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On  Writing  &  Screenwriting

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Movies About Screenwriting

"Whenever I am asked what kind of writing is the most lucrative,
I have to say, a ransom note."
— Hollywood literary agent H.N. Swanson [1899-1994]

"Whatever you do, don't put your heart into your scripts. You'll get it broken."
— literary critic Richard Gilman

Links  for  Screenwriters

Creative Commons - free flexible copyright

Southern California Writers Assn. [Orange County]
Hollywood Literary Sales
Spec Script Marketplace / Pitch Sessions
Scriptiverse's Script Marketplace
MovieBytes: Screenwriting Markets & Contests Online
ScriptSupplies.com
U.S.C. Scripter Awards [March]
Sherwood Oaks Experimental College
Writers Digest Int'l. Screenplay Competition [Oct]
Simply Scripts where you can post your unproduced script
[U.S.] National Punctuation Day [est. 22 August 2004]
Screenwriting Museum Project in Santa Monica, CA
Arizona Screenwriters Assn.
New Mexico Screenwriters Speakers Series
Inwell Newswatch ezine
A.M.P.A.S. Teachers Guide pages on Screenwriting
Screenwriters Federation of America {Flash only}
International Screenwriting Association (ISA) - membership is FREE

Project Greenlight 3.0: Director Contest + Screenplay Contest
Project Greenlight 2.0 Script & Directing Contests [Oct 2002]
"Stolen Summer" (The Project Greenlight 2000 Movie) on IMDb

Screenwriting  Conferences

Southern California Writers Conference - San Diego [Feb 2004 = #18]

'Opening Doors To Hollywood' conferences [March/June/October 2003]

'From Concept To Sale' Conference [March 2003 = #9]

The Screenwriting Conference in Santa Fe NM [May 2003 = #5]

National Latino Writers Conference [May 2006 = #4] in Albuquerque, NM

Writers Guild Foundation 'Words Into Pictures' Conference [June]

Maui Writers Conference [Labor Day Weekend]

StoryCon: World's First Summit Meeting
On the Art, Science & Application of Story
in Palm Springs CA [Sept 2003 = #2]

Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles [Oct 2009 = #8]

Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference [Oct 2004 = #11] in Austin, TX

Southern California Writers Conference - L.A./Oxnard [Oct 2003 = #2]

