SCREENWRITING FOR DUMMIES.

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 So You Want to Write for Pictures
	Chapter 1 Introducing the Art of Screenwriting
		In The Mind’s Eye
		Developing the Writer’s Mind
		Approaching Screenwriting as a Craft
		Finding Your Screenplay’s Story
		Working through the Writing Process
		Formatting Your Screenplay
		Constructing Your First Draft
		Rewriting Your Script
		Adapting Your Screenplay from an Outside Source
		Selling Your Screenplay to Show Business
	Chapter 2 Preparing to Think Visually
		Is It Cinema? Considering Other Mediums
			Is it a screenplay or a novel?
			Is it film or theater?
			Is it a movie, visual art, or poetry?
			It’s probably a screenplay if . . .
		What You See Is What You Get: The Visual Life of a Screenplay
			Crafting images from the outside in
			Crafting images from the inside out
	Chapter 3 Diving Into the Screenwriter’s Mind
		Finding Your Feet: How to Learn From Other Writers
			Reading for dramatic intent
			Recognizing a screenplay’s genre
		Art and Life: What’s the Difference?
		Developing an Artistic Sensibility
			What a writer sees
			What a writer hears
			What a writer remembers and what a writer forgets
		Recognizing a Story When You See One
			Identifying the call to write
			The four important P’s of story
			Finding an opening image
	Chapter 4 Approaching Screenwriting as a Craft
		Invoking the Muse: Examining the Creative Process
		Imagination: Your Creative Arsenal
			Flexing the imagination
			Putting the imagination to work
			Identifying your writing voice
		Craft: A Vehicle for Your Imagination
			Form
			Technique
			Discipline
Part 2 Breaking Down the Elements of a Story
	Chapter 5 Unpacking Your Idea
		I Have This Great Idea. Now What?
			Identifying your interest in the idea
			Documenting your interest in the idea
		Getting to Know Your Audience
			Matching the story to the audience
			Connecting with your audience
		Knowing What Happened Before Your Story Began: Creating the Backstory
			Identifying the elements of a backstory
			Developing a screenplay through backstory
		Identifying the Tone of Your Piece
		Establishing Your Story’s Time Clock
		Deciding When to Start Your Story
		Getting to Know Aristotle: A Dramatist’s Best Friend
		What’s It All About?: Writing an Effective Synopsis
	Chapter 6 Plot Part I: Beginnings
		Crafting an Eye-Opening Opener
			What to show first: person, place, or thing?
			Conflict: What’s wrong with this picture?
			Possible ways to begin your story
		Three Compelling (and Contrasting) Movie Beginnings
			Jaws
			Lady Bird
			Moonlight
	Chapter 7 Plot Part II: Middles
		Muddling through the Middle
		From Lights to Camera to . . . ACTION!
			Action versus activity
			Revisiting the story’s time clock
		Status: Where’s the Upper Hand?
		What’s Your Problem? Introducing Conflicts and Obstacles
		Exposition: From Clunky to Creative
			Sharing info the characters know
			Sharing info the characters may not know
		Determining What to Write from What You’ve Written
		Three Compelling (and Contrasting) Movie Middles
			Jaws
			Lady Bird
			Moonlight
	Chapter 8 Plot Part III: Endings
		Are We There Yet? How to Know When You’re Done
			Tracking the change: What’s different now?
			Crafting your story’s conclusion
		Danger Will Robinson: Threats to an Otherwise Healthy Plot
			Would that really happen? The probable versus the possible
			Scenes where nothing happens: Two final threats to watch for
		Ultimate Success: Tracking Three Movies through Their Triumphant Conclusions
			Jaws
			Lady Bird
			Moonlight
	Chapter 9 Character Building
		Portrait of a Person: Constructing a Physical World
			Your character’s physical being
			Your character’s physical environment
		The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Constructing an Internal World
			Dreams, desires, and passions
			Your character’s engine: Needs versus wants
			Talents and expertise
			Internal obstacles
			Your character’s argument
		From the Inside Out: Making the Inner World Visible
			Balancing character dialogue with character action
			Crafting concrete character goals
			Providing character opportunities
			Establishing routines that change
			Forcing your characters to choose
			Using a mentor
			Using a narrator
			Crafting secondary characters
	Chapter 10 Delivering Dynamic Dialogue
		Diction: What’s in a Word?
			Isn’t versus ain’t: Diction’s determining factors
			The highs and the lows of language
		Name That Tune: Crafting Your Character’s Music
			Sound 101: Using poetry as a guide
			Fascinating rhythm: Crafting your script’s pulse
		Letting the Listener Lead
		Putting It Together: Characters in Conversation
			Setting the scene
			Dialogue do’s and don’ts
	Chapter 11 The Nontraditional Film
		Breaking with Tradition: Other Ways to Get the Job Done
		Tinkering with Time
		Song and Dance: The Movie Musical
			How much music is too much music?
			Original musicals
			Musical adaptations
		One Click Away: Writing a Web Series
			Show me the money!
