The Writer’s Guide to Writing Your Screenplay: How to Write Great Screenplays for Movies and Television
Posted by adminSep 27
Product Description
With the average payment for a screenplay over $100,000, every writer knows that screenwriting is where the money is. In this guide, successful screenwriter and teacher Cynthia Whitcomb shares her extensive knowledge on writing for the screen. This book will teach you her proven techniques, including how to: • test an idea for its commercial potential
• plan a compelling script
• write great openings and endings
• create characters that gro… More >>
The Writer’s Guide to Writing Your Screenplay: How to Write Great Screenplays for Movies and Television
I bought this book to get a little more research done on the art of screenplay writing. I read the reviews. I read the author’s credentials and I bought the book. I started reading this book and noticed so many grammatical errors it’s not funny. I overlooked the first one because errors happen. Several more passed and I found myself being distracted by the typos and misplaced words so much that I couldn’t focus on the information. This book is by a writer; it was published by a publishing company and therefore one would think would have been subject to editing before it went to print. How can I take this book serious when the writer, despite credentials, hasn’t taken the time to be sure her own book was free of some, if not all, of the errors before printing?
An example is on page 25. She writes, “If I had faked this line, at least one guy in every movie theater would have flown enough to have been be able to smell the b.s.” Okay, what? “been be able”? There is no need for “be” in that sentence since she has the word “been” right before it. It just doesn’t make sense. There are a couple other places where I was able to figure out what she meant to write, but then there are places when I have no idea. I just had to move past it. In a traditionally published work, where the editing should have been done before printing, where the author is claiming to be enough of an authority on a subject to write a “how to” guide, the errors should be far less than they are.
I gave this work three stars because while I think the information could be useful, the errors serve as distractions that not only make the book difficult to read, but also difficult to trust.
Rating: 3 / 5
I bought this for my husband as a gift and he loved it. Helpful information offered to writers.
Rating: 5 / 5
This book is very good and very helpful for the beginning screenplay writer. I benefited greatly from its contents.
Rating: 5 / 5
I bought this book for my daughter in college. The book is easy to read and she has been able to teach herself how to write a screenplay. The tips in the book are most helpful and have helped her to organize her thoughts and put them onto paper.
Rating: 5 / 5
This was both informative and useful. Cynthia’s use of examples are few, but powerful and relevant. I have read both this book and Michael Chase Walker’s Power Screenwriting: The 12 Stages of Story Development, and if you have to choose one, buy this one.
I’d like to say more, but I’d be repeating myself. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5