Reddit reviews Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting
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Screenplay The Foundations of Screenwriting
Start with these 3 books.
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Do NOT go into debt for film school.
If it is payed for, then sure, it should be a lot of fun. But your reel already surpasses 95% of what I see from students who have already graduated film school.
If you are taking out money to go to film school.... dont. Student loan payments are one of the biggest obstacles when trying to launch a freelance career. Also, a film degree doesnt mean dick to most people in this industry. Unless you want to have a 9-5 at a studio or something. And thats stupid.
Use the money to:
or
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Substance-Structure-Principles-Screenwriting/dp/0413715604/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=
http://www.amazon.com/Screenplay-Foundations-Screenwriting-Syd-Field/dp/0385339038/ref=pd_sim_b_9
http://www.amazon.com/The-Writers-Journey-Structure-Edition/dp/193290736X/ref=pd_sim_b_5
http://www.amazon.com/Save-Last-Book-Screenwriting-Youll/dp/1932907009/ref=pd_sim_b_2
http://www.amazon.com/Making-Movies-Sidney-Lumet/dp/0679756604
Absorb. Read again. Then write and shoot your own movies. It will cost less than film school, it will be MORE fun than listening to failed film makers telling you how to make movies, and it could potentially launch your career.
Also, if you are ever in New Orleans, PM me and I will buy you a beer.
Try it and find out.
It doesn't MATTER what model you use. None of them magically make your script great.
Here are some others you can think about. Experiment and find out what feels most comfortable for you and seems to work best with the story you're trying to tell.
Three Acts
A really old (but still useful) model of story-telling structure involves three acts:
Occasionally, like with Job in the Bible, shit just happens to a character. But it’s usually much more interesting when a character actively tries to solve a problem or achieve some goal.
Probably the most famous explainer of the three-act structure for screenwriting is Syd Field in Screenplay.
A similar model is in How to Write a Movie in 21 Days by Viki King.
Hero’s Journey
Another really old (but still useful) model of structure involves a “hero’s journey.”
Joseph Campbell is often associated with this model, but it’s as old as story-telling.
Basically, the hero’s journey
>involves a hero who goes on an adventure, and in a decisive crisis wins a victory, and then comes home changed or transformed.
This model was applied to screenwriting in The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler.
It’s all about theme
Craig Mazin (HBO’s Chernobyl and the Scriptnotes podcast) says structure is all about theme.
He says it’s about asking what your character believes at the beginning, and what you want that character to believe at the end.
The structure of a script thus arises out of the character confronting, and wrestling with, that thematic question.
He talks about it here.
The Unified Theory of Screenwriting
In this interview, I talked with Ashley Miller (Thor, X-Men First Class). Here’s what he had to say about structure:
>I’m not a fan of anything that smacks of formula—“If you do this, your screenplay will work.”
I don’t care if you’re talking about Christopher Vogler, or if you’re talking about Robert McKee, or if you’re talking about Blake Snyder. I don’t believe that’s how the creation process works.
What they’ve each identified is an analytical tool. They’ve identified a way of looking at a product in retrospect and telling you what the parts are.
In other words, many structure models are autopsies – but they’re not recipes.
Miller combined a bunch of different structure models into a chart that he could apply to his own work – as a diagnostic tool AFTER he wrote one or more drafts.
>I’m not saying, “This isn’t working because it fails to meet any of these standards.”
What I’m asking is, “Am I getting an insight about what’s making me feel this bump in the story?
What’s making me hear and smell the gears grinding?”
You can see the chart at the interview link above.
Hi.
If I am not mistaken Syd Field breaks down both screenplays to make his points in this book.
Unfortunately I don't access to my library anymore so I cannot be sure :)
There are definitely guidelines. Some are strict, but many of them can be bent.
Your script says "awesome as fuck". I don't know what that means. I need you to explain it. What makes it awesome? That's how you have to spell things out in a script.
But great work on hammering out a screenplay! If you're interested, here are some good books on screenwriting:
The line you mention from Django is really good. We see that it is a stereotypical western town. We all know exactly what that looks like because we gave seen those millions of towns in westerns before. For your line, we all have different interpretations as to what "awesome as fuck" is.
Did you use Celtx? If not, try it. Great free screenwriting software.
Cool but Syd Field wrote a book that outlines the general formula that EVERY popular and succesful movie (not just summer blockbusters) follows.
It's my screenwriting bible.
