Screenwriting for Dummies [Paperback]

Laura Schellhardt (Author), John Logan (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2003

Includes all the essentials for writing a screenplay, from crafting dialogue to marketing a script
Packed with easy-to-understand guidelines and writing projects, Screenwriting For Dummies makes film writing accessible to novices and helps more experienced writers improve their scripts. This engaging guide walks readers through the essential elements of every good screenplay, from character development, to creating a story, to writing compelling dialogue, to adopting a screenplay from a different source. It also includes all the specific formatting details that go into writing a visual screenplay from scripting character introductions, to writing the camera into the script, to creating a cinematic collage. In addition, Screenwriting For Dummies covers the important task of selling a screenplay, including tips for getting a spec script into the proper marketing format, protecting intellectual property rights, and securing an agent.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ideal for general readers, the book uses everyday examples and addresses social issues such as sweatshops and fair trade." Moneywise June 2008 "A guide for absolute beginners, it will take you through the whole process".Writers Forum June 2008 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

"Valuable advice. . . . Presents any number of provocative and clever ways to understand the screenwriting process."
—John Logan, coscreenwriter of Gladiator

Packed with fun and helpful writing projects

Find your voice, craft your story, and sell your screenplay

So you want to write for pictures? This friendly guide walks you through the essential elements of a good screenplay, from crafting the plot to character development to writing compelling dialogue. You’ll discover how to write for different genres, think visually, format your screenplay, and get your script noticed by the right players in show biz.

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (January 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764554867
• ISBN-13: 978-0764554865
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Schellhardt provides clear analysis of structure, February 20, 2004

By 

CASSANDRE LEE (ROSEDALE, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Screenwriting for Dummies (Paperback)

Screenwriting for Dummies provides comprehensive information about how to construct a screenplay, from concept to pitch, but its most valuable aspect is Schellhardt's coverage of film structure. She shows the bones of a good screenplay in a manner that doesn't seem so much formulaic as archetypal: a movie starts with its status quo, hits an inciting incident; its protagonist forms a plan of action at plot point one, hits the high or low of his story at the midpoint, renews his efforts at plot point two, and earns his reward, or tragedy, in the conclusion. Schellhardt clued me in to the pattern, and now, when I sense a movie petering out or losing its focus, I have a notion why it happened.

Schellhardt also covers outline writing in detail and takes a couple of pages to discuss the purpose and interleaving of subplot, as well as the usual stuff about formatting and marketing. This has not only become my favorite book on screenwriting, but has proven useful in my evolving understanding of plot in fiction.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Thorough, January 5, 2004

By 

N. Johnson "Nathanael" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Screenwriting for Dummies (Paperback)

Laura Schellhardt, author of the book, spells it all out. I am always daunted when I set out to write a screenplay, but this book allowed me to break down that process into managable tasks. This book covers it all from the pre-writing phases of research, character development, outlines and plot structure to the writing phase of screenplay format, scene development and overall layout and ends with suggestions on how to further develop and revise your work when it is finished and eventually sell it. I recommend this book to anyone, as it covers topics that will make any screenwriter's work (whether beginner or pro) fuller and richer and the process all the more simpler.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good start but not the only resource, August 30, 2008

By 

E. S. (MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Screenwriting for Dummies (Paperback)

I have never written a script before so the "For Dummies" title, I thought, applied to me. However, as much as the book offers a lot on formulating a story, I was looking more for actual tips on structure and acceptable formatting of the physical script. There is very little of that in this book. The majority of the book deals with how to come up with a character, conflict, plot and all the other components of a story (something that I already have). If you are in the same boat as me, I suggest Christopher Keane's book, How to Write a Selling Screenplay.