A reference book you need to have by your side - assuming you're writing a screenplay
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I got this book and a couple of others last week. This one is astounding. Denny Martin Flinn opens by telling you he isn't some successful writer (he has one Star Trek under his belt - not unimpressive) but does tell you he was a 'reader' for major studios and has read thousands of scripts. And reading is the first part of the process (once you've done your bit) to getting it made. So, essentially, what you have here is a book that shows you how to make your screenplay INTERESTING - a reader telling you what reader loves and hates - end of story. Crack all 101 points and you're halfway there (though a good story will help too but that's for other books). If you're at all serious about writing screenplays for the big screen or tv, get this book. You will not be sorry.
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Overpriced and disappointing.
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I've recently bought several books on screenwriting and this is the most disappointing of the lot by a long way. It is the one that gives the most detail on how to use screenplay elements such as "CUT TO:" and "CONT'd", however if you use the freely available script formatting program 'Celtx' you can avoid having to know a lot of the stuff this book tells you about formatting.
I would recommend this book, perhaps, if it were nearer the £6 mark. It is a slim tome and large chunks are given over to quoting scripts from films. As aspiring scriptwriters will probably already know, you get far fewer words to a page once you start formatting as a screenplay. This book is already only 200 pages long once you discard the index and appendices. Yet another 50 or more of those are given over to quoting screenplays. This leaves the author with little room to explore what he's telling you, so the overall effect is of a book that has been rushed to market.
My advice would be to look around at some of the websites that tell you how to format a screenplay. Then read lots of screenplays themselves (which, again, are available online). Then download Celtx and let that handle your formatting.
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Fandabidozi
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The best book I've read on how to write a screenplay (and I've got and read loads).
As another reviewer says this is how to write the screenplay rather than the story so it does what it says on the tin.
It's an easy read too, and not a drudge. Even better. And has a lot of good ideas which once you read you wonder why no-one else pointed that out, or why you didn't think on it yourself.
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This is how to write a screenplay
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This is not a book on story, or archetypes, but a great guide on how your screenplay should be written. That's your screenplay, not how your story should be written. This book is for someone who is ready to write, and all the questions that will come up about what you should put on the page, and how you should put it on the page, will be answered.
If you are ready to write your screenplay this is the book you will need at hand to dip into everytime you need to know how to formatt a telephone call or how not to give stage or acting directions to the actor.
Extremly helpful book you'll keep referring to as you write.
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Learning through mistakes, and professionals
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The book is devided into 3 sections. The first section (the most part of the book) I would give 5 stars. The reason being that it teaches you, through mistakes and quality writing how to/ or not to write for film. I found myself laughing at the witty comments the author makes. Often referring to bad writing submitted through 'quality agents'. It's a shame that the rest of the book tapers off towards the end. The second part, is story developemt. The book only glazes over story. Other books dedicated to story development I would have to recommend, McKee's Story, for example. The third section, only lasted a few pages, and is not worth mentioning about. Overall, the book is very helpful. I've read about 9 other screenwriting books before, and this one made a very good impression on me. Despite its later flaws, it's still worth buying for the larger 1st part. over and out, Daniel
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