An Essential Reading List For Designers
Source: www.tomfaulkner.co.uk
All books have been linked to Amazon for review and possible purchase. Remember to support the authors by purchasing their books. If there are any issues with this listing let me know via comments or pm.
Architecture
Communication Design
Fashion Design
Angela ButtolphEditors of Phaidon ?Furniture Design
Game Design
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(cont'd)
Maybe there’s a screenplay in there, but not until you make it one:
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385339038
Sori na kasnom odgovoru. Za fotografiju je najbolje potražiiti sadržaj o kompoziciji i boji. Iskreno, radije bi ti preporučio knjige od Burne Hogartha, pogotovo Dynamic Light and Shade. Knjige iz likovnih umjetnosti će ti daleko više pomoći oko fotografije nego knjige o fotografiji.
Što se tiče režije, scenaristike i montaže - najbolje je to skupno gledati kao jedno širinu, ali i cjelinu. Da bi se bavio režijom moraš poznavati scenaristiku i scenarističke tehnike, a da bi se bavio montažom moraš razumjeti režiju koja podrazumijeva razumijevanje scenaristike - i tako u krug. Fora kod filma/TV-a je da svi "zanati" postoje negdje drugdje osim montaže. Gluma postoji izvan Filma i TV-a, fotografija također, scenaristika također... jedino je montaža jedinstven zanat svojstven filmu i tv-u. Gledaj na montažu kao na ključni dio u procesu proizvodnje za koji izrađuješ sav materijal. Stoga podijeli učenje na pet cjelina: Fotografija, Montaža, Storytelling, Režija, Gluma.
Fotografija
Montaža
Storytelling
Režija
Gluma
Ima tu još dosta sadržaja kojeg bi bilo dobro spomenuti (recimo Sanford Meisnerova nadogradnja Stanislavskove škole glume i sl. ), ali ovo je već više nego dovoljno za dobar, široki, uvod u temu. Sve navedene knjige (osim za fotografiju) se koriste kao štivo na Columbiji i na Chapmanu i ostalim top filmskim školama. Razlika između čitanja štiva i učestvovanja na nastavi je što imaju i radionice - koje su iznimno bitne kod glume zbog glumačkih vježbi i redateljskih uputa. Kod nas nažalost ne postoji neka radionica i/ili glumačka škola koja radi po punom i ispravnom sustavu Stanislavskog, a kamoli po Meisneru, tako da ćeš i za to morati van.
I'd start with Save the Cat because it's a fun read and does a great job of laying down the basic structure without over-complicating things.
After you've got that down I'd move on to something a bit more theoretical. I would highly recommend The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri. It's about playwriting but the structure is similar and it really impressed upon me the importance of structuring a plot around a character and not the other way around.
I'd also recommend The Sequence Approach as a supplemental structure to the traditional 3 Act structure. The book basically breaks a screenplay into a number of goal-oriented sequences that help guide you towards a satisfying resolution.
I'd keep Story by Robert McKee and Screenplay by Syd Field around for references, but they are more like text books for me and not really inspiring.
One of my professors in grad school wrote a book called The Story Solution based on his own interpretation of story structure. Similar to the sequence approach, he breaks out a screenplay into 23 'hero goal sequences' that keep your story grounded and moving forward, while ensuring that your hero is making progress and completing his character arc.
Also, in answer to your beat question: A beat is the smallest block of measurable plot. a collection of beats make a scene, a collection of scenes makes a sequence, a collection of sequences make an act, a collection of acts make a narrative. Every beat of your screenplay needs to serve the premise in some way or you end up with a bloated script that will drag. Many times writers will actually write 'a beat' into their script to show that there is silence or a pause that is significant to the plot. An example might be a brief pause before a character lies to another character.
Boy, I couldn't wait for Andrew to kill himself. Glad it paid off. Could see it coming a mile away -- It's a sure sign of an amateur script.
I think you need to ask yourself what story you're trying to tell. Ask yourself why you want to tell it, and why it needs to be told.
My advice is to hit the books, kid. You need to learn the basics of storytelling, and structure in screenwriting.
I highly recommend Syd Field's book: https://www.amazon.ca/Screenplay-Foundations-Screenwriting-Syd-Field/dp/0385339038
Best of luck.
Using 25 cent words alienates you from your audience. You won't ever be an incredible story teller if a good portion of your audience needs a dictionary to decipher your speaking.
