Writing Your Screenplay

this Guide To Film Writing Is An Ideal Introduction To The Craft For Would-be Screen Scribes Or Film Buffs Who Want To Learn How It Is Done. A Broad Introduction To Writing For The Screen Is Provided, Along With A Structured System For Creating Strong Screenplays, Based On The Author’s Successful Online College Course. This Book Goes Beyond The Typical Formulaic Approach, Offering Insights Into The Classic Mythic Structures As Well As Contemporary Storytelling Techniques That Underlie Good Screenwriting. The Secrets To Crafting Cohesive Plots, Likeable Characters, Compelling Action, And Believable Dialogue Are All Explained. Also Provided Is Guidance On How To Create Strong Scenes And A Complete Visual World That Will Engage Audiences. Title page......Page 3 Contents......Page 7 Why write for the screen?......Page 13 Essential tools for screenplay development......Page 19 Creating a screenwriting folio......Page 22 1 Cinema creates a parallel universe......Page 26 The demands of art, the industry and the market......Page 28 Understanding the industry......Page 30 The basic economy of film......Page 31 What makes your audience tick?......Page 33 What makes a good story?......Page 35 Connecting with an audience......Page 37 How to create a timely story......Page 39 Finding the 'hook'......Page 41 Genre defines audience expectations......Page 44 Put a twist on familiar themes......Page 46 The producer's big questions: Who cares? and So what?......Page 47 Exercise 1: Creating your screenplay folio......Page 50 2 Know the rules before your break them......Page 52 The screenplay is a coded document......Page 53 The four Ps......Page 59 How the four Ps interlock......Page 66 Exercise 2: The log book......Page 67 3 The psychology of the protagonist......Page 69 Three acts: beginning, middle and end......Page 70 Marking out the protagonist's journey......Page 71 Rules governing the protagonist......Page 72 Character baskstory......Page 74 Character motivation......Page 78 The realms of the protagonist......Page 79 Conflict as the basic building block of drama......Page 80 Support roles and subplots......Page 81 Summary......Page 84 Character psychology......Page 86 4 Time is the basic building block......Page 88 Magical and musical elements......Page 89 Chronology of the plot......Page 90 Plot logic......Page 93 Organising your chronology......Page 94 The unity of space and time......Page 96 Exposition and backstory......Page 99 Historical epics......Page 104 Exercise 4: Plot chronology......Page 107 5 Devices for manipulating story chronology......Page 108 Montage......Page 110 Flashbacks and flash-forwards......Page 117 Deadlines, ticking clocks and high-stakes dilemmas......Page 121 Parallel action......Page 124 Circular or non-circular chronology......Page 125 Exercise 5: Genre and chronology......Page 132 6 Your premise governs three acts......Page 133 Premise reflects the central concept and themes......Page 134 How a good premise informs the plot......Page 136 How to identify your premise......Page 139 The three-act structure......Page 140 How to organise turning points......Page 142 Examples from well-known films......Page 148 Exercise 6: Premise and protagonist psychology......Page 156 Scene structure......Page 159 Cut to the chase......Page 162 The need for repetition......Page 164 Each scene builds your premise......Page 165 Your screenplay isn't a novel......Page 167 Exercise 7: Scene construction......Page 168 Characterisation......Page 169 Stage directions......Page 170 Costume......Page 174 Dialogue......Page 175 Exercise 8: Dialogue......Page 180 Complex plot structure......Page 181 Subplots......Page 184 Interweaving plotlines A and B......Page 185 Secondary characters......Page 188 Characters and point-of-view......Page 189 Character archetypes and anthropology......Page 191 Chris Vogler's Twelve Steps......Page 193 Exercise 9: Biographies for key support roles......Page 199 10 Act one structure......Page 201 The seven-step outline: The road-map of your protagonist's journey......Page 202 Balancing the first and last turning points......Page 204 Act one - step 1: the set-up - establish the protagonist and their world......Page 205 Act one - step 2: The inciting incident......Page 206 Act one - step 3: The act one turning point......Page 207 Exercise 10: Your set-up......Page 209 Act two: The long march forward......Page 212 Act two - step 4: The mid-point......Page 214 Act two - step 5: Act two turning point......Page 220 Exercise 11 - keep act two moving forward......Page 223 12 Act three structure......Page 225 Act three - step 6: The climax, or act three turning point......Page 226 Act three - step 7: The final resolution......Page 227 Examples of how to conclude your story......Page 233 Exercise 12: The climax......Page 239 Fleshing out the contours of your seven-step outline......Page 241 The plot breakdown......Page 242 The scene breakdown......Page 248 Summary and conclusions......Page 249 Exercise 13: The scene breakdown......Page 252 References and recommended reading......Page 253 Filmography......Page 255 Index......Page 260 A practical guide to writing for film from an experienced screenwriter and script editor who has worked and taught in both Australia and the USA. You have no excuse for not writing a great script now. This book will do the heavy lifting for you. All you have to do is come up with a great story to tell; the rest is covered in this thoughtful, thorough tour of the screenwriting process . Christopher Vogler, author of The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers and Hollywood script consultant I have been quoting Lisa Dethridge for years. Thanks to this book I can now refer my students to chapter and verse. Lisa Dethridge illuminates the art, craft and industry of the screenwriter. I recommend her book to all my students . Paul Thompson, Associate Professor, Film and Television, New York University and former Head of Film and Television, Australian Film, Television and Radio School So you want to write a screenplay that will make it to the big screen? Whether you are a professional or a film buff with a powerful creative urge, Writing Your Screenplay shows how to master the craft of writing for the screen. Experienced screenwriter, script and story editor Dr Lisa Dethridge takes you beyond a formulaic approach, offering insights into classic mythic structures as well as contemporary story-telling techniques that underlie good screenwriting. She explains how to create cohesive plots, likeable characters, compelling action and dialogue; strong scenes and a visual 'world' that will engage international audiences. Dr Lisa Dethridge has twenty years experience as a writer and teacher of media communications in Australia and the USA. You have no excuse for not writing a great script now. This book will do the heavy lifting for you. All you have to do is come up with a great story to tell; the rest is covered in this thoughtful, thorough tour of the screenwriting process.

Christopher Vogler, author of The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers and Hollywood script consultant

I have been quoting Lisa Dethridge for years. Thanks to this book I can now refer my students to chapter and verse. Lisa Dethridge illuminates the art, craft and industry of the screenwriter. I recommend her book to all my students.

Paul Thompson, Associate Professor, Film and Television, New York University and former Head of Film and Television, Australian Film, Television and Radio School

So you want to write a screenplay that will make it to the big screen? Whether you are a professional or a film buff with a powerful creative urge, Writing Your Screenplay shows how to master the craft of writing for the screen. Experienced screenwriter, script and story editor Dr Lisa Dethridge takes you beyond a formulaic approach, offering insights into classic mythic structures as well as contemporary story-telling techniques that underlie good screenwriting. She explains how to create cohesive plots, likeable characters, compelling action and dialogue; strong scenes and a visual 'world' that will engage international audiences.

Dr Lisa Dethridge has twenty years experience as a writer and teacher of media communications in Australia and the USA. Designed for screenwriters and film professionals looking for more than a formulaic approach to screenplays, this book offers insights into the classic structures and themes which underlie good screenwriting, as well as contemporary story-telling techniques.