 | The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script by David Trottier
Buy new: $15.61 / Used from: $14.24 This book doesn't contain all of the answers, but it does contain most of the basics. To me, that makes it a good first read for those who are new to screenwriting.
|
 | Writing Drama; a Comprehensive Guide for Playwrights and Scriptwriters by Yves Lavandier
Buy used from: $249.24 An excellent book that's primary focus is on how to conceive and lay out a great story.
|
 | Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder
Buy new: $13.57 / Used from: $12.80 Has a nice outline for roughly where common plot points should occur within your story that I've used over and over.
|
 | Writing Dialogue for Scripts: Effective dialogue for film, tv, radio and stage (Writing Handbooks) by Rib Davis
Buy new: $13.82 / Used from: $11.89 Most screenwriting books will spend a brief time telling you what to do and what not to do with your dialogue. And telling you what is expected of dialogue within the context of the story. But then they don't go in depth and explain any of the fine details.
This book breaks it down and explains the fine points of writing good movie and stage play dialogue.
|
 | The 3rd Act: Writing a Great Ending to Your Screenplay by Drew Yanno
Buy new: $11.53 / Used from: $9.22 A really good book thats main focus is on maintaining the through-line in your story.
It pays a lot of attention to planting seeds of ideas early in the screenplay that pay off with what happens later in the story. This sounds very easy, but is a thing that many amatuer writers neglect to learn.
|
 | Funny Business: The Craft of Comedy Writing Second Edition by Sol Saks
Buy new: $14.21 / Used from: $5.86 This is an older book, and was out of print. When I bought it, I had to get a used copy. But it taught me a lot about the principles of good comedy writing.
|
 | The Screenwriter's Problem Solver: How to Recognize, Identify, and Define Screenwriting Problems by Syd Field
Buy new: $11.56 / Used from: $2.40 Okay. So you've written your screenplay, but something doesn't feel right. This book goes in depth on breaking down your existing screenplay, and analysing what's wrong with it, and how it can be stengthened and improved.
|
 | Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert Mckee
Buy new: $23.10 / Used from: $16.88 This book contains some wonderful ideas. But it is a little bit of a 'hard read'; he gets kind of technical.
It's definitely worth reading, but I'd save it for last, after you've absorbed the other writers' ideas.
|
Listmania!