ShawGuide Directory of Writers Conferences & Workshops

Books  on  Screenwriting

	"Tales From the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories" [2010] Edited by Peter Hanson & Paul Robert Herman featuring John August, Shane Black, John Carpenter, Larry Cohen, Frank Darabont, Nora Ephron, Antwone Fisher, William Goldman, David Hayter, Robert Mark Kamen, Paul Mazursky, Bruce Joel Rubin, Paul Schrader, Ron Shelton - plus 36 more Kindle Edition from HarperCollins e-books [1/2010] for $9.99 HarperCollins/!t Books 7¾x5¼ pb [1/2010] for $10.87
	"The Pocket Screenwriting Guide: 120 Tips For Getting To FADE OUT" [2009 bestseller] by Mario O. Moreno & Anthony Grieco The Writer's Store pb [10/2009] available from publisher via Amazon
	"The Screenwriter's Handbook: The Essential Companion For Screenwriters" [est. 2007] by Barry Turner 2010 (Third) Edition: Palgrave Macmillan 9x6 pb [7/2009] for $28.95 2009 Edition: Palgrave Macmillan 9x6 pb [8/2008] out of print/used 2008 Edition: St. Martin's Griffin 8x5½ pb [1/2008] for $14.00 2008 Edition: Palgrave Macmillan 8¼x5¾ pb [10/2007] for $37.50
	"The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps To Becoming A Master Storyteller" [2007] Hollywood story consultant John Truby's long-awaited first book Faber & Faber 9x6 hardcover [10/2007] for $19.80
	"What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting" [2007] by Marc Norman Three Rivers Press 8x5 pb [9/2008] for $14.00 Harmony Books 9½x6½ hardcover [10/2007] for $21.17
	Backstory 4: Interviews With Screenwriters of The 1970s & 1980s" [2006] by Patrick McGilligan Univ CA Press pb [1/2006] for $18.96 Univ CA Press 9¼x6½ hardcover [1/2006] for $60.00
	"Professional Screenwriters Series, Vol. I" [2005] 90-minute class sessions presented by A-list screenwriters Steven de Souza, Gerald DiPego, Don Roos, Bruce Joel Rubin & Preston Whitmore Fade In Publishing Group audio CD set [5/2005] 5 disks for $69.95 "Professional Screenwriters Series, Vol. II" [2005] 90-minute class sessions presented by A-list screenwriters Takashi Bufford, Dan Gordon, Peter Iliff, Mark Steven Johnson & James Mangold Fade In Publishing Group audio CD set [5/2005] 5 disks - unavailable at Amazon?
	"Filmmaking for Dummies" [2003] by Bryan Michael Stoller, Foreword by Jerry Lewis Wiley & Sons 9¼x7½ pb [7/2003] for $12.99
	"Novels Into Film" [orig 1957; rev 2003] by George Bluestone Johns Hopkins Univ Press 8½x5½ pb [3/2003] for $19.95
	"Screenwriting for Dummies" [2003] by Laura Schellhardt Wiley & Sons 9x7¼ pb [1/2003] for $13.59
	"Screenwriting On The Internet: Researching, Writing & Selling Your Script On The Web" [2001] by Christopher Wehner Michael Wiese Prodns 9x6 pb [11/2001] for $16.95 author's website
	"The Screenwriter's Survival Guide: Or, Guerrilla Meeting Tactics & Other Acts of War" [2001] by Max Adams Warner Books 8x5¼ pb [3/2001] for $11.16

"Zen & the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews" [2000] by William Froug SCB Intl 8x8 pb [10/2000] for $15.37

	"The Savvy Screenwriter: How To Sell Your Screenplay (And Yourself) Without Selling Out!" [2000] by Susan Kouguell T.L.Hoell Books 9x6 pb [9/2000] for $10.47
	"Which Lie Did I Tell: More Adventures In The Screen Trade" [2000] by William Goldman Vintage 8x5¼ pb [2/2001] for $10.50 Bloomsbury Publg hardcover [8/2000] for $18.98 Pantheon 9.4x6½ hardcover [7/2000] out of print/used
	"Myth & The Movies: Discovering The Mythic Structure of 50 Unforgettable Films" [1999] by Stuart Voytilla Michael Wiese Prodns 10x7 pb [10/99] for $17.79
	"Screenwriting 101: The Essential Craft of Feature Film Writing" [1999] by Neill D. Hicks Michael Wiese Prodns 9x6 pb [9/99] for $11.87
	"500 Ways To Beat The Hollywood Script Reader: Writing The Screenplay The Reader Will Recommend" [1999] by Jennifer M. Lerch Fireside 8½x5½ pb [7/99] for $9.60
	"Screenwriting For Hollywood" audio [1998] by Michael Hauge Writer's AudioShop [1/98] two tapes for $17.95 seminar website
	"Story: Substance, Structure, Style & The Principles of Screenwriting" [1997] by Robert McKee HarperCollins 9½x6½ hardcover [10/97] for $24.50 Harper Audio ABR [12/97] for $17.50 seminar website
	"Backstory 3: Interviews With Screenwriters of The 1960s" [1997] Edited by Patrick McGilligan Univ Calif Press 9x6 pb [3/97] for $24.95 Univ Calif Press 9¼x6.4 hardcover [3/97] out of print/used

"Zen & The Art of Screenwriting 1: Insights & Interviews" [1996] by William Froug Silman-James Press 8x8 pb [12/96] for $14.67

