Before I published my debut novel Oil and Marble, I’d worked in Hollywood for 15 years. So, even though I’ve been writing fiction since age 7, in my 20s, I studied screenwriting almost exclusively.
Now, I use many of the tools I learned as a screenwriter to improve my prose. Here are my top 10 favorite screenwriting books that can help you tell better, faster, more compelling stories.
(Disclaimer: these ARE screenwriting books, but you’re a writer; get creative and apply these lessons to your prose! #commissionsearned)
EVERY WRITER should read this book. It lays out a “hero’s journey” for screenwriters (based on Joseph Campbell’s classic Hero with a Thousand Faces) and will help you take your protagonists on universal, human adventures. Many of our favorite stories — Star Wars, Matrix, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings — are hero’s journeys. If you read only one book on this list, read this one.
If, after reading Writer’s Journey, you still need more help grasping classic 3-act structure, this is a really easy way to get it. Yes, it’s a little simplistic, but sometimes that’s what ALL of us need. For YEARS this was THE screenwriting book in Hollywood, so if you want be in the know, this is the book for you.. Plus, once you absorb the rules of 3-act structure, then you’ll know how to BREAK those rules—which is way more fun.
This is one of those classic screenwriting books that has been guiding storytellers since it was first published in the 1970s. Syd Field has been the foundation of quality screenwriting for decades; every serious screenwriter has read him. Don’t be left behind.
Want to dig even deeper into 3-act structure and learn to connect it back to its source — Aristotle’s Poetics — then this a great book to read (alongside Poetics itself, which as Aaron Sorkin says, is a must read for ANY storyteller)
This is a thinker of a craft book that is designed to push you. I read this book — by one of Hollywood’s top screenwriting consultants — when I was starting out, but I get more out of it every time I read it, and I’ll admit, it’s probably most helpful to an advanced writer. But if you’re ready to take your story craft to the next level, you can’t go wrong with Truby.
Want to really understand the ins and outs of a great RomCom—and apply these principles to your romance novels or love story subplots? You can’t beat this brilliant exploration of the great RomComs of movie history by one of the great RomCom maestros.
I love this sometimes irreverent, always brutally honest book. It will tell you like it is, helping you see where your screenplay is not working and then giving you practical tools for how to fix what — ah-hem — sucks. (Another irreverent one I love: Screenwriting Tips, You Hack by Xander Bennett)
Honestly, McKee isn’t my personal favorite, but SO MANY PEOPLE swear by his process that I would be remiss not to mention him. Especially if you are starting out and struggling to grasp the fundamentals of story, McKee may very well hold the keys for you.
This is another of those classic Hollywood screenwriting books that everyone has read. What I particularly love about this one is that it pushes you to revise and revise and revise — to never settle for good and always turn your writing harder and harder until you get to great.
The Coffee Break Screenwriter by Pilar Alessandra
Pilar is a popular teacher in LA, but what I love most about this book is that it’s geared toward writers in the REAL WORLD — those with day jobs and kids and responsibilities aside from writing. It will give you practical tips on how to tackle your story in quick chunks of stolen time.
This is a bonus because it’s not a book about screenwriting, but directing. But Mamet is one of the greatest storytellers of our time and if you really want to understand the power of storytelling on film, then you should not miss this masterpiece.
I didn’t scratch the surface of great screenwriting books. These are just MY favorites. Share yours in the comments or on social!