Gardner's Guide to Screenwriting: The Writer's Road Map (Gardner's Guide Series) [Paperback]

Marilyn Webber (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0966107578 | ISBN-13: 978-0966107579 | Publication Date: May 1, 2000

The Writer's Road Map is for anyone who has a great script idea, but doesn't know how to write it. You will learn how to develop marketable stories, create interesting characters, construct strong script structure, pen sharp dialogue, weave interesting themes, and write original scenes. This book provides building block exercises to help you identify the story elements in other films, and strengthen the development of your own screenplay.

Editorial Reviews

Review

lays out the rules of screenwriting in a clear concise manner -- Laurice Elehwany, Hollywood Screenwriter

About the Author

Marilyn Webber has worked as a professional writer in Los Angeles for the past eight years. Earning her M.F.A. at The American Film Institute, her work has garnered nominations for both an Academy Award and a Humanitas. In addition, her work has won an NAACP Award, an NEA Award: For The Advancement of Learning in Broadcasting, an American Association Library Award: For Most Notable Children's Video, and winner of The Indiana Film Festival.

Miss Webber began her career in children's programming, writing Saturday morning cartoons and animation teleplays progressing to writing one hour action/adventure and dramas for both day time and prime time television. During this period, her romantic comedy screenplay, How To Kill Howie, won Best Screenplay at the Texas Film Festival, while her science fiction script, The Lawless Legion, her action script, Mouth of the Cat, her drama, A Place Called Harmony, and television spec for NYPD Blue, Suffer the Little Children, all placed as Semi-finalists in The Writer's Foundation America's Best Contest.

She has freelanced for networks such as ABC and CBS, and for studios such as Universal and Disney. Her screenplays have been optioned by numerous producers including those at Hearst Entertainment, Saban Entertainment, and Paramount Pictures.

Miss Webber has taught creative writing extension courses through Johns Hopkins University IAAY program, as well as giving independent seminars on screenwriting and writing for animation. Occasionally, she consults as script analyst. A member of the Writer's Guild of America, she has also been a judge for the Cable Ace Awards in the category of dramatic writing.

Miss Webber's other titles in The Writer's Road Map series are Gardner's Guide to Animation Scriptwriting, and Gardner's Guide to Feature Animation Writing. She has completed a historical novel, and is developing it as a mini-series. Her latest feature film, Murder Seen, a suspense/thriller for Saban Entertainment, will be released in 2001. She continues to freelance for television, and is pursuing producing and directing her feature films.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: GGC Publishing (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966107578
• ISBN-13: 978-0966107579
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,562,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Distillation of Major Screenwriting Texts, July 22, 2000

By 

"theimitationofchris" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gardner's Guide to Screenwriting: The Writer's Road Map (Gardner's Guide Series) (Paperback)

Marilyn Webber has provided yet another screenwriting book to accompany the many other "how to write a script" books out there. However, she does an good job of distilling those numerous tomes into a simple guideline for drafting your first script. It's a nice, clear and concise manual for first-time screenwriters. More seasoned veterans won't learn anything new here; it's the same principles we've heard since Aristotle. However, kudos to Webber for providing the truths of screenwriting in a succinct manner.

For those who need a little hand-holding in your screenwriting, or a "road map" as Webber describes it, this book's recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, writer-friendly "how-to" guide., August 4, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gardner's Guide to Screenwriting: The Writer's Road Map (Gardner's Guide Series) (Paperback)

In Gardner's Guide To Screenwriting: The Writer's Road Map, Marilyn Webber draws upon her many years of professional experience and success writing screenplay scripts to show the novice scriptwriter how to translate a great script idea into a marketable story with interesting characters, strong script structure, engaging dialogue, interesting themes, and original scenes. This compendium of advice, techniques, strategies, samples and "how to" instruction is highly recommended for anyone seeking to write a commercially viable script for stage, screen, or television.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refresher for even the more experienced writer, February 3, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gardner's Guide to Screenwriting: The Writer's Road Map (Gardner's Guide Series) (Paperback)

Gardner's Guide To Screenwriting: The Writer's Road Map is designed specifically for those who have great script ideas for Hollywood films or television producers, but don't know how to set them down in appropriate formats. Marilyn Webber is an award winning author who writes professionally for both film and television. She shows how to develop marketable stories, create interesting characters, construct strong script structure, pen sharp dialogue, weave interesting themes, and write original scenarios. Gardner's Guide To Screenwriting: The Writer's Road Map is ideal for the novice and aspiring scriptwriter and holds much of value as a refresher for even the more experienced writer.