	"Teach Yourself Screenwriting" [1996] by Raymond G. Frensham "a great nuts and bolts book on screenwriting" McGraw-Hill 8x5 2nd edition pb [4/2003] for $9.97
	"Screenwriting Tricks of The Trade" [1992] by William Froug Silman-James Press 8½x5½ pb [10/92] for $8.76 Writer's AudioShop cassette [1/99] for $12.95
	"The New Screenwriter Looks At The New Screenwriter" [1992] by William Froug Silman-James Press 9x6 pb [2/92] for $11.17
	"Writing Screenplays That Sell" [1991] by Michael Hauge Harper 8x5.3 pb [8/91] for $11.90 seminar website
	"Backstory 2: Interviews With Screenwriters of The 1940s & 1950s" [1991] Edited by Patrick McGilligan Univ Calif Press 9x6 pb [5/97] for $24.95 Univ Calif Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [6/91] out of print/used
	"Film Flam: Essays On Hollywood" [1988] {reprinted from "American Film"} by Larry McMurtry Touchstone 8x5.4 pb [9/2001] for $9.60 Touchstone hardcover [8/88] out of stock/used
	"The Art of Screenwriting: An A to Z Guide To Writing A Successful Screenplay" [1987] by William Packard Thunder's Mouth Press 8¼x5½ pb [6/2001] for $11.16 Marlowe & Co. 9x6 pb [4/94] out of print/used Paragon House hardcover [2/87] out of print/used
	"Backstory 1: Interviews With Screenwriters of Hollywood's Golden Age" [1986] Edited by Patrick McGilligan Univ California Press 9x6 pb [11/89] for $24.95 Univ California Press hardcover [12/86] out of print/used
	"Adventures In The Screen Trade: A Personal View of Hollywood & Screenwriting" [1983] by William Goldman Warner Books 8x5.4 pb [5/89] for $13.27 Random House hardcover [3/83] out of print/used
	"The Complete Book of Scriptwriting" [1982] by J. Michael Straczynski Writers Digest Books 9x6 pb [7/2002] for $13.99 Writers Digest Books 9.3x6.3 hardcover [10/96] out of print/used
	"Writing The Script: A Practical Guide For Films & Television" [1980] by Wells Root Henry Holt pb [6/87] out of print/used Owl Books pb [1/80] out of print/used
	"The Screenwriter Looks At The Screenwriter" [1974] by William Froug Silman-James Press 9x6 pb [4/91] for $12.57 Dell pb [3/74] out of print/used
	"Vale's Technique of Screen & Television Writing" [original 1944; rev 1972] by Eugene Vale Focal Press 9¼x6 pb [3/98] for $34.99 Grosset & Dunlap [1972] out of print/used

Working Screenwriters

Peter Layton of Canada
official website • movie credits

screenwriter-playwright Tom Stoppard
browse books • explore videos/DVDs • Broadway credits • movie credits • Wikipedia