As for actual advice, don't use "thinking/feeling" verbs. If you need to talk about what a character is thinking,/feeling talk about it in analogy or better yet, just describe the thought process without saying outright that the character is thinking.
Part two, work within a structure. Syd Field's "Screenplay' is a good jumping off point when you want to learn about 3 act structure. There are plenty of others out there, but basically you want every interaction to build the story and it should follow a good narrative path that has consequences and is linear enough for the audience to follow.
If you are planning on doing this in public and/or with friends, be prepared to improvise. As a story teller, you are the actor of all the parts. You have to be the one that connects with them. So.if you see them getting bored, be flexible enough to change things up. You may have a good spiel down that you memorized and are reciting, but overall that feels phony unless it's in your own type of voice. Remember that the improvisation should still follow the structure.
For better inspiration, I suggest listening to pretty much any standup comic. Their job is telling stories. Henry Rollins is also quite good for actual stories. He's super charismatic and engaging. A good, live musician can do it as well, but in my experience you'd have to head towards the folk scene. I would suggest Arlo Guthrie for that. You may not like his music but his storytelling is incredibly engaging.
>I've only very recently decided that I wanted to go into film making for a career ...
Start with the basics then. Read Save the Cat, Story, Screenplay, and The Screenwriter's Bible.
Ask yourself what your five favorite films in the world are, that you could watch over and over again. Buy them on Bluray, and find a copy of their shooting script. This website is a good start, although you may have to buy them from somewhere. Watch the movies, then read the scripts, then repeat.
Then, with both the theory and the execution in your mind ... start to think of conflict, of drama, of characters and themes and story arcs.
Bluntly, it sounds like you're putting the horse well before the cart.
Yeah, man. Believe me, I’ve bought all the books, starting with Syd Field’s VHS tapes (God! I wish I still had that gem!) and then I bought his books, too. Twenty years ago, I was a newbie screenwriter looking for the answers just like you are today. I’ve bought over fifty screenwriting “how to” books in paperback and I don’t know how many others on my Kindle. All of them have something to offer, a nugget or two here and there, but the two I recommended have the most bang for the buck to a neophyte screenwriter.
There’s no formula as Syd Field and Blake Snyder pretend. There are some accepted standards that are expected of you, and that’s why I recommend “The Screenwriter’s Bible” by David Trottier. It will answer tons of questions you’ll have that those other books will only generate. William Akers’ “Your Screenplay Sucks” was born of his college course on screenwriting that he teaches. It will teach you something, too.
You’ll learn almost everything you need to get started by reading those two books. Sure there are books, too, but almost every neophyte screenwriter recommends those terrible “beginner books” to every other neophyte screenwriter. It’s a self-perpetuating sin. You can buy them later if you want to do so, but not now. Get off to a good start instead.
Syd Field's the foundation of screenwriting is a Great, inexpensive book that will give you a good understanding of how to get started writing.
http://www.amazon.com/Screenplay-Foundations-Screenwriting-Syd-Field/dp/0385339038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345838914&sr=8-1&keywords=field+screenwriting
The first step is to get your outline written, you need to know what your 3 act structure is before you sit down to write the screenplay. Your outline becomes your roadmap. Don't worry about "not being able to write good." I work in Hollywood and scripts are constantly given notes and are re-written every single day. It's part of the process, you just have to embrace it and go along for the ride. The biggest thing you can do is to get your idea down on paper (outline) and then write a rough draft that will let you see your idea as a completed though-out narrative. Then, if it really is a great idea, you can use that to attract other people to your project that will be able to give you different points of view / or a different take on the same idea. This is why they say Movie Making is a collaborative process. I haven't seen many movies where one guy/girl did everything.
Also, don't sell yourself short. Everyone fills a different role on a project. Maybe your role is the "idea guy" that gets it off the ground.
Wouldn't hurt to read a few books on screenwriting to get the lay of the land.
https://www.amazon.com/Screenplay-Foundations-Screenwriting-Syd-Field/dp/0385339038
https://www.amazon.com/Save-Last-Book-Screenwriting-Youll/dp/1932907009/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JMNPJ8QQBFVNSJHGBJ31
Decide if you want write features or television pilots.
Learn the structure of a screenplay (which is different for a feature and a television pilot)
Read scripts that are similar to what you want to write about. (i.e same genre) or any script that's highly recommended.
Some people start with a character and build a story, some people start with a story and add characters. Find what works best for you.