			Tackling the pre-production work for a web series
			Getting involved in web series production
			Successfully steering the web series post-production process
		Scripting the Short (Film)
		Finding the Festival for You
	Chapter 12 Maintaining an Audience’s Trust
		Screenwriting and Ethics
		Screenwriting and Responsibility
			What are you willing to put your name on?
			The immunity factor
			Is this story for you? Appropriation and authenticity
		A Gift for Gab: How to Conduct a Meaningful Interview
			Preparing for an interview
			Setting up an interview
			Conducting an interview
Part 3 Turning Your Story into a Script
	Chapter 13 Mapping Out Your Screenplay
		Conceptualizing Your Concept
		How to Treat Your Treatment
			Before you begin
			Putting it on the page
		Exploring the Ins and Outs of an Outline
			One beat at a time
			Filling in the gaps
			Crafting the conclusion
		What to Do When the Outline’s Through
	Chapter 14 Surviving Writer’s Block
		Moving from Panic to Peace
			The top reasons for writer’s block
			A survival guide
		Reevaluating Your Routine
		Seeking Outside Help
	Chapter 15 Formatting Your Screenplay
		How the Screenplay Looks on the Page
			Formatting a title page
			Setting up the seven components of a page
			Setting your typeface and margins
			Spacing your script correctly
			Making your computer work for you
			Creating a PDF
		Making Your Format Flow
			Cinematic description
				Slug lines
			Character introductions
				Location, choreography, and action
				Sound and special effects
			Transitional directions
			Camera concerns
		Sample Scenes
	Chapter 16 Putting It Together: Structuring Your First Draft
		Traversing the Three-Act Structure
		Act I: Introductions
			Your opening moments
			The first fifteen pages
			The inciting incident
			Plot point one
		Act II: Salting the Wound
			Know where the action is
			The about-face
			The midpoint
			Plot point two
		Act III: The Final Frontier
			The climax
			The resolution
		A Note on Subplots
		Variations on the Routine
			The five-act structure
			The eight-sequence structure
	Chapter 17 Take Two: Rewriting Your Script
		Downshifting between Drafts
			How to work when you’re not working
			Your first time back: Read-through #1
			A second glance: Read-through #2
		Back in the Saddle Again: Rewrites
		Recruiting a Reader
		Capitalizing on Your Critique
	Chapter 18 Adaptation and Collaboration: Two Alternate Ways to Work
		Procuring Primary Material
			Knowing when you need a copyright
			Comprehending copyrights
			Procuring permission
			Assessing how much to adapt
		Navigating between Forms
			From fiction to film
			From stage to screen
			From meter to movies
		Mastering the Process of Adaptation
			How to approach an original work
			What to do when you’re stuck
		Studying the Art of Collaboration
			What to look for in a writing partner
			How to approach collaboration
			Learning collaboration from the pros
Part 4 Selling Your Script to Show Business
	Chapter 19 Before You Send It: Pre-Marketing Considerations
		Understanding the “Biz” in Showbiz
			Getting to know the players: The Hollywood hierarchy
			Getting to know the buyers: The studio hierarchy
			Getting a “grip”: Hollywood jargon
		Preparing Yourself for the Biz
			Putting on a happy face: The art of attitude
			Organizing your records
			Reaching out to the right resources
			Setting personal goals
		Polishing the Copy You Send
			Checking last-minute details
			Finessing your front page
		Protecting Your Work
			Registering with the Writers Guild of America
			Pursuing the “poor-man’s copyright”
	Chapter 20 Getting Your Screenplay Noticed
		Designing Your Own Package
			Highlighting the universal
			Gaining the competitive edge
			Considering the reader
		Preparing to Pitch
			Perfecting the teaser pitch
			Selling the story pitch
		Finding a Manager or Agent
		Approaching an Agent or Manager
			Sending a query
		Pitching Your Script without an Agent
		What to Do When They Say Yes
			Meeting with an agent
			Meeting with executives
		Looking Ahead: Upon Achieving Success
		A Final Note
Part 5 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 21 Ten Screenwriters You Should Know
		Sofia Coppola
		Nora Ephron
		William Goldman
		Charlie Kaufman
		Spike Lee
		John Logan
		Jordan Peele
		Issa Rae
		Taika Waititi
		Phoebe Waller-Bridge
	Chapter 22 Ten Screenwriting Myths
		I Have to Live in Los Angeles to Write Screenplays
		I Have to Go to Grad School to Learn How to Write
		If I Can Write for Film, I Can Write for TV
		I Haven’t Written Before and It’s Too Late to Start
		Writing Is a Lonely Profession
		Hollywood Has No Ethics; It’ll Ruin the Integrity of My Script
		It’s Not What I Know; It’s Who I Know That Matters
		I Have Too Many Obligations to Be a Writer
		I’m Only as Successful as the Last Screenplay I Sold
		I’m Not Talented Enough to Be a Writer
Appendix Sample Scenes and Online Resources
	Formatting: A Crash Course
	Traditional Format: Examples
	Voice-Over Examples
	Series of Shots Examples
	Split Screen Example
	Point of View Example
	Intercut Example
	Movie Musical Examples
	Additional Online Resources
Index
EULA