Writing Love: Screenwriting Tricks for Authors II

Learn how to write your own romance novels or scripts by watching and learning from the romantic movies you love! From award-winning author and screenwriter Alexandra Sokoloff: the second in her acclaimed **Screenwriting Tricks For Authors series, with a special emphasis on writing love stories. Whether you're a published author or a brand-new one, this extremely practical and encouraging workbook will take you step by step through the key story elements and techniques of crafting a romance, with examples from romantic comedy, romantic suspense, and romantic adventure, including ten full story breakdowns of popular romantic movies. Screenwriting is a compressed and dynamic storytelling form that carries enormous emotional power, and the techniques of screenwriting are easily adaptable to novel writing. You can jump-start your plot and bring your characters and scenes vibrantly alive on the page - by watching your favorite movies and learning from the storytelling tricks of the filmmakers YOU love. ** Review "Sokoloff's advice is spot-on, and her teaching style is direct and effective. A must-have book for authors and screenwriters." * --- Bestselling author JA Konrath, A Newbie's Guide To Publishing "Sokoloff is a generous mentor with the gifted ability to address a storyteller's practical concerns while encouraging artistic integrity and every author's unique voice. Only three of my half dozen novels have been written with her unwitting guidance, but I can guarantee that with this book at my fingertips, all my future work- and my reading audience - will benefit from her advice. Recommended without reservation. " --- Vicki Pettersson, author of the Sign of the Zodiac series "I loved this book! Alexandra Sokoloff breaks down the screenwriting process in easy-to-understand steps with examples from current movies and the BEST practical examples. Her unique and always lots of fun lessons are empowering for first-time writers as well as those with finished screenplays looking to take their project to the next level. Indispensable." --- George LaVoo, co-writer Real Women Have Curves, writer/director A Dog Year From the Inside Flap TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction PART ONE: STORY STRUCTURE The Master List What's Your Premise? First, You Need an Idea What KIND of Story Is It? The Three-Act, Eight-Sequence Structure The Index Card Method Story Elements Checklist Elements of Act I Plan, Central Question, Central Story Action What's The Plan? Hero/ine, Protagonist, Main Character Hero and Heroine, Lover and Loved One What Makes A Great Villain? Elements of Act Two Elements of Act Two, Part 2 Elements of Act Three Top Ten Endings What Makes a Great Climax? Act Climaxes Overview and Examples Expanding on the Key Story Elements Expanded Story Elements Checklist Love Story Elements Fairy Tale Structure Meta Structure What is "High Concept"? The Rule of Three Voice First Chapters Theme and Thematic Image Systems Visual Storytelling Creating Suspense Plants and Payoffs The Big Twist Character Introductions Using Character Clusters Your First Draft is Always Going to Suck Top Ten Things I Know About Editing A Process for Writing P ART TWO: STORY BREAKDOWNS The Breakdowns 40. Leap Year 41. While You Were Sleeping 42. Notting Hill 43. Four Weddings and a Funeral 44. The Proposal 45 . New in Town 46. Groundhog Day 47. Sense and Sensibility 48. Romancing the Stone 49. Sea of Love PART THREE: THE BUSINESS Life is a Pitch Meeting How Do I Get a Literary Agent? Internet Resources for Writers So You Want to Know About Screenwriting Recommended Reading Figure 1: Story Grid Education & Reference,Writing; Research & Publishing Guides,Publishing & Books,Authorship,Writing,Writing Skills,Humor & Entertainment,Movies,Screenwriting,Self-Help,Creativity,II,Screenwriting Tricks for Authors