Screenwriting Books
SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 1 OF 7. ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Screenwriting: The Art, Craft and Business of Film and Television Writing AUTHOR: Richard Walter PUBLISHER: * Plume (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-452-26347-6 PRICE: $ 9.95 COMMENTS: "No nonsense, well written, one of the best." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Making a Good Script Great AUTHOR: Linda Seger PUBLISHER: Samuel French Trade (C) 1989 ISBN: 0-573-60691-9 (CLOTH) ISBN: 0-573-60690-0 (PBK.) PRICE: $ 10.95 COMMENTS: "Excellent, covers many areas most don't. Especially strong for rewriting and analyzing story elements." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Creating Unforgettable Characters AUTHOR: Linda Seger PUBLISHER: Henry Holt & Company - An Owl Book (C) 1990 ISBN: 0-8050-1171-4 PRICE: $ 12.95 COMMENTS: "Superb help for the crucial area of character development." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Art of Dramatic Writing AUTHOR: Lajos Egri PUBLISHER: Touchstone (NY) by Simon and Schuster (C) 1946, 1960 ISBN: 0-671-21332-6 PRICE: $ 10.95 COMMENTS: "Considered the quintessential work on dramatic structure -- a classic." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting AUTHOR: Syd Field PUBLISHER: Dell (C) 1979, 1982 ISBN: 0-440-57647-4 PRICE: $ 8.95 COMMENTS: "Often referred to as the primer of three act structure. Many pros went to school with this and Lajos Egri's book under their arm." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Complete Book of Scriptwriting AUTHOR: J. Michael Straczynski PUBLISHER: Writer's Digest Books (C) 1982 ISBN: 0-89879-078-6 PRICE: $ 14.95 ISBN: 0-89879-272-X (pbk.) PRICE: $ 11.95 COMMENTS: "Comprehensive coverage of the craft by a prolific and successful writer. Includes many often neglected parallel markets." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Writing Screenplays That Sell AUTHOR: Michael Hauge PUBLISHER: McGraw-Hill (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-07-027068-6 PRICE: $ 9.95 PUBLISHER: HarperPerrenial (C) 1991 ISBN: 0-06-272500-9 PRICE: $ 12.00 COMMENTS: "Top-notch tutoring with many valuable suggestions." ----------------------------------------------------------------- SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 2 OF 7. ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: How to Write a Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method AUTHOR: Viki King PUBLISHER: Perennial Library by Harper & Row (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-06-096240-2 (PBK.) PRICE: $ 7.95 ISBN: 0-06-055112-7 PRICE: ?.?? COMMENTS: "Her unusual approach can be worthwhile for getting your heart and head to collaborate." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Adventures in the Screen Trade AUTHOR: William Goldman PUBLISHER: Warner Books (C) 1983 ISBN: 0-446-39117-4 PRICE: $ 14.95 COMMENTS: "One of the top screenwriters in the business shares his insight and some of his techniques. Includes the full screenplay to 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.'" ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Selling Your Screenplay AUTHOR: Cynthia Whitcomb PUBLISHER: Crown (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-517-57008-4 PRICE: $ 11.95 COMMENTS: "After you've written -- read this. Good coverage of the business side of the biz." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Elements of Screenwriting: A Guide For Film and Television Writing AUTHOR: Irwin R. Blacker PUBLISHER: Macmillan Publishing Co. (C) 1986 ISBN: 0-02-511180-9 PRICE: ISBN: 0-02-000220-3 PRICE: $ 5.95 COMMENTS: "Some of today's most successful people (such as Lucas, Milius, Robbins) and best screenwriting instructors (including Richard Walter) learned from this man." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Writing the Script: The Practical Guide AUTHOR: Wells Root PUBLISHER: Henry Holt & Co., Inc. (C) 1979 ISBN: 0-8050-0237-5 (PBK.) PRICE: $ 7.95 ISBN: 0-03-044226-5 PRICE: ?.?? COMMENTS: "Solid advice about all aspects of the process. Deals with both film and television." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: How to Sell Your Screenplay: The Real rules of Film and Television AUTHOR: Carl Sautter PUBLISHER: New Chapter Press (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-942257-07-3 PRICE: $ 22.95 COMMENTS: "A bit expensive, but looks very promising. A script consultant gives it a high recommendation." ----------------------------------------------------------------- SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 3 OF 7. ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Screenwriter's Workbook AUTHOR: Syd Field PUBLISHER: Dell (C) 1984 ISBN: 0-440-58225-3 PRICE: $ 8.95 COMMENTS: "A step-by-step workshop approach." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Selling a Screenplay: The Screenwriter's Guide to Hollywood AUTHOR: Syd Field PUBLISHER: Dell (C) 1989 ISBN: 0-440-50244-6 PRICE: $ 9.95 COMMENTS: "Includes interviews with Oliver Stone, Dan Petrie, Jr., Alvin Sargent, James L. Brooks, Anna Hamilton Phelen, William Kelley, Earl Wallace and Douglas Day Stewart." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Art of Screenwriting AUTHOR: William Packard PUBLISHER: Paragon House Publ. (NY) ISBN: 0-913729-37-X (pbk.) PRICE: ?.?? ISBN: 0-913729-36-1 PRICE: ?.?? COMMENTS: "A drier read than many, but still has much useful information." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Scriptwriting: A Practical Manual, Second Edition AUTHOR: Dwight V. Swain with Joye R. Swain PUBLISHER: Focal Press (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-240-51190-5 PRICE: COMMENTS: "Worthwhile, has some very helpful techniques." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Screenwriters Handbook AUTHOR: Constance Nash and Virginia Oakey PUBLISHER: Perennial Library by Harper & Row (C) 1978 ISBN: 0-06-463454-X (PBK.) PRICE: $ 7.95 ISBN: 0-06-013162-4 PRICE: ?.?? COMMENTS: "Small book -- a bit dated -- but okay." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: FADE IN: The Screenwriting Process AUTHOR: Robert A. Berman PUBLISHER: Michael Wiese Film Productions (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-941188-07-8 PRICE: $ 16.95 COMMENTS: "A new screenwriter shares his technique. Includes the original screenplay 'The Crimson Moon'" ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Successful Scriptwriting AUTHOR: Jurgen Wolff & Kerry Cox PUBLISHER: Writer's Digest Books ISBN: PRICE: $ 18.95 COMMENTS: "Solid overall information." ----------------------------------------------------------------- SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 4 OF 7. LOOK PROMISING ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Writing Short Scripts AUTHOR: William H. Phillips PUBLISHER: Syracuse University Press (C) 1991 ISBN: 0-8156-2486-7 PRICE: $ 15.95 COMMENTS: "Haven't read it yet -- looks promising." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: How Scripts are Made AUTHOR: Inga Karetnkova PUBLISHER: Southern Illinois University Press (C) 1990 ISBN: 0-8093-1380-4 PRICE: $ 16.95 COMMENTS: "Haven't read it yet -- looks promising." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Technique of Screen and Television Writing AUTHOR: Eugene Vale PUBLISHER: Touchstone by Simon and Schuster (C) 1982 ISBN: 0-671-62242-0 PRICE: $ 9.95 COMMENTS: "Haven't read it yet -- looks promising." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Understructure of Writing for Film and Television AUTHOR: Ben Brady & Lance Lee PUBLISHER: University of Texas Press (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-292-78515-1 PRICE: $ 12.95 COMMENTS: "Haven't read it yet -- looks promising." ----------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIFICALLY COMEDY ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Comedy Writing Step by Step: How to Write and Sell Your Sense of Humor AUTHOR: Gene Perret PUBLISHER: Samuel French Trade (C) 1982/1990 ISBN: 0-573-60605-6 PRICE: $ 11.95 COMMENTS: "Bob Hope's head comedy writer helps you get started being funny for a living." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Comedy Writing Workbook AUTHOR: Gene Perret PUBLISHER: Sterling (C) 1990 ISBN: 0-8069-6554-1 PRICE: $ 12.95 COMMENTS: "87 workouts to sharpen your comedy skills." ----------------------------------------------------------------- SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 5 OF 7. SPECIFICALLY TV ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Successful Sitcom Writing AUTHOR: Jurgen Wolff PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Press (NY) ISBN: 0-312-01514-3 PRICE: $ 16.95 COMMENTS: "Quite good. Deals with writing for established or original sitcoms, generating ideas, episodic TV, etc." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Writing for Television AUTHOR: Stuart M. Kaminsky PUBLISHER: Dell (NY) (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-440-50025-7 PRICE: $ 8.95 COMMENTS: "Valuable, with tips from: Harlan Ellison, Larry Gelbart, Garry Marshall, Bob Shayne, Garner Simmons, Bill Nuss, and Jeff Rice. Contains specific exercises and covers several television genres." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Primal Screen: How to Write, Sell, and Produce Movies for Television AUTHOR: Bob Shanks PUBLISHER: Fawcett Columbine by Ballentine (C) 1986 ISBN: 0-449-90229-3 PRICE: $ 13.50 COMMENTS: "Explores the process of TV writing/producing from the inside out." