Finally, what may be the last screenwriting book a writer will ever need to buy!
How Not to Write a Screenplay is an invaluable addition to any aspiring screenwriter's shelf--and you'd best make the shelf within arm's reach of the computer. Author Dean Martin Flinn, an experienced script reader, details the common rookie mistakes that drive script readers crazy. Flinn makes no pretense of being able to teach anyone how to write the next Great American Film--or for that matter the next Stupid Summer Blockbuster. Instead he offers information that will help keep the novice screenwriter's opus from being immediately tossed on the trash pile (arguably a more valuable service). As Flinn says in his introduction, if you follow the advice in this book, "you may not write a particularly good screenplay, but you won't write a bad one." Flinn offers practical advice on formatting, such as the proper form for a slugline and where to set your margins, and more general rules of thumb on giving the actors room to interpret their roles and avoiding dictating camera angles to the director (who will ignore them anyway). The second half of the book deals with content, also in a remarkably pragmatic way--structure, pacing, plot resolution, and dialogue that really stink are all handily dealt with. Flinn illustrates almost all his points with excerpts from screenplays both good and bad (names have been changed to protect the guilty), giving the reader concrete examples of the difference between poorly and well-structured scenes. Not sucking is an unusual goal for a screenwriting manual, but any script reader will agree it is a noble one. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Best for more intermediate level screenwriters:
I found the book extremely helpful - but I would NOT recommend for beginning screenwriters. I've written almost 3 screenplays, and had them critiqued in class. So, I would say that I am an beginner-intermediate level. This book is an excellent resource for those who are already familiar with good screenwriting rules and formats, and need to refine these points. I saw many of my own mistakes in the book examples (yikes!) - you know what they say, the best way to learn is by making a mistake.more info
The Difference:
I agree with another reviewer. This is better to read while you're in the middle of your first screenplay, or after you've written it. But it's brilliant. If you write a screenplay, and are not sure how to revise it, read this, and you will laugh. But you will also discover the difference between writing a film that sounds good to you and writing something that a studio-exec will enjoy reading. I think it can make good writing better and make it smoother, while helping you avoid the minefield... more info
A good book, but just good.:
While this book does tell you some of the basic stuff it takes not to write your script, it also goes back and forth and gives examples of bad scripts and then good scripts doing almost the same thing. It seems as if sometimes the author will tell you not to write too much, but then when it comes to scripts that have been turned into movies, that rule is gone. This part of it was disappointing, so what is it? Dont write too much but then go ahead and write too much.
A good read!:
This guy is funny. I burned through this book in short order. A little heavy on the inclusion of other writers work, but it does illustrate his points. That is the only reason I didn't give it five stars. He claims that the screenplays he faults are actual screenplays. It's not hard to imagine somebody who bought this book recognized their work. Not good.
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