Three Excellent Books on Screenwriting

Most “list” articles of this nature are usually about five items or ten items, so why have I only chosen three? Well, honesty for a start. They're the three I've read and find easy and helpful to use. I actually do use all three. The first thing I did was read them through from start to finish and once I actually started writing, they became invaluable to both dip into when needed and (in the case of the first one) follow practically from start to finish. In fact, my advice to budding screenwriters would be to do what I have done and use more than one book for advice on the subject. I may still be in the practising stage, but I wouldn't have even got started without these books.

Teach Yourself Screenwriting - Raymond Frensham

This was the first book on screenwriting that I ever bought and I have found it invaluable. It does exactly what it says on the cover - it helps you teach yourself screenwriting. It is well-laid out in chronological order of what to do first, then second etc., finishing with how to get your screenplay seen and other business aspects of the screenwriting industry. Also, not only does it have highly useful writing exercises to try as you go along, it has little quizzes to see if you can apply anything you've learned to existing movies. As if that wasn't enough, there are a couple of useful charts and grids which I have found really helpful to copy out and fill in with my own information. This book is also very positive and encouraging, written, as it is, with the expectation that you will succeed - a necessity for most starters as one of the biggest hurdles when writing screenplays is confidence. This book will inspire you with the confidence that you will be a success.

500 Ways to Beat the Hollywood Script Reader - Jennifer Lerch.

This book is written from a slightly different point of view. Set out in easy-to-read, well-categorized bullet points (five hundred of them, if you hadn't realised) this book approaches screenwriting from the point of view of what the Script Reader will expect to see in your script if he/she is to pass it on to a producer. It's almost like a huge checklist of do's and don'ts for your script - things to make sure you've included and things to make sure you've avoided. A very handy book to have for reference.

Screenwriting For Dummies - John Logan and Laura Schellhardt

I like the “…For Dummies” series of books. This one has all the advantages of the other books in the series - large pages, easy-to-read fonts, checklists, bullet points and all the information you need to get started on your screenplay. This book also contains information on getting an agent, marketing your script and making sure it gets read by a Script Reader. It also includes information on collaborating with other writers. I would consider this book a must-have, just like the first two in this list. In fact, if you're still not convinced, you can look at this book in detail at Amazon Uk

Other books you may find useful:

Save the Cat!: The Only Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need - Blake Snyder.

Mixed reviews on Amazon but it actually looks pretty good to me.

How to Write a Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method - Viki King

Some good reviews on Amazon - this looks like a book that I think I might buy!

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting - Syd Field

I couldn't write an article about screenwriting books, without mentioning Syd Field who has written several, some with mixed reviews, but this sounds like a book to have if you're interested in starting screenwriting!

I hope this article helps if you're looking for screenwriting books! My own advice would be - don't be afraid to type the first word. That's where the journey starts.