Books  on  Writing  -  in  general

	"The Writer's Handbook: The Complete Guide for All Writers, Journalists, Publishers, Editors, Screenwriters & Broadcasters" [est. 1990] Edited by Barry Turner 2011 edition: Palgrave Macmillan pb [DUE July 2010] for $30.00   2009 edition: Palgrave Macmillan 9x6 pb [9/2008] out of print/used 2007 edition: Macmillan 8¼x6x2 inches thick! pb [8/2006] out of print/used 2006 edition: Macmillan 8¼x6x2 inches thick! pb [4/2006] for $24.95
	"First We Read, Then We Write: Emerson On The Creative Process" [2009] by Robert D. Richardson Univ Iowa Press 8¼x5¼ hardcover [2/2009] for $13.10 see also the Ralph Waldo Emerson [1803-82] Page at Spirit of America Bookstore
	"How Fiction Works" [2008] by James Wood (New Yorker Magazine book critic) FS&G 7½x5½ hardcover [7/2008] for $14.40
	"Weinberg On Writing: The Fieldstone Method" [2005] by Gerald M. Weinberg Dorset House Publng 9x6 pb [11/2005] for $24.95 author's official website
	"Ten Percent of Nothing: The Case of The Literary Agent From Hell" [2004] by Jim Fisher (former F.B.I. agent) Southern IL Univ Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [5/2004] for $27.50
	"The Writer's Quotebook: 500 Authors On Creativity, Craft & The Writing Life" [2006] Compiled, arranged & edited by Jim Fisher Rutgers Univ Press 9x6¼ hardcover [9/2006] for $22.95
	"Ayn Rand: My Fiction-Writing Teacher" [2005] by Erika Holzer Madison Press pb [12/2005] for $20.00 see also Ayn Rand [1905-82] Page at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
	"13 Ways of Looking At The Novel" [2005] by Jane Smiley Anchor 7¾x5¼ pb [9/2006] for $10.85 Knopf 9¼x6¼ hardcover [9/2005] for $17.79
	"The Writer's Voice" [2004] by A. Alvarez W.W. Norton 8½x5¾ hardcover [11/2004] for $14.93
	"Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach To Punctuation" [2004] by Lynne Truss listed as Los Angeles Times Book Review Best of 2004 Gotham 7¼x5¼ hardcover [4/2004] for $13.57 Penguin UNABR audio CD [4/2004] for $10.17 official booksite
	"Common Errors In English Usage" [2003] by Paul Brians William James & Co. 9x6 pb [3/2003] for $10.20 official booksite
	"The Spooky Art: Some Thoughts On Writing" [2003] by Norman Mailer "[This] may be the most insightful book written about writing." — Robert Jaffee, L.A. Weekly Random House 8x5¼ pb [2/2004] for $11.16 Random House 9½x6½ hardcover [1/2003] for $17.47
	"The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways To Bring Fiction to Life" [2002] by Noah T. Lukeman St. Martin 7x5 pb [6/2003] for $10.36 St. Martin 7½x5.3 hardcover [7/2002] for $13.97 author's booksite
	"Stealing Fire From The Gods: A Dynamic New Story Model For Writers & Filmmakers" [1999] by James Bonnet "It cracks the code to great story telling." Michael Wiese Prodns 9x6 pb [9/99] for $26.95 author's website
	"Description" (WD Elements of Fiction Writing) [1999] by Monica Wood Writers Digest Books 9x6 pb [8/99] for $10.39 Writers Digest Books 9¼x6¼ hardcover [8/99] out of print/used
	"Beginnings, Middles & Ends" (WD Elements of Fiction Writing) [1999] by Nancy Kress Writers Digest Books 9x6 pb [5/99] for $10.39
	"Dynamic Characters: How to Create Personalities That Keep Readers Captivated" [1998] by Nancy Kress Writers Digest Books 9.4x6 pb [7/98] for $13.29
	"The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers" [1992] by Christopher Vogler Michael Wiese Prodns 9x6 pb [11/98] for $17.47 author's website
	"Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity" [1989] by Ray Bradbury Capra Press Expanded Edition 8x5½ pb [4/94] for $10.36 Bantam pb [4/92] for $5.85
	"The Art & Craft of Novel Writing" [1989] by Oakley M. Hall Story Press 9½x7½ pb [8/2001] for $15.99 Writers Digest hardcover [3/89] out of print/used
	"Joseph Campbell & The Power of Myth" [PBS mini-series 1988] Mystic Fire/Winstar DVD [10/2001] 2 disks/6 hours for $50.99 full credits from IMDb see also Joseph Campbell [1904-87] Page at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
	"Plot" (WD Elements of Fiction Writing) [1988] by Ansen Dibell Writers Digest Books 9x6 pb [8/99] for $10.39 Writers Digest Books 9¼x6¼ hardcover [8/88] out of print/used
	"The Art of The Novel" [1986] by Milan Kundera Harper Perennial 8¼x5¼ pb [4/2003] for $10.75 Harper Perennial 8x5½ pb [1/89] out of print/used Faber & Faber hardcover [12/88] out of print/used
	"The Art of Fiction: Notes On Craft For Young Writers" [1984] by John Gardner Vintage 8x5¼ pb [6/91] for $9.60 Knopf hardcover [1/84] out of print/used
	"The Writer's Quotation Book: A Literary Companion" [1980] Edited by James Charlton Faber & Faber 4th edition 7½x5&frac hardcover [10/97] out of print/used
	"The Art of Dramatic Writing" [S&S 1960] by Lajos Egri Touchstone 8x5¼ pb [2/72] for $9.60
	"The Hero With A Thousand Faces" [1949 classic] by Joseph Campbell New World Library 8½x5¾ hardcover [rev 7/2008] for $14.93 Princeton Univ Press 9x6 pb [3/72] out of print/used Princeton Univ Press hardcover [12/89] out of print/used Audio Renaissance ABR [3/95] out of prodn/used Audio Renaissance ABR audio CD [1/2001] out of prodn/used see also Joseph Campbell [1904-87] Page at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
	"Becoming A Writer" [1934 classic] by Dorothea Brande J.P. Tarcher 8x5 pb [3/81] for $9.95

