Two Books to recommend, make that three

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: Martell's book

    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.

    Comment


    • #17
      Deadly Doses

      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

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Deadly Doses

        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.

        Comment


        • #19
          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

          Comment


          • #20
            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

            Comment


            • #21
              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.

              Comment


              • #22
                thriller

                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

                Comment


                • #23
                  Syd

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

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    books

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

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: books

                      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.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Secrets Of Action

                        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

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Secrets Of Action

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

                          But yeah, Bill, your deal is pretty reasonable.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: thriller

                            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.

                            Comment

                            Working...
                            X