com: Maybe this is just me, but 60% of writing seems to be finding the right word for any circumstance. Not necessary for first drafts but a must for rewrites.
RedLetterMedia: Bear with me here. If you’ve heard of them it’s probably by way of the Mr. Plinkett reviews on YouTube, 90-minute-long videos made by a “creepy old man” detailing exactly how the Star Wars prequels failed as movies. I discovered the channel late last year while looking for an honest review of Ghostbusters 2016 and never looked back. Just from watching their videos, I’ve noticed a marked improvement in my writing and my ability to objectively analyze what does and doesn’t work in films – on every level, not just storytelling. There’s a lot of crude humor and language, so if that bothers you I’d say avoid it, but if you enjoy that you’ll find it’s educational as well as so SO entertaining.
These won’t turn you into Quentin Tarantino overnight, but I think they’re a good introduction to screenwriting for people who are interested in pursuing it in school and as a career!
I’d love to hear from other screenwriters (new and seasoned) on what resources they turn to for help. I’m always looking for new reading material!
Eileen
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Update: In the 2+ years since I wrote this post, I’ve talked to a lot of people about screenwriting and read a lot of people’s opinions on screenwriting books, specifically ones that teach a specific structure. My feelings on these kinds of books haven’t changed, but I wanted to clarify my opinion so people understand why I still recommend them.
The arguments a lot of people give about books like Screenplay, Save the Cat, and the like is that they encourage beginning screenwriters to follow rigid, paint-by-numbers formulas that don’t lend themselves well to especially creative screenplays and storytelling.
This is true.
That’s the point.
Screenwriting is an art form that takes a hell of a lot of technical knowhow that is very specific to only screenwriting. When we write prose, it’s similar to how we communicate in writing every day. Writing scripts requires knowledge of formatting, acting, directing, cinematography, and, yes, even that dreaded word, structure. The reader should be able to picture the film in their mind, but without this knowledge scripts are dull, lifeless, and nonsensical.
On structure in particular: I love films wih structure. I love films without structure. But the reason films without structure work is because the other components of the screenplay work. The screenwriter understands the purpose of structure, and has decided that the structure is not as important as another aspect of the film, like cinematography, characters, etc.
There’s no harm in learning “proper structure”. There’s no harm in writing a script with such sharply delineated plot points that each act break gives you a papercut. Creativity can happen within strict film structure. Strict structure can even help develop creativity in other aspects of the screenplay. Learning - and even writing - scripts based on that structure can help you grow as a writer and figure out what works for you and what doesn’t, whether you intend to sell those scripts or simply use them as learning tools.
BUT.
And this is a big but (hee hee big butt).
As a beginning screenwriter, it’s your job to gather the knowledge, soak up as much of it as possible, and then discard whatever isn’t working for you. That doesn’t mean eschewing story structure because it “isn’t creative”, or not listening to notes because you don’t want to admit to yourself that YOU don’t really understand your main character’s motivation any more than the reader does. If you disagree with something in one of the books I mentioned, great! Sit for a moment and consider why. Use what you’ve learned so far to analyze the knowledge for yourself. Maybe you find you have a cogent argument for why a particular piece of advice doesn’t work for you. Maybe you realize, actually, that piece of information you’ve gotten is correct, and now you’ve improved your understanding of the subject. It’s okay to question the information you’re getting, as long as you’re genuinely examining it and not simply dismissing it off-hand.
I’d say that’s good advice for the rest of life, too.
Anyway, that’s my little spiel about screenwriting books. You take the good, you take the bad, examine the rest, and figure out what works for you. You write your screenplay, you get notes, you write another screenplay, wash, rinse, repeat.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.