It’s true that you can’t learn to write a screenplay just by reading a book. However, they can be a great source of information, inspiration and a qualified opinion on what is actually needed to kick in the proverbial door. If you have ever considered picking up a book or two on the craft, you will have quickly discovered that there are hundreds of books to choose from. Deciding which ones are best and which ones are most able to serve your purpose can be a daunting task. Here, I’ve assembled a ‘Top 10 List’ of books that I have found to be the most helpful in my pursuit to be a better writ
er. I personally own over 50 screenwriting books (and have read probably at least an additional 50) and I’ve learned something from just about every single one of them. Though, like most craft related books, they are not created equal.
Not a screenwriter? Not a problem. Most of these books will also have a great amount of information to offer anyone who is in the business of telling stories. From novels, to short stories, to graphic novels and poetry, we all use words to paint on the canvas of the mind. As a bonus, I’ve added a few Honorable Mentions as well. Books are arranged by authors name.
#1 – The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell
This classic book should be an absolute essential for any writer. Campbell delves deep into a cross-culture analysis on how we, as human beings, tell stories. Using classical mythological structure, Campbell deduced a method for telling stories by describing The Hero’s Journey – a multi step epic in which our Hero evolves into a fully realized person. This psychological structure is so ingrained into our minds that we don’t even realize that it’s still used in virtually every single story and movie ever made.
Building off the works of Carl Jung, Campbell describes the classic archetypes present in these tales and indeed, patterns that we base our own lives off of. This is the study of the human mind and how it relates its journey and evolution to its fellow beings. Crossing the entire planet and reaching back to the beginning of recorded history, these studies will be a great help to any writer. Plus, you may even learn a little about yourself!
#2 - Screenplay, Syd Field
The late great Syd Field continues to inspire writers by laying down solid theory in his best selling book. He takes the beginning writer on a step-by-step process that builds a conceptual foundation of subject, character and story. This is followed by clear instruction in working with the Three Act story structure, essential plot points, crafting scenes and building the over all story line. He also includes extremely helpful sections on adaptation, collaboration, and what to do when your screenplay is done. This is a perfect “101” style book for any beginning writer, or a solid companion for experienced writers who need to make sure they stay grounded in the critical basics. In addition to this book, a couple of Syd Field’s other books, “The Screenwriter’s Workbook” and “The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver” make perfect addendums to Screenplay as they get more into depth on rewriting and making adjustments to your completed script.
#3 – Writing Screenplays That Sell – Michael Hauge
This best selling book, now in it’s 25th year of printing, continues to be a stalwart in screenwriting circles. Hollywood heavyweight, Michael Hauge, lays down a fantastic, systematic approach to writing screenplays in a way that is natural but still creative. He takes the time to let the reader know about the true purpose of the screenwriter and reflects on dealing with the important challenges of the craft, forming outlines and dealing with the enigmatic writer’s block. Before the first FADE IN: he makes sure the writer understands story concept, character development, theme and structure. He draws on successful films to illustrate his points and continues to assist the writer with insightful chapters on the business aspect of the screenwriter’s career. His easy to read style is certain to be a huge assist in any writer’s life.
#4 - Lew Hunter's Screenwriting 434 - Lew Hunter
This is one that you probably won’t see in many similar Top 10 lists, but Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434 was a huge help to me early in my education. Hunter was a preeminent screenwriting professor at UCLA’s film school for decades and this book encapsulates this advanced writing class. He breaks his topics up in clear, concise, and easy to digest sections. His instruction is unique and personal as he talks directly to “you” and challenges you to perform certain tasks and exercises. He then takes you on a journey of writing an original screenplay along with him. He starts out exploring various ideas, and then shows how those ideas expand into characters, themes, plot points and then an outline. Then, along with you, he writes out the rest of the script, showing the reader the thought process as his ideas evolve into scenes and acts and then finally, a completed script. He has a brief section towards the end on rewrites and dealing with criticism, but the real gem in this book is his direct, hands on approach with the reader in completing a script. A fun and original addition to the writer’s library.
#5 – The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters – Karl Iglesias
I wanted to include a few books that dealt with some of the other aspects of the writer’s life, rather than just the specific act of writing. So much of how we perform our work relates to the rest of our life that surrounds us. The lifestyle we choose, the people we spend time with, our workspace… all these things contribute to how we end up putting words on a page. Iglesias’s “101 Habits” is a fun and light glimpse into the minds of dozens of writers on their approach. Divided into topics, the book does address more pertinent issues like storycraft, marketing, agents, and pitching, but also less addressed topics like establishing a creative work environment, summoning the muse, self-discipline, and keeping your passion for writing alive. For not being a traditional instruction book, this short volume sure teaches a lot and has provided me with numerous insights and helps.
#6 – My Story Can Beat Up Your Story – Jeffrey Alan Schechter
Weighing in at a lean 164 pages, this aptly titled book is my pound for pound favorite. Schechter’s easy to read and tight instruction has been a constant reference point for me since reading this book. His valuable insights into the concept, development and outlining process has saved me hours, and probably days, of work. He has expertly broken down the core structure of films and lays it out in a way that’s easy to follow and duplicate with you own projects. He makes great use of the work of Joseph Campbell and synthesizes it into a simple system that works flawlessly in the screenwriting medium. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I reference this book at least a dozen times on every project I write. If you really need some solid screenwriting advice and time is a premium for you, then this one should be at the top of your list.