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: How to Write for Television AUTHOR: Madeline DiMaggio PUBLISHER: Prentice Hall Press (C) 1990 ISBN: 0-13-969973-2 PRICE: $ 10.95 COMMENTS: "Haven't read it yet -- looks promising." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Murphy Brown: Anatomy of a Sitcom AUTHOR: Robert S. Alley & Irby B. Brown PUBLISHER: Delta (C) 1990 ISBN: 0-385-30129-4 PRICE: $ 10.95 COMMENTS: "Contains some good information about sitcom writing." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: TV Scriptwriter's Handbook AUTHOR: Alfred Brenner PUBLISHER: Writer's Digest Books ISBN: PRICE: $ 10.95 COMMENTS: "Haven't seen it yet." ----------------------------------------------------------------- SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 6 OF 7. SPECIFICALLY FORMATTING ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Complete Guide to Standard Script Formats - Part I: The Screenplay AUTHOR: Cole/Haag PUBLISHER: CMC Publishing (C) 1989 ISBN: 0-929583-00-0 PRICE: $ 16.95 COMMENTS: "The most complete and up-to-date guide of its kind." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Complete Guide to Standard Script Formats - Part II: Taped Formats For Television AUTHOR: Judith H. Haag PUBLISHER: CMC Publishing (C) 1988 ISBN: 0-929583-01-9 PRICE: $ 16.95 COMMENTS: "The most complete and up-to-date guide of its kind." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Script Models: A Handbook for the Media Writer AUTHOR: Robert Lee and Robert Misiorowski PUBLISHER: Hastings House Publishers (C) 1978 ISBN: 0-8038-6754-9 PRICE: $ 10.00 COMMENTS: "Includes more types of script formats than above, but is not as thorough within specific styles. Covers: Theatrical motion pictures, technical and instructional motion pictures, teleplays, television comedy series, television commercials, radio drama, radio news, radio commercials, filmstrips, multimedia, and non-theatrical documentaries." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Professional Writer's Teleplay/Screenplay Format AUTHOR: PUBLISHER: Writers Guild of America, East, Inc. (C) 1970 555 W. 57th Street Revised Edition, 1983 New York, NY 10019 PRICE: $ 3.75 COMMENTS: "Not nearly as thorough as one might expect." ----------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: For screenplay formatting avoid the Writer's Digest book, "Guide to Manuscript Formats." In this particular area it seems to be way off the target for some reason. ----------------------------------------------------------------- SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 7 OF 7. SCREENPLAYS IN ORIGINAL FORMAT ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Jacob's Ladder AUTHOR: Bruce Joel Ruben PUBLISHER: Applause (C) 1990 ISBN: 1-55783-086-X PRICE: $ 10.95 COMMENTS: "The complete script in original format including omitted scenes. By the Academy Award winning writer of 'Ghost.'" ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: Sex, Lies, and Videotape AUTHOR: Steven Soderbergh PUBLISHER: Perennial by Harper and Row (C) 1990 ISBN: 0-06-055202-6 PRICE: ?.?? ISBN: 0-06-096526-6 (pbk.) PRICE: $ 10.95 COMMENTS: "The complete script in original format plus production notes." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: The Fisher King: The Book of the Film AUTHOR: Screenplay written by Richard LaGravenese Introduction by Terry Gilliam PUBLISHER: Applause (C) 1991 ISBN: 1-55783-098-3 PRICE: $ 12.95 COMMENTS: "Terry Gilliam read the script and immediately wanted to make it happen. Has the screenplay in original format and includes deleted and altered scenes." ----------------------------------------------------------------- TITLE: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" The Book of the Film: An Illustrated Screenplay AUTHOR: By James Cameron and William Wisher. PUBLISHER: Applause (C) 1991 ISBN: 155783-097-5 PRICE: $ 17.95 COMMENTS: ----------------------------------------------------------------- Also available from the Applause Screenplay Series: "A Fish Called Wanda" By John Cleese and Charles Crichton "Erik the Viking" By Terry Jones The Adventures of Baron Munchausen By Charles McKeown Terry Gilliam ----------------------------------------------------------------- Compiled: 10-28-91 John Blankenship Copyright © 1991 John Blankenship - all rights reserved. I hope you find this list to be helpful. It was compiled back in 1991. There are a number of newer books out that are also worthy of your consideration. Meanwhile, it should take you a few days to study all of these...
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