Dialogue will come with practice. It's going to be on the nose and full of exposition right off the bat. But it gets better as you write more. And no one every really masters it. I compare aired versions of shows to written screenplays and at least 10% of the dialogue overall is always cut.
Know what you're talking about. Want to write about cop? Read how a police organization works and how investigations work. Want to write about doctors? Know the medical terms and procedures you will be exploring. This also goes for areas of expertise such as science. For example, I am sure Vince Gilligan did some research into chemistry before writing Breaking Bad.
I have two different pieces of advice but I am no professional by any means, I've only done scriptwriting properly for 3 years now and still learning a lot as I go.
Firstly, I would just say write, keep writing and as you write, you learn and develop your skills, but don't neglect the essential parts of what creates a script: Logline, outlines, character description profiles, beat sheets and so on that help hone and give your script depth.
Another is to start working on smaller-length scripts first before pursuing any feature length script and practice the different narrative structures, but this in a way contradicts what I previously said about just writing. I'm writing my first feature length this year after 3 years of short pieces and glad I took that time, but at the same time, nothing helps than to just write over and over.
One thing I would say is to definitely develop the story you want to create with the planning stages before writing (unless you have scenes in mind that you can write down, then go for it), but everyone has a different process and I take bits from everything I have mentioned here.
It's entirely up to you and what helps you at the end of the day, and if you're new to the scene I would recommend a couple of books:
Save the cat and Screenplay are both useful books for all levels and have helped me when it comes to writing. Both fairly popular books so should be easy to purchase/access depending on your region.
​
Good luck with your writing journey!
I believe that it's Screenplay by Syd Field. I read it but it doesn't hold a candle to Robert McKee's Story or John Truby's The Anatomy of Story. Field's reliance on 3-act structure is problematic for me, while Truby's 22 steps are a lifesaver.
CYA: No, these are not affiliate links, and no I am not being paid to sell you stuff. I'm currently reading McKee's Story and currently it's my favorite book on storytelling in general.
This is good advice.
There are many books out there about how to write screenplays, including conventions, pacing, etc.; I'd recommend Syd Field's Screenplay: Foundations of Screenwriting
I really think the best practical material on narrative was written for screenplays. There are many great books, such as The Screenwriters Bible, Story and The Foundations of Screenwriting. Just be careful not to become too indoctrinated: rules are good, but if you worry too much about them you might forget to write a story that is actually good.
This book is a good start.
I'd start with a title page. Then "FADE IN:" in the top of the second page. Follow by a Scene header like this;
INT - MIKE'S ROOM - DAY
Joking aside I'd probably look into some scriptwriting books for inspiration and help on how to write a script and follow a basic act structure. Foundations of script writing is a good one to start:
https://www.amazon.com/Screenplay-Foundations-Screenwriting-Syd-Field/dp/0385339038
I'd also look into writer's groups in your area or network with other writers so they can help workshop your script with you.
In my opinion, scholarly papers aren't the best place to start as far as looking at movies critically.
I would start by reading Syd Field's Screenplay. There you'll get a good sense of how the story works within a movie. You can also peruse through the back-entries of Roger Eberts' movie reviews--pay special attention to the ones about movies you liked. Compare and contrast and so forth. Watch a lot of movies, good, bad, (ugly) and think about why you did or didn't like them. try your damndest to not be swayed by the likes of others (reddit included.) Good luck!
Read Screenplay
I often see questions like “How do I become a screenwriter?” or "How can I write a screenplay?"
So here’s an answer you can read in five minutes or less.
Read at least two screenwriting “how-to” books
For example, you could try:
I think it’s a good idea to read more than one book because you don’t want to get the idea that there’s only one right way to write a screenplay. Different authors have different approaches that you may find more or less useful.
TAKE NOTES ON WHAT YOU LEARN.
Read at least five professional scripts
You can often find them by googling the name of the movie along with “PDF.”
You can also try Simply Scripts and The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb).
Your reading list should include scripts for movies that have been made in the past five years, so you can see what styles are current.
TAKE NOTES ON WHAT YOU LEARN.
One thing you should notice is that professional scripts have certain things in common. For example, they almost all have sluglines that look something like this:
EXT. RAIN FOREST – DAY
Some writers put sluglines in bold (which is a current fashion), and some don’t.
You should also notice that other things are different. For example, some writers use CAPS for objects and sounds a lot more than other writers do. Some writers write long, detailed descriptions of locations; others don’t.