#7 – Making a Good Script Great – Linda Seger
There is a popular (and mostly accurate) notion among writers that the first draft of anything is just crap. As the author of said crap, it can often be daunting to try and assess what to do next. Hollywood writing stalwart, Linda Seger not only offers sound advice on the creation of your first draft, but focuses on the hard work that follows with subsequent rewrites. Hemmingway himself noted, “The only kind of writing is rewriting”. Seger really excels in her analysis of creating character arcs, dealing with sub plots and keeping all the scenes focused on the critical elements of the script. Since rewrites are such a critical part of the craft, it needs to occupy more of our attention and focus. Seger’s book, now in it’s 3rd edition, helps to do that.
#8 – The Screenwriter’s Bible – David Trotter
"The Screenwriter’s Bible" by David Trotter was a late addition to the list. As I mentioned previously, not all book learning is equal in its scope or content. Trotter’s text is quite large, coming in at over 400 pages, so the amount of material it contains is impressive. He divides the volume up into 5 “books”, each covering a different topic. Book one is a primer on writing a script, two is a workbook approach to creating the story, three is a section on formatting and proper style, fourth is on revisions, and the fifth and final is a section on developing a marketing plan. Despite the step-by-step approach, I do not think this is a book that works well reading straight through. I think the first two sections are dealt with better by other texts and aren’t quite as insightful. The same idea applies to the fourth and fifth sections as well. However, the third “book” on style and formatting is very well done and is worth having the text just for this section. It is a fantastic reference guide for how things appear on the page. It’s very thorough and even addresses many of the odd and unusual questions that might arise outside of the typical scripting scenarios. For instance, how to properly format overlapping or simultaneous dialogue, cross cutting during telephone conversations, and how to portray emails or other digital text on screen. Aided by a very helpful index, this section can be a lifesaver when you want to make sure your words appear on page as professionally as possible.
#9 – The Writer’s Journey – Christopher Vogler
Vogler pens a masterful companion volume to Campbell’s Hero of a Thousand Faces. Where Campbell’s work frequently ventures into a study of mythology and human psyche, Vogler brings it all back into a tight focus specifically geared for writers. Drawing from numerous classic works, he effectively illustrates the sometimes vague concepts of The Hero’s Journey. He thoughtfully addresses each step of The Journey in it’s own section that makes returning reference easy and convenient. Even if you choose not to jump into Campbell’s opus, The Writer’s Journey will be an immense help to any writer seeking to create compelling and timeless material. There are must haves and must haves. This is the latter.
#10 – Mind Your Business – Michele Wallerstein
As writers, we frequently acknowledge that putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) can be a wonderfully cathartic, uplifting and fulfilling experience. However, it is also a business. The business side of show business is what former Hollywood literary agent, Michele Wallerstein’s book, Mind Your Business, is all about. Wallerstein pulls no punches in this concise insiders codebook to making sure your hard work pays off. She gives advice on agents and managers, the immense value of entertainment lawyers, networking, effective query letters, taking meetings and more. Advice of this kind rarely comes with a price tag as cheap as a paperback book and should be in the back pocket of anyone seeking to forge his or her way into the murky waters of the Hollywood system.
Honorable Mention
Aristotle’s Poetics
One of the earliest known works that directly deals with dramatic and literary theory. These concepts form the backbone of virtually all known methods of written and performed entertainment.
Writing Movies for Fun & Profit – Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon
This hilarious, self-mocking/self-worshiping, book basically amounts to highly successful writers Garant and Lennon, giving advice, telling horror stories and cutting through the fluff and dealing with the true goal of all writers… getting paid!
Adventures in the Screen Trade – William Goldman
This entertaining book, along with its follow-up, Which Lie Did I Tell?, is a fun memoir style publication, intercut with sound advice and tips on every aspect of screenwriting and the movie business.
Writing for Emotional Impact – Karl Iglesias
Screenwriting guru Michael Hauge famously stated that the writer’s number one goal is to elicit emotion. With that in mind, it should be a more conscious focus of writers to learn how best to do this. Iglesias’ book is a great primer on not only creating emotion, but also doing that with the idea of the script reader in mind. Before a film ever gets the green light, it’s got to leap off the page. Creating emotion is the way to do that and Karl Iglesias has the key!
Save the Cat! – Blake Snyder
It’s hard to think of a single screenwriting book that has spawned as much discussion, both positive and negative, as Snyder’s Save the Cat and his follow up texts, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies, and Save the Cat! Strikes Back. Most of the debate surrounding the book has to do with the perceived difference between formulaic and formula writing. Regardless, at some point in a screenwriter’s career Save the Cat will somehow be referenced. I think it’s important for a writer to at least be familiar with the approach and the core principals.
Baby Name Book
It may seem silly but I reference my Baby Name book all the time. Creating characters is an essential part of what we do and after a while, the brain just needs a little help finding unique identities for all the personalities inhabiting our make believe worlds. I heavily recommend one that has countries of origins, meanings of names and alternate spellings. You can never have too many names!
As many scripts as you can get your hands on!
It may seem like a no-brainer, but you should absolutely read as many different screenplays as you can get your hands on. They will give you great insights on how the pros do it and how their words translate to images on the screen.