Two Books to recommend, make that three

[StRogue]

William C. Martell-The Secrets of Action Writing

Denny Martin Flinn-How NOT to Write a Screenplay

anything from Syd Field..

If you write action, grab Martell's book. If you want to know why your screenplay doesn't quite work, get Flinn's book, if you want to know how to get started, get Syd's book. If these books don't help you in some way, God help you!

Charli

[Chris]

Loved it, because it showed some terrible examples of screenwriting, and then it was explained why they were so bad.

Don't like Syd Field's books, though. His stuff's a lot like those 'how to' books on brain surgery.... Not that I've read many books on brain surgery.

'STORY', by R. McKeee is a good read. Grab a copy of that.

[E J Pennypacker]

How Not To Write a Screenplay is a great book. So much so that I wrote a review of it at Amazon.

It's great to see that other people keep mentioning it in their top lists. If I started over reading books again, I wished I'd read How to first, I learn't so much from it.

Although, on a down point, I felt the longer the book went on, the less effective it got (I loved the examples too much I guess ;-) ...but the first 60% to 70% of the book is wonderfully helpful.

EJ (daniel)

[Pencey]

Syd Field is only good for beginners...

[UserName]

All those listed above, and (some of the titles may be slightly off -- this is written away from home)

- That book with 500 tips, by Jennifer Lerch
- Screenwriting Updated
- Writers guide to heros and heroines
- Screenwriting, from the 'Teach Yourself' series
- The Writer's Partner

[wcmartell]

Thanks Charli!

- Bill

[Thrillerwriter77]

I would also place The Secrets of Action Screenwriting on the first place.
Second book, that helped me quite a bit was Trottier's Screenwriter's Bible and for the third I would say Writing Beyond the Rules by Jeff Rush & Ken Dancyger.

[AkDrifter]

I was looking for your book "William C. Martell-The Secrets of Action Writing" today and was unable to find it. I did pickup the second book on StRogue listed.

I have another large book store I will try tomorrow.

There isn't a secret book store I should be looking to find it is there?

Ricky

[GroundlingCom]

Psssst! Check his website (http://www.scriptsecrets.net/).

I intend to do some shopping their soon. If his book is anything like his daily tips, it'll have a prominent place on my bookshelf ... right next to my rare anthology of rodeo midget porn.

Check out his booklets too. I'm a fiend for genre-driven stuff, and that's Bill's bread-n-butter.

[AkDrifter]

GroundlingCom,

Thanks ... I found it... funny how simple that is .. one day I just may learn to work the easy routes instead of the hard way...

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> thinks about what he just said... shakes head.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
nah .. never happen ...

thx again ..


Ricky

[wcmartell]

The book is back in Amazon - but I think the same problem with their ordering persists.

The reason why I stopped selling through Amazon in the first place is that they ordered small quantities... several times a month. Often with only 5 days between orders. They never increased their orders so that they would have more on hand. So they were always out of stock and I was always shipping books. Unlike Sam French and Writers Store which order a months worth of books all at once. My day job became shipping books to Amazon... too much work (and Amazon pays less than regular book stores).

They want the book back in stock, and I've agreed... but their first order was about a third of what they used to sell in a month. I hope this time they will figure it all out...

You can still get the book for $4 off through my website.

- Bill

PS: The book *is* back in stock at Amazon... but it;s still $4 cheaper through my website.

[Bill Marquardt]

Bill's book is great. He makes it seem so simple, and doesn't go off on intellectual sidetrips.

[StRogue]

Okay, that was then, this is now -

Secrets of Screenwriting by Bill Martell (that's still on the list)
A Writer's Journey (forgot the author) a must read
Screenwriter's Bible (only to get an idea of format)

Forget Syd Field, for those books help to get you to
understand the concept of screenwriting, they don't help
when you actually write a script, at least, not for me.

Stick with Martell's book and a Writer's Journey for content,
and the bible for format only.

Charli

[AGhost]

I will go to my grave screaming at the top of my lungs to any and all who will listen that the ONE BOOK that helped me THE MOST was Martell's.

Simply the best there is on not only Action writing, but pacing and structure in general. Plus, his voice throughout the book is tons of fun!

[Nickdabrick]

I just got it in the mail two days ago.
It's great.

I got it through his website -- fast service, four dollars off, and he even threw in a complimentary blue book about pitching.

On top of that, he signed it!

Whatta dude.

