Screenwriting : Books that will help you become a screenwriter. by Darshan Jaju

If you have Amazon account you may be able to read this for free.

A few of the books you mentioned are preaching from the hymn sheet. My book has a far different approach.

https://www.amazon.com/Tools-Not-Rules-ultimate-screenwriting-ebook/dp/B0BWCY8Z8V?nodl=1&dplnkId=e27cff8e-6a08-4061-9781-7296c85d6cf7

The book How to Write a Damn Good Mystery by James N. Frey helped me a lot.

Lajos Egri, The Art of Dramatic Writing

I have also read books by Russian authors on the theory of drama, but these books do not have an English translation.

Thanks for the link!!

I bought "Screenplay" by Syd Field and "Save the Cat" by Blake Snyder WAY back, Darshan Jaju. They both helped me understand scripts and structure better.

Dan MaxXx, maybe it worked 100 years ago, but now a screenwriter should study psychology, not read other people's sitcom scripts.

Dan Guardino, A sitcom is the most popular genre on TV. therefore, a screenwriter has the most chances to get a job among the writers of a sitcom. The question is, what's the point of studying scripts of other genres or a hundred sitcom scripts? But if the screenwriter knows psychology, he will be able to write a script in any genre.

Arthur Charpentier writers need to have a broad understanding of humanity, this is true. But you are conflating skill and the writer. A writer needs knowledge, then they need skill to translate that knowledge into a screenplay.

I often disagree with Dan MaxXx but on this topic he is 100% correct. You can only be a master by immersing yourself in the work of the masters.

These books (not mine - heavy handed self promotion) are created by people reading screenplays then putting the commonalities in to a series of beats or rules. These people didn’t create these books from their personal theories.

I would like a citation on the popularity of sitcoms. I know you work in the Eastern Europe market, so that may be different. Sitcoms are also a favourite of Aussie productions. But the big money seems to be limited series or dramatic series.

But to circle back around to DanM’s comment. Read screenplays isn’t just one way of learning, it is the most important way.

I've read 3/5 -- two more to go. WooHoo!

Craig D Griffiths, art is good because everyone can choose their own path.

DT Houston, There are things in scenarios that cannot be understood without psychology. but if you want to write a lot, this is your choice.

Thank you, everyone, for participating in the discussion. Your diverse viewpoints may vary, but they will greatly assist many young screenwriters in comprehending the psychology of writing.

Like anything else, practice makes perfect. I think Save the Cat and the Screenwriters Bible are great books, but it really boils down to personal writing style. Rules are meant to be broken. I'd rather just write a script and not think of anything else. Sure, someone may give me feedback about works and doesn't. But then again, those that don't do, teach. My two cents of course.

Just leverage your passion to consume everything you can. You aren't going to develop well from pure osmosis and you aren't going to develop well from pure theory.

What's depressing is when you're in the room with someone who claims this is their big dream in life yet they know so little about it.

You're welcome, Darshan Jaju. CJ Walley's book ("Turn & Burn: The Scriptwriter's Guide to Writing Better Screenplays Faster") helped me understand scripts and structure better. I need to finish reading the last part, but it's an incredible book so far! I plan to read Craig D Griffiths' book soon ("Tools Not Rules: The Ultimate Guide to Screenwriting").

I agree with what people said in the comments. Reading scripts is crucial! I've read a lot more scripts lately than I usually do, and it's helped me write my own scripts. Especially with writing action lines.

Arthur Charpentier understanding people is essential as stories (that matter) are about people. That is a given. But it has little to do with the craft and everything to do with the content. Those two things shouldn’t be confused.

We can have a magnificent poem that describes people and has insight into their soul. So the form is not the substantive issue. We are talking about books concentrating on the form of the exploration of humanity.

Craig D Griffiths, It is necessary to know psychology not only in order to create realistic characters and describe people's psychological problems, as well as variants of victim behavior. But mainly so that the author can conduct self-analysis, realize his life experience and, on this basis, formulate his own beliefs, which must be conveyed to the cinema viewer.

Dan Guardino, I wanted to make a Russian movie. and it's a little more complicated than you think. :)

Dan Guardino, You're twisting my words. I wrote that it is more useful for a screenwriter to study psychology than to read hundreds of scripts.

Arthur Charpentier that is incorrect otherwise therapists would all make great screenwriters.

My brother was an alcoholic that wrote for TV for years and now lectures comedic at college. My sister has a psychology degree, not a writer. A genius, yes, she also has a degree in meteorology and work for an airline.

I haven’t kept up with Russian cinema. But Luna Park is a classic. I suggest people hunt it down.

Maurice Vaughan Thank you for your suggestions, I look forward to take insights from the books you've mentioned.

Hello everyone, I respect everyone's thoughts and opinions but personally I think that every writer has their own style and way of writing, and one has to explore what works for them. Practice, consistency and exploring yourself helps a lot while improving yourself as a writer.

Craig D Griffiths, all Russian classics studied psychology. all Russian classics were playwrights. no writer has become a classic unless he wrote scripts for the theater.

Dan Guardino, Yes, my belief is that in modern cinema, a screenwriter should know psychology. Although, of course, he may not know her, but this will limit his potential for skill growth.

How about this screenwriting book? https://getbook.at/FizzyDays

You're welcome, Darshan Jaju.