The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script [IMPORT] (Paperback)

by David Trottier (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Silman-James Pr; New Ed edition (1995)
• ISBN-10: 1879505266
• ISBN-13: 978-1879505261
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,271,568 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This wonderful book changed my career, July 13, 1998

By A Customer

My agent told me to buy this book, and it has helped me tremendously in breaking in. As a working writer, I am pleased to find something that is helping my career. (I sold my script.) The book is endorsed by an academy-award winning writer (William Kelly), some top agents, and other Hollywood types. As for me, it's the best screenwriting book I've ever read--bar none.

The writing primer section presents all of the sreenwriting fundamentals. It's perfect for novices and a good review for professionals. The workbook asks hundreds of questions that I use to keep me on track. I love the Character/Action Grid--an excellent revision tool. The formatting guide is easy to understand--I like it much better than Cole and Haag's classic. The marketing plan is what's helping me the most right now; it's very focused. Obviously the author knows the business. The resources section includes all the contests, script consultants, software, etc.

It's not the last word on s! ! creenwriting, especially for old pros; but it guides you in every aspect of screenwriting in clear, concise language. And it covers the basics. The book is jam-packed with info you can use.

115 of 116 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Invaluable Reference Tool for Screenwriters, November 6, 2001

By	"elvis_katzer" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script (Paperback)

Want to know the difference between "O.S." (off-screen) and "V.O." (voiceover), and when to use each? How about that between "Intercut" and "Match Cut?" Then you want to buy "The Screenwriters Bible," script consultant David Trottier's encyclopedic reference on creating memorable characters, on storytelling, and especially on formatting. I am an optioned writer, who has written several scripts (and TV sitcoms), yet I find Trottier's work an invaluable reference.

"The Screenwriter's Bible" is also useful as a marketing tool, especially his sample project plan and action plan, which all writers will find useful as a template. Remember, your great spec script is a business proposal as much as anything else, for a project which will run well into 8 figures, in most cases. Approach it with the same care and attention to detail that you would if you were trying to sell your garage software development firm to Microsoft.

Unlike many "How-to" screenwriting books, Trottier's sample query letters are actually quite entertaining. If I were a Hollywood suit, I'd bite at the sample "Wizard of Oz" example.

This book won't tell you how to write a great story (that's something that really can't be taught), but it will help you get the mechanics of the trade down. There are many terrible scripts which have been made into movies, but virtually all of them (even those starring Pauly Shore) get the details correct.

In summation, if I had to pick just one screenwriting book, this would be my first choice.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FINALLY!, February 21, 2000

By	Stephen L. Priori (Trenton, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script (Paperback)

The only reason I gave this book 5 stars is because, frankly, I couldn't give it 6 stars. As a beginning screenwriter, I became very discouraged when I could not find any reference manuals on spec scripts. Many were formal production script manuals that gave you everything you didn't need to know for getting a spec script formated properly. I began thinking anyone interested in screen writing is already working for the production company who already buys scripts for production (There must be a "spec script fairly" out there somewhere). Before this book, there were actually times when I put my writing off for the simple fact that I would have a fear of getting stuck trying to figure out what to include and what not to format-wise and have it interfere with the creative process.

But know thanks to this "Bible," it gives every answer to every to every question asked by a beginning screen writer trying to get his or her spec script in the proper format to get into the market. And that's just for formatting. I haven't even started to look at the last two books of the Screenwriter's Bible on marketing and references and if it's anything like the previous ones, I should be able to find every avenue available for getting my script at least read.

The Screenwriter's Bible is sectioned off into different parts for the different processes of the getting your screenplay off the ground and does a great job doing it. Can't think of anything that was missed. Thank you David Trotteir! I only wish that Hollywood will be as fair as you are.