Screenwriting books we particularly like…
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It doesn’t get better than this! Hands down, Robert McKee is THE expert on story structure in Hollywood. McKee’s students have written, directed, orproduced includes Air Force One, The Deer Hunter, E.R., A Fish Called Wanda, Forrest Gump, NYPD Blue, and Sleepless in Seattle. In Story, McKee puts into book form what he has been teaching screenwriters for years in his seminar on story structure, which is considered by many to be a prerequisite to the film biz. Without structure, a proper story cannot be crafted, and without a story, the dialogue has no meaning or purpose. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. There is also an audio book available. |  |
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Excellent guide! Essentially Lew Hunter’s UCLA screenwriting course in book form. Good, solid information, especially for the first-time screenwriter. It’ll walk you through writing your first screenplay and get you off to a good start — just as if you were in his class at UCLA. Handy as an all-around ready reference. |
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Great reference! Michael Hauge’s book is the view point of the craft from the perspective of the development executive — a likely reader if your screenplay makes it through the Hollywood maze. Good, basic information plus tips on what to do to punch up a script with plenty of examples that show you how to make your story more sellable. | |
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You’ve got to have this one! A handy quick reference on the DON’TS help to teach you the DO’S of polishing up a screenplay. Especially helpful in solving specific script problems to shore up weak spots. Also helpful as a guide to measure the effectiveness of a first draft screenplay. | |
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Keep this one handy! It answers every imaginable question about proper screenplay formatting. It covers every format term and current screenwriting conventions seen in Hollywood today. A must-have for the serious screenwriter. Also covers stage play formatting as well. |
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