The Newest Screenwriting SecretsWhat do an erstwhile stripper, an ex–gambling addict, and a stoned Canadian teenager have in common? They wrote your favorite movies, and they're not who you'd expect.Diablo Cody (Juno), Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler), and Seth Rogan (Superbad) are among the scribes interviewed in Script Tease, your main line to the most current screenwrit...

An instructional manual combined with proprietary worksheets, charts and fill-in lists designed to give screenwriters a better way to focus on the task of writing a screenplay.

Does Your Story Beginning Set You Up for Long-Term Success…Or Instant Failure?Ever struggled with finding the right spot to start your novel or screenplay?It’s a stressful situation, isn’t it?That’s because so much is at stake.All you want is to immediately catch the attention of your target audience (e.g. book browser, literary agent, Hollywood manager, studio executive) whose yes could change your life.But if your story beginning i...

The complete, clear guide to creating compelling plots for film-Integrate plot, characterization, and exposition to make stories real- Examples from new and classic movies examine great plots in actionPlot must be as much about the emotions of the characters as it is about the events of the story.That’s the message of The Art of Plotting, which teaches screenwriters how to integrate plot, characterization, and exposition to make stories compelling. Us...

Everyone loves - and hates - sitcom. On TV it's the goldmine genre, the one watched by millions. There's a special place in our hearts for Fawlty, Frasier, Blackadder and Brent. An absurd predicament, witty banter, a group of hilariously dysfunctional people: it all seems so easy. But is it? If you've ever said 'I can do better than that', then this is the book for you. How to be a Sitcom Writer will encourage, test and pull you through the comedy boot camp that is writing narrative-led ch...

From a longtime script consultant, "a vital aid to all writers, novelists, and screenwriters . . . invaluable" (Gale Anne Hurd, producer, The Walking Dead and Aliens).In this book, Linda Seger, author of Making a Good Script Great, shows how to create strong, multidimensional characters in fiction, covering everything from research to character block. She introduces concepts designed to stimulate the creative process, combining them with p...

Conquer Act Two. Complete Your Story in Less Time--and with Less FrustrationIf you’re like me, you know how your screenplay or novel* is going to start and end. Maybe not the exact image or line, but you’ve got a rough idea of what you’re going to write. So you begin writing your story with lots of enthusiasm...until you reach the middle, aka Act Two.That’s where you get stuck. Suddenly, all of your enthusiasm evaporates. Blank pages are scary in general. B...

Would you like to leap to the top of a reader’s “auto-buy” list? Or be added to Hollywood’s speed dial?These dreams don’t have to remain idle fantasies.They can become reality.You can be an auto-buy for thousands of readers.You can be on Hollywood’s speed dial.But, to accomplish these goals, you have to possess a very special writing skill.You have to be “a closer,” the kind of novelist or screenwriter whom readers an...

Make your story a page-turner; make a living as a writer.Wouldn’t it be great if readers stayed up all night to finish your screenplay or novel?After such an intense emotional experience, when they’re done with your story, these readers won’t quickly forget about it and reach for another spec script or novel in their TBR pile.Nope.They’ll transform into raving fans who’ll tell everyone they know about your work.That’s how you

Designed to take you from the moment you first put your pen to paper to pitching and selling your completed screenplay, this is one of the most inspiring books on screenwriting you'll ever read.Practical exercises will teach you the craft of writing for film and television, both mainstream and independent, the art of building your own plots, characters, dialogue and scenes. It gives you the skills you need to succeed and helps you critique your own work, meaning that at every step ...

Adaptations have long been a mainstay of Hollywood and the television networks. Indeed, most Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning films have been adaptations of novels, plays, or true-life stories. Linda Seger, author of two acclaimed books on scriptwriting, now offers a comprehensive handbook for screenwriters, producers, and directors who want to successfully transform fictional or factual material into film. Seger tells how to analyze source material to understand why some of it resist...

Millions of people dream of writing a screenplay but don't know how to begin, or are already working on a script but are stuck and need some targeted advice. Or maybe they have a great script, but no clue about how to navigate the choppy waters of show business. Enter Cut To The Chase, written by professional writers who teach in UCLA Extension Writers' Programme, whose alumni's many credits include Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl; Twilight; and the Academy Award nominat...