 | The 101 Habits Of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider's Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers by Karl Iglesias
Buy new: $9.20 / Used from: $5.96 An excellent introduction to the writing and business aspects of the game.
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 | Hamlet (The New Folger Library Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare
Buy new: $5.99 / Used from: $0.10 After you've read it a few dozen times, read it again. Ask critical questions (ie. what was Hamlet's relationship with his parents like prior to the death of his father, and how does this impact things?) Evaluate.
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 | The Complete Greek Tragedies, Volume 2: Sophocles by Sophocles
Buy new: $36.45 / Used from: $29.99 Clear, concise, brutally effective writing. Stay with me.
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 | The Suicide Club (Dover Thrift Editions) by Robert Louis Stevenson
Buy new: $3.00 / Used from: $0.01 Excellent stories. Always remember that screenwriting is storytelling.
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 | Bleak House (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens
Buy new: $8.64 / Used from: $1.94 Or Great Expectations, or David Copperfield, or other Dickens.
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 | Heart of Darkness (Everyman's Library) by Joseph Conrad
Buy new: $11.56 / Used from: $3.66 Words have the ability to take one to the deepest, darkest places.
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 | The Art Of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives by Lajos Egri
Buy new: $10.80 / Used from: $1.67 A solid foundation but don't let it kill your creativity.
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 | Stalker
Buy used from: $16.99 Intelligent cinema. Tarkovsky was the master. Story is told with imagination and imagery.
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 | Withnail and I: The Screenplay - 10th Anniversary Edition by Bruce Robinson
Buy used from: $8.39 Most scripts should read quickly and be enjoyable. Make every word count and cut out the ones that don't (see Sophocles).
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 | Once Upon a Time in America (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Buy new: $24.99 / Used from: $11.19 In my opinion, one of the best movies ever made.
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 | The Big Sleep (Snap case)
Buy used from: $3.88 One of the best Noirs ever made, but transcends genre.
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 | Casablanca (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Buy new: $20.99 / Used from: $5.00 Elegant and timeless.
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 | Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman
Buy new: $13.59 / Used from: $4.09 Do you know what you're getting into? Also, Goldman is a fine screenwriter and his scripts are a pleasure to read.
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 | Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit
Buy new: $11.70 / Used from: $7.11 Nuts and bolts that will apply to other genres as well. Stay away from the screenwriting gurus.
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 | Writing Screenplays That Sell: The Complete, Step-By-Step Guide for Writing and Selling to by Michael Hauge
Buy new: $12.24 / Used from: $0.99 Covers the fundamentals of the craft and business in a straight-forward way.
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 | How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make by Denny Martin Flinn
Buy new: $11.53 / Used from: $6.95 Fills in many gaps other authors leave. You're on your way now. Remember the importance of the story concept.
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 | The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk Jr.
Buy new: $9.95 / Used from: $0.69 Learn to be your own editor.
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 | Making a Good Script Great by Linda Seger
Buy new: $9.32 / Used from: $2.98 Anyone can write a script but only those who know how to revise and polish will sell.
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 | 2005 Writers Market (Writer's Market)
Buy used from: $0.01 Start targeting the market.
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 | Breakfast with Sharks: A Screenwriter's Guide to Getting the Meeting, Nailing the Pitch, Signing the Deal, and Navigating the Murky Waters of Hollywood by Michael Lent
Buy new: $10.87 / Used from: $6.05 A similar one is "The Script-Selling Game."
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 | The Screenwriter's Legal Guide by Stephen F. Breimer Esq.
Buy new: $24.95 / Used from: $4.31 Be a professional and arm yourself.
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 | Time Out Film Guide, 14th Edition, 2006
Buy used from: $1.05 Remember to watch a lot of movies and be a thoughtful critic. Best of luck.
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 | Professional Hold'em Play by Play by Mike Caro
If you don't succeed, try the tables. If you do succeed, you owe me a coffee.
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