[echo2218]

1. Writing Fiction Burroway -- Okay, I know it isn't about screenplays, but this book is awesome. There is nothing she doesn't cover about the craft of fiction.


2. Deadly Doses, a writer's guide to poisons -- This is the strangest book I have on my bookshelf. My ex was very afraid when I bought it. OF course it didn't help that I would read the recipes out to him and discuss how easy it would be to make some.

3. The Writrer's Journey is great, but I still prefer reading the original Cambell's Hero with a Thousand Faces.


The Lively Art of Writing is my bible, though not for screenplays. I use this book when I teach composition classes. This is a book from the days when someone people spoke their minds about what is or isn't appropriate. Sometimes hard to find, it is worth the effort.

[wcmartell]

Thank you thank you and thank you.

By the way, my friend Anne co-wrote DEADLY DOSES. It's a great book that I have used as research in a couple of scripts. The BLIND TRUST script on my website has poisons selected from that book. From my bookshelf you'd think I was a serial killer or domestic terrorist or international arms dealer.

STRICTLY MURDER by the late Martin Roth is an interesting book - it's examples of all of the reports and paperwork involved in a murder investigation. From real crimes!

- Bill

[echo2218]

Yes, Bill, those books are amazing. When I first got them, I did feel strange about having them in my collection, but now I just appreciate the wealth of info in them.

Causes of Death is another good one.

I saw a few more I'd like to get at the store, but as a member of the Gleefully Unemployed Club (GUC) I will have to wait.

[BeefMissile]

I'd say How To Write Screenplays That Sell and Inside Hollywood. Opening The Doors To Hollywood, the 2002 HCD guide, and The Writer Got Screwed But Didn't have To are useful, too. Mark Litwak's books are good. www.marklitwak.com

[Rembrandt Writes]

St Rogue.......Thunder Taker!

Martell......phenom. Without that book I would still be a mile behind.

Writer's journey......phenom and very respected for story flow
It was written by Vogler based on Campbell's mythology. It pretty much defines my personal structural approach to 3 acts.

A little surprised Hunter's 404 not mentioned, I still use it as a resource fairly often for the solid facts and outlining.

REMb

[Deus Ex Machine]

Bill's book is excellent. A good companion to it is "writing the thriller film" by Neil D. Hicks. Neil also has an action film book out but if you are only going to buy one action book, make it Bill's.

If you are looking to round out your genre specific library, you can't go wrong with "writing the romantic comedy" by Billy Mernit.

Lots of other good books mentioned above. I'm surprised nothing by Dr. Linda Seger was mentioned, nor anything by Andrew Horton or Lew Hunter.

[filmcarver]

Deus

Hicks book is excellent, particularly for me his theory of separating the detective from the true thriller. It made me reconsider what my story was really doing rather that what I thought it was doing.

I was recommended Lew Hunter's book early on because they use it for the MFA at UCLA. I liked it a lot.

Bill Martell's book is a permanent fixture:D

[ReRight]

Syd Field's Screenwriter's Workbook was my first ever book on the subject but I liked his Problem Solver book better.

[32piecesflair]

Fantastic book - 5OO... by Jennifer Lercher, as already mentioned and the screenwriting one in the Teach Yourself series.

[Stinger]

Bill -- do you sign all the books you send out, or just the ones from DDers who compliment you? Uh ... great mustache Bill, really suits you. Name's Lee, I'll be ordering from you soon.

Honestly, I don't know why anyone would order Bill's book from Amazon or go look in the local bookstore, when we know where his website is. I suspect that he makes a couple more bucks selling direct, even with the discount. More money to the writer, what a concept. :D

[wcmartell]

I sign every book ordered from my site, and there's no bookstore to take out a % (amazon takes 55% off the top! Then they charge you $8 to pay you, and a yearly fee to sell your book!).

That's why it's $4 off cover price on my site.

If you are from Done Deal mention it when you order.

(Order in January 2004 and get a free Pitching Blue Book)

- Bill

[ReRight]

55% off the top? Have them kiss you first before they...never mind.

But yeah, Bill, your deal is pretty reasonable.

[Cyfress]

There's a book that I never here anyone talk about, it's called POWER SCREENWRITNG by Michael Chase Walker, he's a professor somehwere out west, I think Arizona, but in it, he starts at a concept and develops it into a ready to write script idea.

I know alot of people here wonder what goes on during the development stages of the idea, he goes through it step by step.

Good Book.