One reason for this exercise is to get a sense of what a professional script looks like – what’s “standard,” and what’s more a matter of individual taste/style.
Another reason to read a lot of scripts (especially award-winning ones) is to get a feel for what “good” looks like.
Think about how these pro scripts follow (or not) the “rules” in the books you’ve read.
Follow along in the script as you’re watching the movie
Notice how words on a page translate into sights and sounds on the screen.
Notice how much detail is written out by the screenwriter, and how much is left to others (like the costume designer, set designer, or fight choreographer).
Come up with a screenplay idea/story
A good source for help with developing commercial story ideas is Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds.
Or read this blog: https://lauridonahue.com/fantastic-ideas-and-where-to-find-them-stps-5/
It can be helpful to put your idea into logline form. One basic model for loglines is:
>[Type of person or group] must [do or overcome something] in order to [achieve some goal].
You can also add details about where and when the story takes place, if relevant.
For example:
>A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a restless farm-boy must rescue a princess and learn to use his supernatural powers in order to defeat an evil empire.
Create a beat-sheet
A beat-sheet is a short (1-2 page) outline of what happens in your script.
For example, you can use the famous/infamous Blake Snyder “Save the Cat” Beat Sheet.
The books you’ve read may have other models for this.
Some people don’t like outlining. They just like to jump right into the story and start writing. How you work is up to you. But you may find that having an outline will let you know if you’ve got enough story (or too much), keep you on track, and save you from wasting time.
Write a treatment or a scriptment
A treatment or scriptment is a longer kind of outline.
Again, you may prefer just to dive in. It’s up to you.
Try to write a screenplay
It’s a good idea to get script formatting software, like Celtx or Highland or Final Draft. If you try to write a script in Word or another standard word processing program, you may drive yourself nuts dealing with format issues, and the end result may not look professional.
Or, just can write your first draft in a notebook, and do your second draft using formatting software. (I decided I wasn’t going to spend money on Final Draft until I proved to myself I could finish a first draft by hand.)
If you finish, congratulations. You’re now a screenwriter. Most wannabes never make it to that point.
However, your script probably isn’t very good. Most first scripts are awful.
What if you want to be a GOOD screenwriter?
Then you’ve got a lot more work ahead of you.
Put the script aside
Don’t work on it for at least a week. You want to be able to see it with fresh eyes.
Don’t show it to anyone yet, however much you want people to tell you how awesome it is.
This would be a good time to start working on your next script.
Rewrite
Look back at your notes from the screenwriting books and scripts you read. Think about what makes a script good.
Compare your script to the professional scripts, in terms of format, structure, dialogue, pacing, description, action, etc.
Re-read the chapters on revisions in the books you read.
Read a book like Making a Good Script Great and apply what it suggests.
Rewrite again and again and again until your script is as good as you think you can make it.
Get feedback
Do NOT get feedback on your first draft. Get feedback on your BEST draft.
So where do you get feedback?
Whatever you do, don’t be a douche about the feedback you get. Accept it with THANKS and graciously, even if you think the reader is an idiot for failing to recognize your genius.
And before you ask anyone for free feedback, read this – and don’t be that guy.
Rewrite again and again and again
Again, in between rewrites and while you’re waiting for feedback, put your script aside and work on more scripts.
You could experiment with different formats (feature, TV, short, webisode, etc.), genres, and styles. Discover where your strengths and interests lie.
Get more feedback; revise; repeat
Repeat as needed until people who know what they’re talking about (not your buddies, not your mom) say it’s good, and/or you start placing in contests like the Nicholl and Austin and/or getting 8s and up on The Black List.
Keep in mind that it may take years, and many drafts of many scripts, before you get to this point… if you ever do. (Most people don’t.)
If you do make it that far – congratulations again! You’re now a pretty good screenwriter.
(If you like this, please subscribe to my blog: https://lauridonahue.com/how-to-become-a-screenwriter-in-five-minutes-or-less-stps-4/)
Edit: this isn't mine it's Seshat_the_Scribe but it should help
All of them, really. Absolutely no harm will come from reading all the books out there (for a while). At worst, you'll learn ways of doing things that DON'T work for you but it's still good knowledge to have.
After a while, eventually, you'll start noticing though that all the new books out are just copying and rephrasing the books that came before them. That's when it's time to stop.