Magazines  for  Writers

    subscription

   subscription

   1-year subscription

Books  On  Cinema

	"The Power of Film" [2006] by Howard Suber {U.C.L.A. Professor Emeritus} Michael Wiese Prodns 8½x5½ pb [9/2006] for $18.45
	"On Film-Making" [2005] by Alexander Mackendrick [1912-93] {Dean of the Film School at CalArts for 25 years}, edited by Paul Cronin, Foreword by Martin Scorsese "One foresees that this book will have a long & useful life in film schools."    — Richard Schickel, Los Angeles Times Book Review Section Faber & Faber pb [8/2005] for $10.88 Faber & Faber hardcover [8/2005] for $23.10
	"The Art of the Moving Picture" [orig 1915; rev 2000] by Vachel Lindsay [1879-1931]; edited by Martin Scorsese Modern Library 8x5 pb [3/2000] for $15.00 original editions: IndyPublish 9x6 pb [2/2005] for $35.99 IndyPublish 9x6 hardcover [2/2005] for $41.99
	"The Big Picture: 'Who Killed Hollywood?' and Other Essays" [1999] by William Goldman Applause 9x6 pb [2/2001] for $11.87 Applause 9¼x6¼ hardcover [11/99] for $16.77
	"Hollywood 101: The Film Industry" [2000] by Frederick Levy Renaissance Books 9x6 pb [3/2000] for $13.97

Movies  About  Screenwriting

Magic Lantern's Hollywood Film Festival

"Adaptation"  [Propaganda Films Dec 2002]

An oddity: a movie about the outrageous events occurring while adapting a non-fiction book, "The Orchid Thief", as a feature film, with Cage playing the dual role of twin writer-brothers with polar-opposite personalities. Directed by Spike Jonze; starring Nicolas Cage (dual role), Meryl Streep (dual role), Chris Cooper, Cara Seymour & Rheagan Wallace; won Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (CC); nominations for Best Script/Adaptation, Best Actress (Streep), Best Actor (Cage); also won 1 of 4 BAFTA noms; noms for SAG (3), USC Scripter & WGA awards; listed A.F.I. Best 10 Films of 2002; PEN Center West Award for 'Best Screenplay' Sony widescreen color DVD [5/2003] for $13.99 Sony color VHS [8/2003] out of prodn/many used Astralwerks/EMD soundtrack CD [11/2002] for $18.98 full credits from IMDb "Adaptation" The Shooting Script" [2002] by Charlie Kaufman Newmarket Press pb [12/2002] for $13.27 Newmarket Press hardcover [12/2002] for $26.95

