Scenewriting : the missing manual for screenwriters / Chris Perry and Eric Henry Sanders.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Perry, Chris, 1970- author.

Sanders, Eric Henry, author.

Contributor:

Unger Gasser Family Endowment for the Study of Screenwriting, Television and New Media.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motion picture authorship.

Motion picture plays--Technique.

Motion picture plays.

Physical Description:

xvi, 247 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Bloomsbury Academic, 2022.

Summary:

"The first comprehensive guide to mastering the art and craft of writing scenes, providing screenwriters with a new foundational approach to creating beautifully articulated scripts"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. I Planning

1. What Do They Want and Why?

What's It All about?

Exercise: Overarching Goal

One Does Not Simply Walk Into Mordor

Kinds of Scene Goals

Objects

Words from Others

Getting Somewhere

Completing a Task

Qualities of Scene Goals

Relatability

Specificity

Achievability

Exercise: And... Scene

2. Why Can't They Have It?

The Universe Is out to Get You

You Can't Share a Parking Space

But I Thought We Were Friends

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Things in Absentia

It's Not You, It's Me

Exercise: Exploring the Possibilities

The Just Right Obstacle

Resonance with World and Tone

Resonance with Theme

Exercise: What Story Does This Obstacle Tell?

Time Isn't on Your Side

Exercise: Limit the Resources, and Pick

3. What Are They Gonna Do about It?

Don't Just Stand There, Do Something!

You Talkin' to Me? (Characters versus Others)

You Can't Argue with a River (Characters versus Things)

I'm My Own Worst Enemy (Character versus Self)

Getting By with a Little Help from My Friends

Exercise: Exploring Approaches

It's Only a Mistake if You Don't Learn from It

Themes Like a Good Idea

Exercise: So THAT Didn't Work

Where're You Going with This?

Exercise: So How Does Your Scene End?

Not All Actions Are Created Equal

Cooking Up Stakes

It Takes Two to Tango

Matching World and Tone

Exercise: One Full Approach

4. Where and When Is It Gonna Happen?

It's about Freakin' Time

Exercise: Identify Your Moment in Time

Location, Location, Location!

Exercise: Zooming in on the Precise Location

Research and Destroy

Exercise: Research and Character Preoccupations

pt. II Drafting

5. The Fundamental Tools of Scenewriting

Show 'Em What You Got

Pacing

Exercise: Basic Practice with Scene Description

Use Your Words

Exercise: Basic Practice with Dialogue

6. The Art of Reader Engagement

Make 'Em Work for It

Exercise: Mapping out a Treasure Hunt

Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Shock

Exercise: Leverage the Unusual in Your Scene

Make 'Em Wait

Exercise: Setting Up Anticipation

Feast Your Eyes on This!

Exercise: Add a Little Wonder

7. The Unformatted Draft

Let's Get This Party Started

When and Where

Knock Knock

Better Late Than Boring

Exercise: Writing the Beginning

Scenis Morghulis: All Scenes Must End

Reveals

The Natural Ending

The Cyclical Ending

The Reversal Ending

The Unexplained Mystery Ending

Inviting The Reader Into the Next Scene

We're Closing Early

Exercise: Writing the End

In the Middle with You

One Thing Leads to Another (But and Therefore)

What's at Stake

Exercise: Filling out the Middle

8. Formatting for Fun and Profit

Courier? I Don't Even Know Her!

A Minute Per Page

Exercise: Pick Your Software and Import Your Unformatted Draft

A Slugline Says What?

Exercise: Writing Sluglines

You Lookin'atMe?

Callouts

Transition Callouts

Exercise: Format That Scene Description

You Got Something to Say?

Wrylies

Pauses and Interruptions

MORE and CONT'D

Trailing Off, Interrupting, and Talking Over

Other Ways Characters Can Talk: O.S. and V.O.

Exercise: Format Your Dialogue

pt. III Perfecting

9. Check Your Length

The Bare Necessities

Exercise: Throwin' Strikeouts

Whoa, I Think I Missed Something

Exercise: Did You Throw out the Baby with the Bathwater?

10. Managing Scene Information in Dialogue

As You Know, I'm Your Son

I'm So Conflicted

Do You Know Why I Pulled You Over?

Thank You, Captain Obvious

Exercise: Un-obviousing Your Exposition

Yeah, You Already Said That

Here We Are in Prison

That's My Name, Don't Wear It Out

Exercise: Removing Redundant Exposition

11. Bringing Authenticity into Your Dialogue

Keepin It Real

I'm Listening

Speaking of Questions

Exercise: Going Off-Topic and Ignoring

Read Between the Lines

Using Subtext to Avoid Hurt Feelings

Off-Topic Subtext

Using Subtext to Communicate Emotions

Exercise: What I Mean Is

You Sound Just Like My Mom

Exercise: Finding Your Voice

The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You

Exercise: Music in Dialogue

12. Final Polish

Once More with Feeling

Scene POV

Spotlight It

Writer's Commentary

Poetic Impression

Exercise: Write in the Feels

Smooth It Out

Eschew Impenetrability

Avoid Ambiguity

S Prooffrreading Are Important

Exercise: Line by Line, for Clarity

Last Looks

White Space for the Win

Compressing

Exercise: Expand and Compress

Okay, Now What?

Bonus Chapter: Expanding Your Development Circle

Not All Readers Are Created Equal

Exercise: Build Your Reading Roster

Readings Are Fundamental

First-Time Readers

Slings and Arrows

Prepping Questions

Receiving Critique

Exercise: Preparing for a Reading

Found in Translation

Collecting

Waiting

Translating

Revising

Exercise: Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Appendix A References

Appendix B Course Adoption Guide

A. Scenewriting-Only Course

Custom Modular Adoption

Example Adoption into a Pilot- or Feature-Writing Course

Example Adoption into a Short Film Writing Course.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 231-235) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Unger Gasser Family Endowment for the Study of Screenwriting, Television and New Media.

Other Format:

Online version: Perry, Chris, 1970- Scenewriting

ISBN:

9781501352133

150135213X

9781501352126

1501352121

OCLC:

1281789745

Publisher Number:

99992999464