One of the questions I get asked a lot is what screenwriting books should I buy?
What one is the best but I actually think that's the wrong question to ask?
Because the answer I give is entirely dependent on one thing
What your weakness is as a writer because it's only by working on our weaknesses that we can improve
Let's say you struggle with character. They aren't believable or feel mechanical
Also just a different book than if your problem was structure or plot
so in this video
I want to break down some of my favorite screenwriting books and the reasons I'd recommend them and stay tuned because at the end I'll
Give my opinion for the best thing you can be reading as a screenwriter
The first is Sid fields screenplay often consider the bible of screenwriting books
it's an in-depth analysis of 3x structure and a
Fantastic starting point for beginners or those who struggle with plot and structure now
I've been noticing a paradigm shift away from 3x structure in the last few years particularly in the TV sphere
But this method is still dominant and as such every screenwriter should have a firm understanding of it
Even if they don't intend to use it similar to screenplay and one of my personal favorites is Robert McKee's story
I usually recommend this as the second book to read after screenplay because they complement each other
It's a little less accessible
But the stuff in here is fantastic with greater expansion on three-act structure
some character work and useful
examples of how his techniques applied to films we know and love and then there's what's commonly referred to as the
People magazine of screenwriting Blake Snyder's save the cat if you want to write mainstream high concept
Blockbusters. This is the book for you
It's an entertaining read that introduces some interesting concepts that I still use like Pope in the pool or double mumbo-jumbo
If you don't know what those things are check this book out now, I want to get into some books
I'd recommend if you struggle with character character development and to some extent dialogue because
Dialogue is intrinsically linked to character often if you have trouble with dialogue it's rooted in a problem with the character
The first book is km. Wyland's creating character arc
this is one of my absolute favorites so much so that I did an entire video using her concepts and applied it to
Star Wars in it
You'll learn about the three different types of character arcs and how a character shapes the story not the other way around
It's also a great analysis of how your character changes over the course of the film or how they change the world around them
highly recommend
The second is Lagos agrees the art of dramatic writing now this is actually a book about playwriting
But a lot of the stuff in here is transferable for us screenwriters chiefly among them is the idea of the tri-dimensional
Character in which he argues that in order to understand how characters react in certain situations
We must first know three things about them. There's sociology physiology and psychology
So if you've ever gotten the note, oh, I don't think the character would do that or your characters aren't believable
I'd check out this book. Then there are the books. I consider outliers. The first is John troubies the anatomy of story
Which offers a different approach to storytelling that as a direct refutation of the traditional three act structure tired of McKee or field
This is the book for you offering new paradigm shifting techniques on how to approach story
I also love how truly uses multiple films as example throughout to highlight his tools and concepts then there's Christopher Vogler's the writer's
Journey, which looks at storytelling from a place of heroic. Myth a character goes into the unknown
Battles his or her demons and comes back a hero
The interesting thing about the writers journey is that it can fit in almost any of the affer mentioned structures
This book is also great
If you're stuck say there's a problem with your script and you just can't figure it out
going through the steps of the writers journey can help pinpoint where your problem is and offer solutions on how to solve it last and
Certainly not least the best thing you can be reading to better yourself as a writer is to read other scripts
Read bad ones read good ones immerse yourself in other people's work
You'll start learning what you like what you don't pay seing tone and other things you can't learn from
Watching the movie or reading a book as someone who has read over a thousand scripts
I can honestly say that reading others has been one of the greatest learning periences
I'll leave a link below where you can find out how to access some of these scripts and I also suggest checking out the annual
Blacklist to give you a sense of what is out there and what is getting buzz?
So that's my breakdown of my favorite screenwriting books. What are yours? Let me know in the comments below
I'd love your feedback. And as always thanks for watching. Don't forget to Like and subscribe and hit that Bell button. Keep on writing