THE BEST SCREENWRITING BOOKS – The Essentials

TOP SCREENWRITING BOOKS

THE BEST SCREENWRITING BOOKS are those that encourage creative screenwriting and provide thorough instruction on the craft of screenwriting. The best screenplay writing books are also those that explain in layman's terms the craft of "story making." The best screenwriting books are also those that provide lasting value whereby the screenwriter or filmmaker finds themselves referencing the screenwriting book over and over again...

OUR LIST CAN BE FOUND HERE.

THE BEST SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE

SCREENWRITING SOFTWARE

The best screenwriting software are those that combine flawless screenplay formatting with user-friendly functionality. Screenwriters, don't want the process of actually writing their screenplay to be interrupted. Writer's block does a fine job of that! Here, we review and compare screenwriting software against these necessities to ensure that you select the best screenwriting software for you.

READ OUR REVIEWS HERE.

HOW TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY – A Free** Email Mini-Course

HOW TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY

Writing a screenplay is a complex process. It's a fact that a great percentage of writers who start a screenplay, never complete it. We think the reason for this is the fact that for screenplays, the writer has to rely on both their creative skills and their critical thinking skills. In other words, you will have to call upon both sides of your brain. This is where the trouble starts. Usually, we call upon our creative side to begin our screenplay. We can see images of the screenplay, we get excited. However, when it comes time to create the story, there are several things to consider. All involving plot. There's a science to plot, it becomes complicated. Things don't add up.

We seek to demystify the screenwriting process for you. Subscribe to our newsletter, join the mini-course and for three sessions, we will you give you an overview of the process of writing a screenplay. This mini-course is a precursor to our full "How to Write A Screenplay - Intensive Four Week Course" which will provide you with all you need to know to get started writing your (award-winning!) screenplay.

"Wow! thanks so much for your [screenwriting] insights - much appreciated." --R., Member

See the MINI-COURSE SCHEDULE here.

SHORT FILM IDEAS

SHORT FILM IDEAS

Ideas for short films are all around us. Knowing how to use these ideas to create a compelling short film is a matter of skill. Luckily, this skill can be learned. If you've visiting this site for inspiration on generating short film ideas,

PLEASE, CLICK HERE FOR SHORT FILM IDEAS...

THE BEST MOVIE POSTERS

The best movie posters are those that combine exceptional art, design, and relevance to the film it's depicting. They make us do a double-take, make us feel something when we look at it...makes us want to go see that movie!
While vintage movie posters are popular, there are recent movie posters that have made us take notice.

Here's our list of some of THE BEST MOVIE POSTERS PAST AND PRESENT...

TOP DIRECTING BOOKS: For Screenwriters

TOP DIRECTING BOOKS FOR SCREENWRITERS

There are several books on directors that screenwriters will find useful. These books usually discuss the director's process, a process that involves breaking down the screenplay for the movie they directed. Here are a few books on directors that we recommend you take a look at. Especially if you aspire to direct. (However, knowing how directors approach the screenplay portion of production is also invaluable to screenwriters).

READ OUR LIST HERE...

SCREENWRITING BRIEFS – PODCAST – EPISODE 1

Episode 1 - We discuss the beginning of a screenplay. What's it's purpose and how it sets the tone for the rest of your screenplay. Enjoy!

Screenwriting Briefs - Episode 1 [ 11:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (357)

PRODUCED SCREENWRITERS SPEAK

Tips From Produced Screenwriters

For the novice screenwriter, screenwriting can seem daunting. However, we feel that with enough stimulus and reinforcement, the process of screenwriting can become much simpler...

GO HERE FOR SOME INSPIRATION...

Top 5 Tips On How To **NOT** Write a Great Screenplay

Currently, the trend for screenwriting is writing a horrible screenplay, and then quitting. I say that a bit tongue and cheek, but in all seriousness: showing how NOT to do something is just as effective a learning tool as showing how to do something.

So, what are some of the ways in which a screenwriter can write a bad screenplay? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT

SCREENWRITERS: WATCH GREAT SHORT FILMS

Watched a great little short film recently, Directed and Shot by Jaro Minne entitled "REVERIE." It's about a little girl who while waiting for her mom in the car has a daydream about a boy who catches her attention in a grocery store parking lot. What makes it more interesting is that she is white and the little boy is black.

The little girl waits patiently for her mom. She reaches in her mom's purse, takes some nail polish and begins to paint her nails. The little boy is pushing a grocery cart and it topples, catching the girl's attention. This starts her daydream.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The boy knocks on her window. she and the boy go for a stroll down a road with the cart. He pushes her, they have fun.

They enter the woods holding hands. They walk, smile at each other. He climbs a tree, they eye each other and smile more. Finally, behind a tree they move closer as if they are about to kiss.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Back to the car, the girl's mom taps on the window. She snaps out of her daydream. The camera stays on the girl as the car drives off.

The end.

Why is this film so good? Any story about little kids has a lot going for it. it has the cute factor going for it. What's intellectually appealing about it is the subtle racial aspect of them. A number of statements can be made: we get an uncolored look into the little girl's mind kids are less inhibited by their prejudices... The filmmakers (including the screenwriter) do a good job of subtly tying everything together. The nail polish - the mom the knock on the window - the boy, the mom such a simple story but powerful because of the racial element. But not an aggressive in your face racial story. In fact, it's not really a story about race.

To create a story like this take a simple story and pair at least two opposites. Can you think of a simple story where a touchy subject that can be wrapped in cuteness or humor or inspiration thereby taking us above that touchy subject? The use of kids to show us our shortcomings is a very powerful dramatic device!

Rêverie | a short film from Jaro Minne on Vimeo.