Most screenwriting books have a contribution to make towards the craft of writing for the screen, if only to establish the format necessary for the presentation of a screenplay.

A few books do provide an insight into how to create depth in a story, to generate conflict and establish more interesting characters, even how to bring emotion to your characters and give passion and pace to your story.

But one element seems to be overlook in many books and certainly by many writers, particularly when they begin their career as a screenwriter, and that is the entertainment factor.

But what is entertaining to one person almost certainly won’t be to another, but that is what a producer has to deal with.

Part of a producer’s problem is surmising what the market place may be like or want between reading a script and releasing the movie, and that can be several years apart.

The first hurdle that a writer has to overcome is in providing a script that a reader wants to read and having read the reader wants either to pass to someone up the chain, produce or invest in, or maybe just give a glowing review or critique on.

Considering what makes a good novel is a good place to start in discovering what makes a good screenplay. Comments like. “It’s a page turner, I didn’t see that coming, I laughed out loud, I love the author’s style, it’s such a great story and I couldn’t put it down, are great places to start.

The reader making any of the above comments was entertained and often that starts from page one. Not necessarily from being dropped into a cauldron of action but maybe by the elegant use of the language, a turn of phase, an introduction to an interesting character or situation.

Now, where as it is possible to learn the craft of scriptwriting, including the guidelines for format, structure and presentation from a book, can you learn the art of writing from a book?

No matter how many hours you sit with a piano teacher if you do not have a sensitive touch you will never be a good pianist, although you will learn to play the piano.

Attending art classes, understanding how to mix colours and the use of perspective will not create a great artist, but your Auntie Maude will love one of your paintings next Christmas.

The same applies to a writer.

Obviously knowing how to format, understanding the three act structure, the nuances of presentation, even how to create interesting characters, sparking memorable dialogue and sub plots all help, but having an entertaining, well paced enjoyable original story, requires a talent that I do not believe can be discovered in a book or even on the multitude of courses available.  

Many filmmakers including writers are successful because they somehow knew instinctively they were that good, that different, that original. It is the same with many stage performers, they knew they would make it.

Sure some fail and often it just a question of good luck or bad luck, maybe being in the right place at the right time, taking a risk and going that extra mile, but it is always a matter of talent and then the skills of the craft.

Please note the order I put that, talent and then the skills of the craft. The talent is the artist within the writer the skills are the lessons in the books.

You only have to watch “America’s Got Talent” or the “X Factor” to realise the majority of entrants do not have any talent but because of the glamour of the stage they are drawn like moths around a lamp.

The film industry is the same, and each year about 100,000 new scripts enter the market place, adding to the 7 to 8 hundred thousand already circulating.

Like the many want-to-be singers and actors, the number of want-to-be writers struggling to find their voice, a stage for their material to shine on and somebody who loves their work as much as they do, are struggling because they have no talent.

Maybe believing in yourself, thinking you have the talent to create outstanding original, entertaining stories may fool yourself, but it won’t fool the audience.  

Finding out how to present your stories is just a matter of study, hard work and reading McKee, Trottier, Snyder, Field and All That Jazz.

Finding out if you have the talent is a much harder job but if you have a distinct voice, a turn of phase, a sense of adventure and are prepared to put the hours in, it can be fun if nothing else.

Believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you.

There are many performers, stage and screen who do not have talent, but they have studied the craft well enough to fool the audience, although sometimes only for a short period.

If you want to have a chance in this business study McKee, Trottier, Snyder, Field, then hopefully All That Jazz will come to you.

I have read the same thing in books by the authors you have mentioned and straight from the horses mouth from some successful screenwriters in a book I found called The 101 Habits Of Highly Successful Screenwriters at a used book store. Some of the craft can be learned, some cannot. I guess all of us are hoping that the talent of writing snappy dialogue (turn of phrase), interesting characters and moving/emotional storylines is in us. The thing that is great about it is that if you have some, even a little, it can grow with practice. The other thing is that if you don't have some, even a little, then you most likely will never make it as a screenwriter.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

James