Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59312 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Synopsis
A revised and updated handbook for prospective screenwriters offers practical advice on plot structure, characterization, dialogue, research, and rewriting, and suggests writing exercises to improve one's screenwriting skills. Original. 20,000 first printing.

Customer Reviews

THIS IS THE BIBLE OF THE FILM INDUSTRY
Thee are some serious distinctions to be made about books on screenwriting. Some of them are very good, very theoretical, very serious works. Some of them are throw-away one time reads.

A very few of them are "working" books, books that you will never throw away - books that you will use as reference. And even fewer still are books that you will use over and over again - books that will inspire you everytime you pick them up. Syd Field's "The Screenwriter's Workbook" is one of those rare books. It is the "Bible" of the film industry.

All of Field's books are excellent for this reason - they not only tell you how to write screenplays - they tell you why screenplays are structured in a unique way.

It is understanding structure that is the key to writing movies. All the ideas about character development, the representation of myth, and the history of cinema are necessary to writing good screenplays. But only one thing is really essential and that is a clear understanding of a form that appears simple but is actually very complex.

I still have many of the screenwriting books I have read over the years but Field's books are the only ones I actually USE.I know many other screenwriters, professionals all, who would say the same thing.

Fashion in screenplay writing and thinking about movies comes and goes - and every new writer thinks they have to either read the latest theory or re-invent the wheel - but when you actually write you only want a book that YOU CAN USE. Syd Field never goes out of style because he writes from a serious understanding of the relationship of structure to screenwriting - and it's this relationship that you constantly return to in order to make the writing work.

Buy this book and keep it. You will need it.

THIS BOOK GUIDES YOU FROM INCEPTION THRU COMPLETION
This is the book I've been looking for. Story, by McKee, is so filled with intellecutal nonsense that I was so confused after reading it; I didn't know where to start. Intellectual BS! At least, Field points you in the direction and guides you through every step of the process. And, his Problem Solver is great.A great companion to any writer.

A wonderful guide for anyone writing a screenplay.
I had been struggling to write a screenplay for a long time when a friend recommended Syd's book. I was totally blown away. The tools needed for actually writing a script were presented in clear and lucid language, without telling you how you should do something. Chapter by chapter takes you one step more into the creative innards of screenwriting. If I had four hands, I'd give this book eight thumbs up. It's now my constant companion. Since that time, I've finished the screenplay I'd been struggling so hard with. Thanks, Syd -- keep 'em coming.