Screenwriting Books
SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 1 OF 7.
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 2 OF 7.
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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."
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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.'"
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 3 OF 7.
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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'"
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TITLE: Successful Scriptwriting
AUTHOR: Jurgen Wolff & Kerry Cox
PUBLISHER: Writer's Digest Books
ISBN: PRICE: $ 18.95
COMMENTS: "Solid overall information."
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SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 4 OF 7.
LOOK PROMISING
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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SPECIFICALLY COMEDY
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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."
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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."
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SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 5 OF 7.
SPECIFICALLY TV
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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TITLE: TV Scriptwriter's Handbook
AUTHOR: Alfred Brenner
PUBLISHER: Writer's Digest Books
ISBN: PRICE: $ 10.95
COMMENTS: "Haven't seen it yet."
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SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 6 OF 7.
SPECIFICALLY FORMATTING
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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."
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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.
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SCREENWRITING AND RELATED BOOKS PAGE 7 OF 7.
SCREENPLAYS IN ORIGINAL FORMAT
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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.'"
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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."
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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."
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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:
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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
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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...
Go to the IndyFilm Home Page or go return to the Screenwriters Notebook.
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