Apparently, they all thought writing a screenplay was a swell idea all at the same time. Pretty weird that it would just go poof! all at once. Maybe there are more lurkers of this board in your town than you think. Who could be watching you...?

Post 3161 ha-ha "I have made fire!"

Nobody on this board is from my town, trust me I'd know but I'll have to check the other book store tomorrow and maybe they can special order it if it's not backordered as well.

We already know you're the maniacal poster boy. Can't see anyone touching you on numbers unless you suddenly drop off the face of the planet and a new cynic takes your place.

I think I just got mine from a local book store that had it in stock. Can't remember where I read the recommendation though.

Well you guys post a lot more than I do anymore because I've finally got what I'd like to call a life so soon you won't have to deal with me.

Anyway the fact that I can't find this book even on e bay is kind of weird, Amazon probably has it but I don't have a credit card so I can't get one of those ordered.

I primarily post at work, and am not on the net that much at home, so whatever I do on here doesn't affect my "life" so to speak. I just pop in a few times a day and see if there is anything worth looking at. If I find something I reply. If I don't, I don't. I think this post is that last one I actually started.

I checked Amazon and OMG! there's a 4th Edition! Dang it, I hate it when stuff changes and I feel compelled to buy the newest version. Looks like it came out in August. So it's still out there and available.

And Trailer, let me be the first to say, "What?"

Excellent post. Very helpful. Thanks a ton.

This is an excellent resource. I hope it stays here forever. That's because I want to refer to it during my composition sessions, checking things off. Great post!

I'm really greatful for these post. It has been a great help in my developing my story

There really is no 'original' idea, as I've been researching different ideas for stories to write I've found that if you dig hard enough someone somewhere has at least written something along the lines of your idea.  Of course that's not to say that a writer can't create something new and fresh out of an old idea.

George, the palette checkpoints are very helpful.  I started using similar system before hearing about the screenwriter's Bible. I tend to do outlines differently  or so I've heard - (They are formatted kind of like a synopsis or treatment, but have no page limit and tend to include the important dialogue and scenes that I want a character to say and do)

I think the Steal. Shakespeare did is a bit vague, of course I'm pretty sure I know what is meant by this, but let me know if I'm way off base: Not flat-out plagiarism but more so borrowing ideas or themes and creating something new out of them where you make the "borrowed" idea invisible.  There was an author or screenwriter that noted this in an interview.  He said he had no problem with someone using the same concept or idea within a genre (i.e. beaming - Star Trek, Stargate, any of sci-fi show that uses it, etc)  

I want to elaborate by I've now drawn a blank on who it was that noted it   Time search for the interview again.

Thank you so much for posting this. I have the Screenwriters Bible, but I've never been able to follow the checkpoints and all b/c of how distracting all the discussion is. Never occured to me to copy them over into a single list and it is making a huge difference!

@mattman - Actually, Shakespeare stole pretty blatantly (Romeo and Juliet was very similar to a play by Marlow, which was based on the traditional story of Tristan and Isolde . . . ). The idea of copyright wasn't really around then, and if someone stole your plot/story and did it better then you, well, tha was your problem. That said, while he stole plots, and characters to an extent, his writing was entirely his own. And it was because he was such a good writer that he is still read and produced today.

It's a great book, I've been a fan of Mr. Trottier since I read it.

I think there's a new edition out there, one with a blue cover. I wonder if something has been changed or updated in the checkpoints.