Screenwriting for Dummies® Book

	Foreword	xix
	Introduction	1
	About This Book	1
	Conventions Used in This Book	2
	Foolish Assumptions	2
	How This Book Is Organized	3
	Icons Used in This Book	4
	Where to Go from Here	5
Part I	So You Want to Write for Pictures	7
Chapter 1	An Introduction to the Art of Screenwriting	9
	Thinking Visually	10
	Developing the Writer's Mind	10
	Approaching Screenwriting as a Craft	11
	Finding Your Screenplay's Story	12
	Working through the Writing Process	12
	Formatting Your Screenplay	13
	Constructing Your First Draft	14
	Rewriting Your Script	14
	Adapting Your Screenplay from an Outside Source	15
	Selling Your Screenplay to Show Business	15
Chapter 2	Preparing to Think Visually	17
	Exploring Other Mediums	17
	The Visual Life of a Screenplay	21
Chapter 3	Diving Into the Screenwriter's Mind	25
	Learning from Other Writers	26
	Developing an Artistic Sensibility	29
	Recognizing a Story When You See One	33
Chapter 4	Approaching Screenwriting as a Craft	37
	A Look at the Creative Process	38
	Imagination: Your Creative Arsenal	39
	Craft: A Vehicle for Your Imagination	46
Part II	Breaking Down the Elements of a Story	53
Chapter 5	Unpacking Your Idea	55
	I Have This Great Idea. Now What?	55
	Getting to Know Your Audience	58
	Knowing What Happened Before Your Story Began: Creating the Backstory	63
	Identifying the Tone of Your Piece	66
	Deciding When to Start Your Story	67
	Getting to Know Aristotle: A Dramatist's Best Friend	69
	What's It All About?: Writing a Nutshell Synopsis	70
Chapter 6	Plot Part I: Beginnings	73
	Enhancing Your Opening Images	73
	Tracking Success: Five Compelling (and Contrasting) Movie Beginnings	79
Chapter 7	Plot Part II: Middles	83
	Deciding What Comes Next	84
	From Lights to Camera to ... ACTION!	85
	Status: Where's the Upper Hand?	89
	What's Your Problem? Introducing Conflicts and Obstacles	91
	Exposition: From Clunky to Creative	93
	Determining What to Write from What You've Already Written	96
	Continuing Success: Tracking Three Successful Movie Middles	98
Chapter 8	Plot Part III: Endings	103
	How Do You Know When You're Done?	104
	Danger Will Robinson: Threats to an Otherwise Healthy Plot	112
	Ultimate Success: Tracking Three Movies through Their Triumphant Conclusions	117
Chapter 9	Character Building	121
	Portrait of a Person: Constructing a Physical World	122
	The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Constructing an Internal World	129
	From the Inside Out: Making the Inner World Visible	133
Chapter 10	Say What? Constructing Dynamic Dialogue	139
	Diction: What's in a Word?	140
	Name That Tune: Crafting Your Character's Music	148
	Putting It Together: Letting Your Characters Speak	154
Chapter 11	Maintaining an Audience's Trust: A Screenwriter's Responsibility	161
	Screenwriting and Ethics	161
	Screenwriting and Responsibility	163
	The Immunity Factor	165
Part III	Turning Your Story into a Script	167
Chapter 12	Mapping Out Your Screenplay	169
	Conceptualizing Your Concept	170
	How to Treat Your Treatment	172
	Exploring the Ins and Outs of an Outline	174
	What to Do When the Outline's Through	178
Chapter 13	Surviving Writer's Block	181
	From Panic to Peace: Switching Mindsets	181
	Reevaluating Your Routine	186
	Seeking Outside Help	187
Chapter 14	Formatting Your Screenplay	191
	How the Screenplay Looks on the Page	192
	Key Formatting Elements	195
	A Sample Scene	208
Chapter 15	Putting It Together: Structuring Your First Draft	213
	Navigating the Three-Act Structure	213
Act I	Introductions	214
Act II	Salting the Wound	218
Act III	The Final Frontier	222
	A Note on Subplots	224
Chapter 16	Take Two: Rewriting Your Script	227
	Downshifting between Drafts	227
	Back in the Saddle Again: Rewrites	238
	Finding a Reader	239
	Your Critique: Surviving the Aftermath	241
Chapter 17	Adaptation and Collaboration: Two Alternate Ways to Work	243
	Navigating between Forms	244
	The Process of Adaptation	249
	The Art of Collaboration	252
Part IV	Selling Your Script to Show Business	255
Chapter 18	Before You Send It Out: Pre-Marketing Considerations	257
	Understanding the "Biz" in Showbiz	258
	Preparing Yourself for the Biz	260
	Polishing the Copy You Send Out	267
	Protecting Your Work	270
Chapter 19	Getting Your Screenplay Noticed	273
	Designing Your Own Package	273
	Preparing to Pitch	278
	Finding an Agent	281
	Approaching an Agent	282
	Pitching Your Script without an Agent	287
	What to Do When They Say Yes	289
	Looking Ahead: Upon Achieving Success	291
	A Final Note	292
Part V	The Part of Tens	293
Chapter 20	Ten Screenwriters You Should Know	295
	William Goldman	295
	Ruth Prawer Jhabvala	297
	Alan Ball	298
	Nora Ephron	298
	John Logan	299
	Amy Holden Jones	300
	M. Night Shyamalan	301
	Callie Khouri	302
	Christopher Nolan	303
	Nia Vardalos	304
Chapter 21	Ten Movies You Should See and/or Read	305
	A Note on Criteria	306
	Citizen Kane	306
	The African Queen	307
	Rear Window	308
	Guess Who's Coming to Dinner	309
	E.T. the Extra Terrestrial	309
	Ghost	310
	Sling Blade	311
	Life Is Beautiful	311
	Shakespeare in Love	312
	Signs	313
	My Big Fat Greek Wedding	313
Chapter 22	Ten Screenwriting Myths	315
	Index	321