Customer Reviews

Story Sense: Writing Story and Script for Feature Films and Television

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Quite simply, this is the best practical guide to screenwriting I have ever read. Not only does Lucey have the right ideas, his skill and experience as a teacher shine through in everything from the structure of his chapters to the dozens of useful exercises. The sections on story ideas and story structure are incredibly good, helping you to choose, hone and develop usable story concepts and forcing you to ditch those that aren't. Lucey backs up his lessons with plenty of practical examples, a great glossary and an excellent bibliography - and unlike many screenwriting texts, this one is well-referenced and researched. If you're serious about screenwriting, buy this book.

This should be required reading for any type of writer--novelist, screenwriter, playwright. The sections on plot and character development are worth double what this book costs.

Too many "how-to" books on writing perpetrate the image of a writer as a conduit for mysterious creative forces. While I'm not entirely discounting that image, there needs to be a balance between writing as an art and writing as a craft. This book falls firmly in the craft column. It demands you cast aside any artistic pretensions and get down to the plumbing of creating a story. And it doesn't stop with the obligatory pep talk--Lucey shows you how it's done. And he shows it better than any other writing how-to out there.

If I could give this ten stars I would. Highly recommended.

This is a must for anyone wanting to learn screenwriting. Lucey presents a unique way of looking at the craft of screenwriting. Each idea and lesson is illustrated by a selection from one of several film examples used throughout the book. When you get done reading it, you want to start over -- and you should -- because there's more in this book than can be absorbed in a single reading.

When ordering several books on screenwriting this book caught my eye because of the high ratings afforded it by others. After reading it I fully concur with what others had to say. I went out and purchased DVDs of the four main example films (The Verdict, Terminator, Sleepless in Seattle, and Witness) that Mr. Lucey focuses on and they allowed me to pick up the fine points described in the text. His vast experience in script writing shows through in each of the topics discussed. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. For a detail-oriented individual such as myself, this book met all my expectations. If you are interested in this topic, this book is a "must have" by all means.

I don't think you can find a more practical guide. It helped me think through a lot of issues.

Especially helpful after you've been through McKee, Seger, Field, Cowgill, and all the other standards.

Mr. Lucey has done an excellent job in breaking down the steps of writing a screenplay. Most of us handle the job of writing on an intuitive basis, not realizing the process we go through in developing the story.

This book clearly explains that process, giving many examples from popular movies. It is a book that has such a wealth of information, you will want to read it more than once. It will be a dog-eared reference tool that you utilize for many years.

I have read many screenwriting books and this is the most complete. It takes you by the hand through each step of the process. I would recommend it to anyone interested in screenwriting. The book even states that if you follow the steps in the 12 chapters it should take you 120 hours and would be equivelent to a college course. No need for any other training. This book is it!

Lucey has effectively incorporated all the knowledge he gained from his years of writing for TV and teaching at USC and UCLA. Many of the concepts presented are practical and illuminating. Screenwriters, beginners and advanced, can find awesome value in this outstanding book.

In the process of writing my E-book 7 Steps to Create a Marketable Script I found story sense so helpful that if I could I would have put over 100 quotes from this book into my own. So yeah this book is amazing. Get it and use it! And for free screenwriting tips check out simonjmichael dot com

Thanks Mr. Lucey!

Sincerely,
Simon J. Michael, Screenwriter

This book should be a mandatory read for writers of all types and all levels. Story Sense offers the tools to develop an entertaining, clever plot with emotionally and psychologically dimensional characters. It takes you step by step through idea, plot, and character formulation, as well as explains how to develop structure, dramatization, and everything else you need to write the perfect screenplay or fictional story. You will find yourself highlighting passages and constantly refering back to this "bible" throughout your writing journey. Keep this book close by, it has all the answers you need as a writer.