Screenwriting From The Heart [Paperback]

James Ryan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0823084191 | ISBN-13: 978-0823084197 | Publication Date: January 1, 2000 | Edition: annotated edition

This engaging book takes a step-by-step approach to showing aspiring filmmakers, writers, and movie buffs just how a script is driven through the development of compelling characters.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Ryan is a screenwriter, director, playwright, and teacher. He has written screenplays for Hollywood Pictures, Warner Bros., and Spring Creek Productions. He is the writer and director of the film the Young Girl and the Monsoon, wrote for the Days and Nights of Molly Dodd on television, and his plays have been produced off-Broadway and in many theaters across the country. He is an adjunct Professor of Playwriting in the Actor’s Studio MFA program at the New School for Social Research University in New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Billboard Books; annotated edition edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823084191
• ISBN-13: 978-0823084197
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #733,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for Screenwriters, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Screenwriting From The Heart (Paperback)

At last, a book that makes sense and really gives you incredibly insights into the craft of screenwriting! Written by someone who is a professional screenwriter that teaches rather than a professional teacher. He's a professional playwright, screenwriter, and film director. Ryan's "field" knowledge of how to write a film bleeds through every page in this book. I read many of the books on screenwriting, Syd Fields, Linda Seger, "Alternative Scriptwriting"(couldn't understand a page of it), McKee's book (totally incomprehensible), only Lew Hunter's book has the clarity of Ryan's book, but Lew seems to be old Hollywood, and Ryan is new Indiewood. He shows you how to make films like American Beauty, Magnolia, Topsy Turvy, Fargo, Shine, Rushmore, etc., -- ones that win Academy Awards. Films that break the "rules" of the Hollywood formula -- the three act structure -- taught by everyone, it seems. He shows you that a film can be one, two, three, or ten acts, if you like. It all depends on your purpose and what you are trying to express.

Ryan recommends you start with your characters first. Create them, and then let them lead you to a story and a structure. When you write a script this way, you come up with more original, specific, and complex material -- scripts that will last the test of time (god, no book ever talks about that). He shows you how to free up your unconscious imagination in order to create great characters and stories -- ones that have a fresh perspective, that, as he says, "gets past the obvious choice." He gives really clever ways to create magnetic characters and to create a really good scene. And his advice on how to get your script noticed, how to use process, was completely honest and, again, so, so, clear.

I plan on visiting New York soon just to take his private workshop. I give this book a ten out of ten!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second Subtitle Says It All, August 16, 2006

By 

J. Adams (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Screenwriting From The Heart (Paperback)

This is a great book, unfortunate title, but great book. It's subtitle regarding compelling characters is on the nose - which in this case is a good thing.

This is probably not the first screenwriting book you should read, but definately one you should read before you try to fill that empty page. Realize that screenplays are highly formatted, and the writer can't stray too far from that structure and expect to have his work read. But, if you have read Ackerman, Field, Hicks, Hunter, Kitchen, Walker, and/or Russin & Downs there is STILL MUCH TOO LEARN in the pages of this book! For a different way of developing your story within that strict screenplay format (maybe THE way for your style of writing or conceptualizing a story) I highly recommend "Screenwriting from the Heart". My only complaint is that it seems Ryan hasn't written any other books since.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars feed the roots, November 25, 2000

By 

Bala Rajasekharuni (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Screenwriting From The Heart (Paperback)

James Ryan's idea of writing from the heart reinforces confidence in the hearts of novice writers. As opposed to most of the other approaches which scare the novice showing that the writing process is an alien mechanism which has to be learnt from the seasoned Gurus or some institutions, rather than by intuition. Ryan demystifies the myth behind the writing process as, "there is nothing very abstract or academic about writing; it is an art form, yes, but first and foremost it is a craft." (pp. 5) While reading the first half of the book, this starting assurance has helped me to proceed further with enthusiasm. But, somewhere along the line, I found a question which was bothering me. That is, "How do you judge your own work whether you have achieved a genuine product of your heart or synthetic product of overflowing intellect, based on this approach?" I didn't find the answer to this question yet, but, this question is not meant as a complaint. James Ryan explains how the intangible creative flow from the heart can be triggered consciously by choosing an object. This exercise sounded very interesting and promising. Over all, this is a very useful book for both beginning writers and experienced writers.

One small comment I cant resist sharing with the co-readers and the author: On the one hand, Ryan advocates the ORIGINALITY that a writer can discover from his/her work, and on the other hand he tells us how there are already existing/fixed styles and types of films. This comes as a slight contradiction in the book: if every writer starts respecting his/her own originality, he/she can't stop it at the content only..it could eventually extend to inventing a new style or type!

I wrap up again summing up that this is a great book which gives a deep insight into the complex writing process without scaring the novice writer.. and to an experienced writer, it serves as a tool to re-examine if he/she is on the right track. This book shows us how we can control the final product, the screenplay by working on the central controlling element, the heart, just like how we can affect the external beauty of a plant by just feeding its roots. 'the heart.'