"The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty & Obsession" [1999] by Susan Orlean Ballantine 8.2x5½ pb [10/2002] for $11.20 EconoClad hardcover [9/2000] for $16.14 Random House hardcover [1/99] out of stock/used

"Barton Fink" [1991]
Written & directed by the Coen Brothers
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0101410/fullcredits

"Best  Friends"  [Warner Bros. Dec 1982]

Two screenwriters who have lived together for years suddenly marry. They then travel by train to visit each other's parents, while under pressure from a producer for more revisions on a script with a very tight shooting deadline. Directed by Norman Jewison; starring Burt Reynolds, Goldie Hawn, Jessica Tandy, Barnard Hughes, Audra Lindley, Keenan Wynn & Ron Silver Warner widescreen color DVD [1/2004] for $11.99 Warner color VHS [1/93] out of print/used full credits from IMDb

"Boy  Meets  Girl"  [Warner Bros. Aug 1938]

Two screenwriters devise a plot for the studio's cowboy star that involves a baby. The baby becomes a star, and the cowboy and his agent run off with the mother and the kid. Directed by Lloyd Bacon; script by Bella & Samuel Spewack from their Broadway play; starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Marie Wilson, Ralph Bellamy, Frank McHugh, Dick Foran, Bruce Lester & Penny Singleton M.G.M. b&w VHS [9/98] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb "Studio One" telecast June 1949: video/kinescope not availaible • credits from IMDb playscript of "Boy Meets Girl" [1935] and "Spring Song" [1934] Dramatist's Play Service 7½x5¼ pb [10/46] for $7.50 credits of 1935 Broadway play

"Paris  When  It  Sizzles"  [Paramount April 1964]

Hired to write a movie, Holden instead lives it up in Paris; with just two days to deliver the script, he hires Hepburn as secretary to help. Directed by Richard Quine; script by George Axelrod; starring William Holden, Audrey Hepburn & Noel Coward Paramount VHS [4/2001] for $14.95 Paramount widescreen DVD [4/2001] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb Partly-based on Julien Duvivier's "La Fête à Henriette" [France 1952] video not available; full credits from IMDb

"The  Player"  [Avenue/Spelling April 1992]

A screenwriter is blackmailing a movie studio executive... Directed by Robert Altman [1925-2006]; novel & script by Michael Tolkin; starring Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Dean Stockwell, Sydney Pollack & Lyle Lovett, plus many cameos; 3 Oscar noms, won 2 BAFTA, won 2 at Cannes, won WGA Best Script/Adaptation New Line Special Edition widescreen color DVD [7/97] for $14.49 New Line color VHS [6/2002] out of prodn/many used full credits from IMDb 11"x17" poster from Amazon for $9.99

"The Player" [1988 novel] by Michael Tolkin Grove Press 8¼x5½ pb [4/97] for $9.60 Atlantic Monthly Press hardcover [6/88] out of print/used Random House ABR audio [5/93] out of stock/used "The Return of The Player" [2006 sequel] by Michael Tolkin Grove Press 8x5¼ pb [7/2007] for $10.40 Grove Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [8/2006] for $4.80 [sic]

Dr. Linda Seger's website
Colleen Stratton interview with Linda Seger in Nov 2003 Scr(i)pt Magazine

browse all books by Linda Seger

browse all books by Syd Field

	"Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop: Writing A Screenplay That Sells to Hollywood" [1999] Final Draft DVD $29.00 via The Writers Store Tapeworm VHS [3/99] 2 tapes for $29.00 via The Writers Store Final Draft website 'Syd Field Workshop' info page
	Workshop DVD with FinalDraft 6.0 software [Amazon ranking 646 10/2003] for MAC & Windows systems [2003] for $214.99
	"Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting" [1979 classic] by Syd Field Delta 8x6 pb [11/2005] for $10.88 Dell 8x5½ pb [7/84] out of print/used Fine Commns 8½x5½ hardcover [4/98] out of print/used

Software  For  Writers

Writers Store's 'Story Link' online forum [est. 11/2006]

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