Quick, to-the-point writing. This one is so full of directly usable information that I now think it is the first (the very first) *Update: changed my mind. See above* book every aspiring screenwriter should read before anything else. Yes, it is that good.

This fantastic book dissects stage drama, but it is equally applicable to screenwriting. It is DENSE with good information. HIGHLY recommended.

Many reviewers on the Internet have hinted that Linda Aronson's book is for advanced level screenwriters only. Wrong! Aronson shows that even with all the modern variations on story telling (multi-plot, multi-protagonist and non-linear plots), it all boils down to the venerable three acts. The modern screenwriter's library would be incomplete without this book.

Formatting is an important part of writing a screenplay. In fact, it is so important that improperly formatted scripts have been rejected out of hand. Give your script a chance in Hollywood, keep this book nearby.

This is supposed to be the grandfather of modern screenwriting books and some would treat this book as they would a doddering grandpa. Not me. Field covers all the bases in an easy-going way that suits my reading temperament. He's updated it to cover contemporary movies and so proves that the ideas behind storytelling are as constant as ever.

First read Aristotle's Poetics then, if you're a screenwriter, read Tierno's fantastic interpretation.