Screenwriting Is Storytelling : Creating an A-List Screenplay that Sells!

by Wright, Kate; Hiller, Arthur

• ISBN13: 9780399530241
• ISBN10: 039953024X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-10-05
• Publisher: Perigee Trade

Summary

While most screenwriting books focus on format and structure, Kate Wright explains how to put story at the centre of a screenplay. A compelling story, complete with intriguing characters and situations created with these screenwriting tricks of the trade can become a box office blockbuster film. Screenwriters will learn: - Developing themes within the plot - Using structure to define the story - Creating memorable characters - Establishing moral dilemmas and conflicts - Achieving classic elements of storytelling in a three-act dramatic structure - Mastering different genres

Author Biography

Kate Wright is a senior instructor at UCLA Extension's internationally known Writers Program where she teaches "Script Doctoring: Rewriting for Production" and "Writing the Screenplay the Professional Way."

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xv
Introduction: "Screenwriters must become storytellers."	p. xvii
Screenthinking: "What is my story about?"	p. 1
Screenwriting Is Storytelling	p. 3
Movies Are Entertainment	p. 13
The Big Idea	p. 32
The Four "Story" Questions	p. 40
Form: 3-Act Paradigms	p. 45
Spine: The Process	p. 65
Integrating Form and Spine	p. 79
Critical Thinking and Creative Tools	p. 86
Screenplanning: "How does my story make the audience feel?"	p. 93
Genre	p. 95
Plot vs. Story	p. 106
Creating the Main Character	p. 112
Creating the Antagonist	p. 118
Supporting Characters Who Tell the Story	p. 123
Creating Dramatic Conflict	p. 129
Moral Dilemma and the Moral of the Story	p. 135
Following the Emotional Story	p. 146
Screenwriting: "This is what my story is about."	p. 153
The One-Page Summary	p. 155
The Step Outline	p. 160
Creating the Scene	p. 174
Originality	p. 182
Where Good Scripts Go Wrong	p. 190
Rewriting and Script Doctoring: "What is my story really about?"	p. 201
Writing Is Rewriting	p. 203
Breaking in and Staying There	p. 219
Breaking In	p. 221
Second Careers and Reinventing Yourself	p. 231
Postcript: "Becoming a Storyteller"	p. 239
Appendices
Entertainment Industry Organizations	p. 242
Screenwriting Competitions	p. 244
Popular Internet Websites for Screenwriters	p. 247
"Standard U.S. Format" and Elements of Screenwriting	p. 250
Bibliography and Recommended Reading	p. 251
Index	p. 253
About the Author	p. 261
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