http://www.amazon.com/Your-CUT.....keywords=Your+CUT+TO

I'm looking for a screenwriting book and was wandering if this is any good.

It would nice to have a book infront of me, I have Screenwriting for Dummies but that's not exactly what I'm looking for.

Good books to begin with:
Save the Cat
Story by McKee
the one by Syd Fields, maybe the best, I forget the name

But don't try to memorize these books. Read, absorb, think for yourself.

Break down movies on your own. Look for what works and what doesn't work. Patterns will emerge. You'll begin to see them. Not one pattern, patterns, for there are many types.

Finally, read pro scripts. It can be time consuming to read the whole script, but at least read the set up/act one.

There are people here, including me, who have a lot of pro scripts. Post requests for scripts you might be interested in and someone will help you out.

What about Screenwriters bible? Isn't that like the holy grail?

This one below is a gem:

How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make
by Denny Martin Flinn
1999


But as JS says, think for yourself too. Get a broad overview of knowledge from reading on the subject.

I've never read it.

this one is good too:  http://www.amazon.com/Making-G.....1XW25GQRV8MMQ4XR9885

Formatting is easy and just requires practice. It's nowhere near as rigid as certain long time amateurs will convince you it is.

Learn the basic rules, then read pro scripts. Recently written pro scripts.

You want to learn how to write so that your script more or less feels and smells like a script written by a competent writer. There's plenty of wiggle room within that. Then you want to focus on the important thing: crafting effective story. How can you grab your reader's attention? How can you keep him reading? How can you engage his emotion? build mystery? leave him satisfied?

Those are the things that are most important and take a long time to learn.

I like Screenwriters Bible, great for formatting tips and good in general, but don't rely on any single book, read a few and take the bits that you like from them.

Not familiar with the book in question.  

I found 'Your Screenplay Sucks' by William M. Akers pretty useful.  Nothing ground-breaking in terms of story/structure but he includes a decent section on writing action/description that I hadn't found elsewhere.

One book I'd highly recommend is 'Writing Tools' by Roy Peter Clark.  Though not a screenwriting manual it looks at effective writing across a whole range of mediums -- a lot of which can be applied to script writing.  It's helped me no end.    

Quoted from stevemiles One book I'd highly recommend is 'Writing Tools' by Roy Peter Clark.  Though not a screenwriting manual it looks at effective writing across a whole range of mediums -- a lot of which can be applied to script writing.  It's helped me no end.

Writing Tools besties, brah! I review this book once a week. Good to know I'm not the only screenwriter who reads it.

I have most of the books mentioned above but increasingly don't refer to them.

It seems to be there are the basics like

# Format - how to set it out and keep it lean

# Structure and plot - how to drive it forward and have it make sense

And then you go to the next level which is the subtitles between interaction, character nuance, pacing, common threads, genre and variations, etc

In fact I did look at the screenplay bible for this OWC but then decided it wasn't clear enough, so I did it my way...not sure it worked, but you shouldn't feel constrained if you think something else works.

I have the Writing tools but don't read it enough. To be honest I have been out of writing for a few months with a change of jobs etc so this OWC was a welcome return.

Johnny, actually I'm pretty sure I picked up W.T. after you recommended it in a post somewhere.  i love that he draws on such a wide variety of writing samples from journalism to prose.  Made me rethink my whole approach.

I also find his short chapter approach fits my short attention span perfectly...

Coolness. I found it after attempting to digest more advanced stuff, WT packs it into something that's easy for beginners to understand.

The only format books I have is Screenwriter Bible, though I haven't cracked that open in awhile. If I'm unsure of something, I usually just do it and ask for forgiveness later.

I read two. Save the Cat and Screenplay.

Read, absorb, give to your kids... or a charity shop, or car boot/yard sale, whatever. I don't need them any more. Like Johnny, I just do whatever I like now.

I'm just looking for something I can take out and about with me, when I got spare time I can sit down and read... flick through and remind myself of the rules.

Maybe a book which will inspire me a little.

Screenwriting for Dummies is alright, the Dummies series is pretty good tho.

Quoted from Max Maybe a book which will inspire me a little.

If it is inspiration you're looking for, as opposed to discussions of format or whatever, then I recommend Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman.  One of the top guys in the biz -- ever.  And deservedly so.  A wonderful book.

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Screen-Trade-Hollywood-Screenwriting/dp/0446391174

My wife bought me screenwriting for dummies as a birthday gift. She's not the most supportive when it comes to my hobby. I couldn't help but think she got a little satisfaction from that one.

Lol! My kids bought me Screenwriting for Dummies a few years back. I wasn't sure how to take that. Never read it...

I have a lot of books on screenwriting, but to be honest, I've only read one of them "How NOT to write a screenplay". I read it back in -06, I think. It taught me a lot of what not to do and it was funny too. I highly recommend it.

I learn faster by being told or shown what not to do rather what to do. I also have a hard time learning anything from reading.

I have a hard time reading books full stop unless it's an information book.

I just can't get into stories like that, novels ect.

Graphic novels I can do, comics I can do, Harry Potter? No. Fifty Shades? No.

Just thought I'd pop in again...

What about a book which is purely about formatting? As in, phone conversations, flashbacks, day dreaming, active voice writing, slugs, dialogue, camera direction ect.

Ahem.... http://screenplaywritenow.com/format-screenplay/ cough cough

Quoted from CameronD Ahem.... http://screenplaywritenow.com/format-screenplay/ cough cough

Nice one brother but I would prefer a book, something I can sit in bed with and flick through.

I will keep that link in mind tho, and before you say... I'm not going to print that shit out lol.

Paperbacks bruh, paperbacks!