Screen Writing Books - a short review.

Screen Writing Books - A Short Review.

Something I would have found useful when I first became interested in screen writing.

1. Screenwriter's Bible. 4th Edn. Trottier.
For something that's supposed to be six books in one, only two of them are actually useful (III & IV). It's one of those books that people recommend like it's the holy grail of wannabe screenwriter texts, but to be honest, it's also probably one of those he-can-teach-but-not-do scenarios. The examples of his own writing make me die a little inside. Especially The Red Hat Bandit ( a child farts in a guy's face. Hilarious!*) and A Window in Time (An Egyptologist? Original.* Great characterization.*). That said, the structure section is actually not bad.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
Yes. Haven't found a better spec orientated format guide.

2. Rewrite. Chitlik.
I was expecting a lot from this book. It came recommended on Amazon, past UCLA lecturer, good reviews etc. But honesty, I don't think it taught me anything. Maybe his class is good, but this book was old hat. Nothing that isn't covered in a million other books. Maybe I was asking too much - a book on rewrites that could actually help me with my rewrite. I didn't find it here.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
No.

3. 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters. Iglesisas.
One word. Inspirational. Not in the sense of any of it was useful (I don't think we really need to know that Jim Kouf enjoys his coffee), particularly memorable ( Tom Schulman enjoys his naps), or meaningful (Robin Swicord takes a bath at the end of each day) but as an aspiring screenwriter, it gives me a vicarious thrill each time I sit down with it. Each time, it makes the impossible seem alittle more achievable. Tangible. And for that moment, for that feeling alone, it makes it worth every single penny of the purchase price.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
Yes.

4. 500 ways to beat the Hollywood Script Reader. Lerch.

To be honest, it's mainly filler. Opinionated filler. And the advice she gives isn't always right 100% of the time (i.e tip 360- Use lots of red herring's, phony leads, false clues and roads that go nowhere. Witt: It's a spec. Not a 110 page road map. Tip 484 Give the screenplay a new title. Witt: Exactly what the system needs - a script that's already been thoughtlessly sent out, rejected and re-sent to yet again clog up the already congested system. Brilliant.) Much of it is 'Well Duh" (Tip 450- Uncomfortable with your conclusion? Try a different ending.). And, much of it is plain contradictory (496 Eliminate unnecessary scenes or sequences. Witt: see comment on tip 360) And some of it is plain stupid (493 - Set your story in a different time frame to change the genre. Witt: Great. Change a bad rom-com from the 00's to a bad rom-com in the middle ages. That'll make more people see it* and a studio more likely to buy it*. That being said, it did send a few sparks flying in a direction I hadn't anticipated prior to reading the book.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
Yes.

5. The Hollywood Standard. Riley

A book on structure. Is more geared around shooting scripts rather than spec scripts. Not much use for spec writers.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
No.

6. Selling a Screenplay : The Screenwriter's Guide to Hollywood. 1989 edn. Field.

I think Syd Field's kinda beyond my time. The copy I've got is pretty old. Seems a little irrelevant.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
No. Not this edition.

7. Craft Screenwriting. Epstein.
Not bad, not exceptional. Fairly recent (2002), and its tips, though fairly standard, are fairly consistent (on the whole) with what the industry seems (from an outsider perspective) to be moving towards. However, to my knowledge, some of the facts are wrong (it was Matt Damon's company who did project greenlight, not Coppola's (zoetrope)). And the samples of his own writing aren't exactly top notch. Not a really memorable read.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
Maybe.

8. How To Sell Your Screenplay. Wilen & Wilen.

The exec interviews and pitch advice are interesting. Otherwise, alot of it is filler. Some of it seems to be inaccurate/dated i.e encourages page long pitches when execs in industry (ie WMA's Chris Lockheart @ http:twoadverbs.web.aplus.net/ and others) encourage a shorter query.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
Maybe.

9. Screenwriting for Dummies. Schellhart.

Bad. Just bad. It tries to be the Screenwriter's bible, but without the solid basis of structure like the bible. Much of the advice she gives is questionable (ie advocating "poor man's copywrite"- plain wrong legal advice.) She may have a degree in screen writing, but clearly, she's very much on the out in the industry. More so that your average screenwriter blog junkie. But really, I was the dummie. For wasting money on it.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
No.

10. How to write a movie in 21 days. King.

Can you probably write a salable, quality movie in 21 days after reading this book? Probably not, but you'll have a pretty hefty draft to play around with, which is better than I can say about a lot of other screen writing books. Not bad for such a tiny, old (1988) book.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
Yes.


11.Aristotle's Poetics

Everytime I hear a contemporary screen writer espouse the virtue of this text, it makes me cringe. I like to call spades, spades. Did this book inspire countless other great books on the art of dramatic writing and provide an influential and meaningful approach to the construction of drama? Yes. Was Aristotle an artistic visionary? Yes. Can the contemporary reader really gain much out of this book in its current, poorly translated form? I didn't find that the case. Maybe I was expecting too many answers. Maybe I was expecting something more riveting, more complex. But what I got was a lot of fancy words for the stuff a writer should be able to do naturally. Call me a Neanderthal. Call me an uncultured, barely literate charlatan. But, I think that people who praise the text like it's their ugly, chicken pox covered brat or, gasp, their screenplay, are ridiculous. In my opinion, these people 1. haven't actually read it. 2. are the epitome of pseudo-intellectualism.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
I bought it for one cent on amazon.com plus postage, but still no.

12. Psychology for Screenwriters. Indick.

I was looking for a text that could give me a greater insight into character development. What I got was someone banally explaining how scenes and characters from previous movies can be interpreting using psych 101. I.E the interpretation of the line "Suck my d***" as an expression of Freudian penis envy/female empowerment in G.I Jane. Kind of would be useful for a senior English exam, where you would be asked to analyze various discourses/character motivations in "To Kill a Mockingbird" or something like that.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
No.

13. Save the Cat- The last book on screen writing you'll ever need. Snyder.

Good book. Emphasizes concept, concept, concept. Some useful tips i.e make sure you test out the premise on people to see if its a good idea or not. Golden. And a good explanation of the "fourth wall". But is it the last book you'll ever need? Probably not.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
Yes.

14. Eats, shoots & leaves. Truss.

Hilarious. Not a screen writing book per-se, but an interesting read on punctuation recommendable to writers of any discipline.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
Yes.

15. Cool Million - How to become a million dollar screenwriter. Woodbury.

Despite such a reprehensibly tacky title, I actually found it to be an engaging and interesting read. Much like 101 by Iglesias. Most of the interviewees are blockbuster screenwriters, and their insights are invariably thought provoking. The material included was thoughtfully selected.

Would I still pay money for it knowing what I know now?
Yes.

*Cough, sarcasm.

Witt.