good reading

There are a lot of books out there about how to write a successful script.

Which are worth reading?

Short answer: anything that helps.

But be aware in your quest for “the answer” that there is no answer, no secret sauce to conjure the perfect story.

Or, put another way, there is an answer and it’s no secret—in fact, it’s available to anyone who’s ever cracked any book on scriptwriting or storytelling: an identifiable protagonist wants something; a formidable antagonist gets in the way; conflict ensues; stakes are raised, leading to a climax that determines how the conflict is resolved.

Roll credits.

No charge. 

If that’s so, how come there’s a mini-industry in how-to books, courses, podcasts, and videos?

A few answers.

First, because it’s one thing to appreciate what goes into a successful script, quite another to understand how to create one. We can all marvel at Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” or Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” but have no clue how to paint. A good teacher introduces perspectives and processes to put you on your own path.

Second, because it’s hard to write a good script—hey, it’s hard to write even a passably mediocre script, so anything that can lighten the load is to be embraced.   

Third, beyond the literary dimensions of writing a script, there are the less poetic, more pragmatic aspects of professional success to consider—how to navigate the perilous waters of Hollywood, particularly at one of the most turbulent periods in its turbulent history.

Fourth, because even though we know better, we’re all searching for “the answer,” the latest, “scientifically proven” diet fad that will help us drop twenty pounds without pain.

And I’m sure we could all list more reasons, as well.

So, with all that in mind, which books do I recommend?  I’ll mention three, but before I do, I want to repeat a line I picked up from late crime novelist George V. Higgins (The Friends of Eddie Coyle): I don’t believe writing can be taught, but it can be learned.

Meaning? The learning is up to the writer. Correspondingly, the teacher’s — or author’s — job is to create an environment in which learning can take place.

The good writing teacher puts examples, vocabulary, and time-proven principles (not “rules” per se) in front of the student and invests significant time to make meaningful comments on the student’s own work.

The good author does much the same, save for the investment of personal time.

In all cases, however, the burden is on the student. What good any form of writing instruction does will depend on how hard and how often the student puts it to use.  

Okay, cutting to the chase, these three books have helped me as a writer and teacher: Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (Grand Central Publishing Reissue Edition), Writing the Screenplay: Television and Film, by Alan A. Armer (Waveland Press), and Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey Into Story, by John Yorke (Henry N. Abrams reprint edition; in England, Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them, Penguin).

Adventures in the Screen Trade, written in 1983, remains a classic not only on how Hollywood operates, but in the craft of screenwriting. Goldman was the brash golden boy of movies when the book came out, responsible for such hits as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (for which he was paid a record $400,000 in 1968), Marathon Man (based on his novel), and All the President’s Men. After publication, he’d go on to write The Princess Bride (also based on his novel) and Misery, among others. Although the Hollywood that Goldman moved through no longer exists, his insights into the essential nature of the business remain vividly, painfully, and entertainingly relevant today. Everyone knows Goldman’s first rule of Hollywood, quoted hundreds of times a day in this town: “Nobody knows anything.” What people don’t remember — if they ever knew — is Goldman’s second rule of Hollywood, which has to do with the foundation of all good scripts. I won’t repeat it here (although I do in my book!). You’ll enjoy finding it for yourself. But be sure to buy the physical edition, not the Kindle edition, because only the paperback contains the full screenplay to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, including Goldman’s analysis of the first 15 minutes, which is invaluable.

Writing the Screenplay, Television and Film, is a textbook written by Alan A. Armer, a successful writer and director during television’s “first golden age,” who turned to teaching in his later years. When I began teaching myself in the 1990s, there were few books on screenwriting, none of which I found very useful. Then I discovered Armer’s text, which struck me as a revelation. Here was a practical, no-jargon, no-nonsense guide that not only laid out the rudiments of screenwriting in clear, applicable terms, but included genuinely useful exercises. Based on Armer’s classroom experience, these assignments make it possible for teacher and student to progress without getting bogged down in many of the fundamental obstacles to learning the craft.  The book also features tips from some of the leading screenwriters of his day, whose wisdom hasn’t diminished with time. Because it’s a textbook, new copies are expensive, but there are plenty of used editions to be had at reasonable cost if you explore on Amazon and elsewhere. It’s worth it.

Into the Woods: A Journey into Story in Five Acts is the best analysis of storytelling I’ve yet to come across. Written by John Yorke, a former BBC executive now producing his own projects, it not only discusses the how of storytelling, but the why. Unlike some better-known books on the subject, Yorke’s entry doesn’t attempt to give you formulas or rigid rules. His approach is descriptive, not prescriptive. Drawing from a wide variety of sources both historical and contemporary, from stage to screen to literature, he illustrates why we react as we do to effective storytelling, providing the reader with new lenses on the subject. Written with wit and erudition, it’s a delightful read that will appeal not only to those with a professional interest in writing, but anyone who wants to sound smart during the next discussion of why the latest big thing on Netflix either did or didn’t work.

Enjoy!