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Screenwriting For Dummies book cover

Screenwriting For Dummies

Author:

Laura Schellhardt

Overview

Suspend your disbelief—you can make it as a screenwriter

Behind every blockbuster film and binge-worthy show, there’s a screenwriter—and that writer could be you! Turn your brainstorming sessions into dynamic scripts with the help of Screenwriting For Dummies. Create believable worlds with relatable characters, gripping dialogue, and narrative structures that will keep even the showbiz bigwigs on the edge of their seats. Once you’ve polished your product, it’s time to bring it to market. This book is full of advice that will help you get eyes on your screenplays so you can sell your work and find success as a screenwriter. From web series to movie musicals to feature films, this book shows you how to develop and hone your craft.

Learn to think like a screenwriter and turn story ideas into visually driven, relatable scripts that will get noticed
Study the elements of a story, like plot structure (beginning, middle, and end) and characterization (wait, who’s that, again?)
Hop over the hurdle of writer’s block, and tackle other obstacles that stand in the way of your scriptwriting career
Get insider insight into finding an agent and meeting with studio execs, plus alternative markets for your finished work

This updated edition covers the latest trends and opportunities—and there are lots of them—for today’s writers. Let Dummies help you map out your story and put your script on the road to production. Thank us when your work goes viral!

Suspend your disbelief—you can make it as a screenwriter

Behind every blockbuster film and binge-worthy show, there’s a screenwriter—and that writer could be you! Turn your brainstorming sessions into dynamic scripts with the help of Screenwriting For Dummies. Create believable worlds with relatable characters, gripping dialogue, and narrative structures that will keep even the showbiz bigwigs on the edge of their seats. Once you’ve polished your product, it’s time to bring it to market. This book is full of advice that will help you get eyes on your screenplays so you can sell your work and find success as a screenwriter. From web series to movie musicals to feature films, this book shows you how to develop and hone your craft.

Learn

to think like a screenwriter and turn story ideas into visually driven, relatable scripts that will get noticed

Study the elements of a story, like plot structure (beginning, middle, and end) and characterization (wait, who’s that, again?)

Hop over the hurdle of writer’s block, and tackle other obstacles that stand in the way of your scriptwriting career

Get insider insight into finding an agent and meeting with studio execs, plus alternative markets for your finished work

This updated edition covers the latest trends and opportunities—and there are lots of them—for today’s writers. Let Dummies help you map out your story and put your script on the road to production. Thank us when your work goes viral!

Screenwriting For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Screenwriting requires that you adhere to specific script formatting standards. As a screenwriter, you also need to know basic camera directions so that you can included them in your scripts, and you need to write interesting characters to drive your story forward. Most producers give a script the five-and-dime treatment, meaning they’ll read the first five pages and the last ten to assess whether a movie is for them. They’re primarily looking for scripts that are between 90 and 120 pages with a compelling hook and a clear sense of style and/or genre. Format is one way to convey those things efficiently.

About The Author

Laura Schellhardt is an Associate Professor of Instruction at Northwestern University, where she heads the undergraduate playwriting program in the Department of Theatre. She’s dedicated her life to creating new work for stage and screen, and it’s her mission to help other writers do the same.