Some of the popular ones are syd field's book, Robert McKee's book, Joseph Campbell's book (and imo a book called The Writer's Journey by Christopher something that analyzes Campbell's book and puts it into modern story telling terms). That'll get you started. I have varying opinions of each of those books and none of them should be adhered to by law, but they ALL contain concepts and theories that, as a professional writer, you'd do well to expose yourself to. If for no other reason than that you can be aware of the concepts when others talk about them.
Tangentially, Stephen king's On Writing and William Goldman's books are great reads but don't necessarily apply to the craft of screen writing directly. Also useful to read any interviews or collections of interviews with screen writers. You may also want to check out some podcasts, Jeff goldsmith's interviews with screen writers is great and I have no idea if it's still available or even what it's called but I used to listen to one titled something like Sam and Jim Go to Hollywood (I am positive I got those names wrong) about two guys who up and quit their careers as restaurant owners and moved to Hollywood to become writers and share what they've learned. Ted Rossio and Terry Elliot also run, or ran, a website with forums (which are eh) and and a collection of articles about screen writing which are fantastic.
This was all stuff I was into years ago, so I don't know how much of it is still relevant, because like I said when you get to a certain point you've kind of read everything out there and it all starts repeating itself, and you realize all that's left is to read screenplays and write a ton.
Good luck.
e: back on my computer, here are some links:
Syd Field's Sreenplay (he has several books out, that's the one you should start with as it lays the foundation for basic story structure of nearly all modern movies. IMO, it's also the best one out there because he never says these are rules in any way, he simply analyzed a bunch of movies and lays out his findings for you to do with as you wish)
Robert McKee's Story
Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces
and Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey
Stephen King's On Writing which describes his writing style and, while I don't prefer it, is a very interesting style similar to the Cohen Brothers
William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade and Which Lie did I Tell? two accounts of William Goldman's experiences as one of the top writers in Hollywood, and dealing with the business. Writer of The Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, and many others. Dude's a legend.
Jeff Goldsmith's Q&A podcast he also did the same style podcast while working for a screenwriting magazine, though the name escapes me right now
Sam and Jim Go to Hollywood holy shit I got their names right I can't believe it. Seems to be dead for a few years but it looks like their podcasts are still up.
Wordplay, Ted & Terry's website read every single one of those articles
e: BONUS! Not that useful as an educational resource, but it's fun to read Ken Levine's blog, writer on MASH and Cheers Ken's blog (no, not the guy who made BioShock)
https://www.amazon.ca/Screenplay-Foundations-Screenwriting-Syd-Field/dp/0385339038/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474698495&sr=8-2&keywords=screenwriting
https://www.amazon.ca/Story-Structure-Substance-Principles-Screenwriting/dp/0060391685/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474698472&sr=8-1&keywords=story
https://www.amazon.ca/Save-Cat-Last-Screenwriting-Youll/dp/1932907009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474698480&sr=8-1&keywords=save+the+cat
https://www.amazon.ca/Writing-Movies-Fun-Profit-Billion/dp/1439186766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474698488&sr=8-1&keywords=writing+for+fun+and+profit
Buy all 4 read them in the above order, The first 3 will teach you everything you need to know. The last one gives great insight into actually making money off of it.
Sure thing! If you pick a couple up I'd recommend The Screenwriter's Bible as a good all-around book that covers pretty much everything and [Screenplay]
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385339038/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385339038&linkCode=as2&tag=qinema-20) if you're interested in structure. That being said, [Save the Cat!]
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1932907009/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1932907009&linkCode=as2&tag=qinema-20) is an excellent book and might be worth getting instead as our Structure lesson will cover the essence of Syd Field's Screenplay book (at least I hope others will find it a good substitute!)
This book is awesome.
Buy a copy of Syd Field's Screenplay or Robert McKee's Story and learn the basics of story construction. While they're written assuming movie screenplays, the principles apply just as well to adventure games.
Io avevo comprato questo:
https://www.amazon.it/Screenplay-Foundations-Screenwriting-Syd-Field/dp/0385339038
Spiega come gli script sono costruiti con esempi di scene famose. Purtroppo è solo in inglese
Try this, it's a great start
I'm not OP and I currently don't have plans to start writing, but I'm currently reading this book to enhance my overall knowledge of the process. It's a sensible read so far.
/r/screenwriters might have more resources as well.
Syd Field's book?
https://www.amazon.com/Screenplay-Foundations-Screenwriting-Syd-Field/dp/0385339038