Screenplay

Screenplay
The Foundations of Screenwriting
by Syd Field

Syd Field writes 'the hardest thing about writing is knowing what to write'. Luckily, that's not all he writes.
Syd has been in the film industry one way or another for decades. From reviewing scripts to producing shows to lecturing on the subject, if you have a question about screenwriting, Syd Field has no doubt already answered it in one of his books.
Like a masterclass in a soft cover, Screenplay takes us from the creation of an idea to dealing with agents and every step in between. He tells us to take the time to give your character a back story so you exactly how they will react in any given situation, make sure you know how your story is going to end before you start writing. He teaches us the three act structure and the difference between the 'key incident' and the 'inciting incident' and how important they are to the story.
Syd takes excerpts from scripts like Chinatown and Collateral and walks you through everything that is going on. How does the first ten pages of Chinatown set up the whole film? What do Max and Vincent's conversations in Collateral tell us about their characters? He answers those questions and a whole bunch more.
The chapter that I got the most out of was 'Building the Story Line' in which Syd says to get your three acts planned out on index cards before you write. One index card equals one scene or story point. Fourteen cards equals your first act. Simple. I went away and bought some index cards and planned out my first act!
But this book isn't just for screenwriters, anyone who has a story, be it a short story, novel or a play, should study it. All forms of storytelling rely on the same basic structure; they need characters, conflict and action - Screenplay covers it all.
I know I'll be reading this book again and again - it's so helpful.
Available on amazon.com