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On  Writing  &  Screenwriting

author William Faulkner in Hollywood working at his typewriter, 1943      gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson working at his typewriter      author Ernest Hemingway working at his typewriter      Cary Grant working at the typewriter with "His Girl Friday" Rosalind Russell, from the 1940 movie      auteur Alfred Hitchcock working at his typewriter 

Books on Writing    ¸    Books on Cinema    ¸    Books on Screenwriting

Magazines For Writers    ¸    Software For Writers    ¸    Links for Screenwriters

Movies & Videos 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

Talentville: The Online City For Creative Minds [est. 2009]
Talentville's FREE ongoing screenwriting competition [est. Sept 2011]

Storyboard TV [est.2009] is an interactive, online community for scriptwriters, producers & TV enthusiasts where writers can share scripts and solicit feedback

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 Screenwriter's Association (ISA) - membership is FREE
Screenwriters Assn. of Santa Barbara [est. 1975]

American Screenwriters Assn. {website gone? 2010}     Screenwriters Guild of America

InsideFilm Online

Writers' Script Network evolved into InkTip

Scriptwriters Network [est. 1986] is non-profit, educational & volunteer-driven, and based in Glendale, CA

Writers Guild of America / West [est. 1954] labor union       Writers Guild of America / East [est. 1951] labor union

Writers Guild West Registry Dept. [est. 1927]            Amazon Studios [est. 11/2010]

Screenwriting  Conferences

'Opening Doors To Hollywood' conferences [none scheduled since 2011]

StoryCon [2002-2007] in Palm Springs, CA is shut down

Maui/Hawai'i Writers Conference [Labor Day Weekend 1993-2009] is shut down

ShawGuide Directory of Writers Conferences & Workshops

Southern California Writers Conference - San Diego [Feb 2011 = #25]

The Screenwriting Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico [May 2011 = #13]

the N.H.C.C. website is terrible; good luck finding any current info  National Latino Writers Conference [July 2015 = #12] in Albuquerque, NM

InkTip Pitch & Networking Summit [July 2011 = #2] in Burbank, CA

Hollywood Pitch Festival™ Conference [August 2016 = #20] in Los Angeles, CA

Southern California Writers Conference [Sept 2011 = #9] in Los Angeles, CA

Screenwriting Expo [Sept 2011 = #10] in Los Angeles, CA

Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference [Oct 2011 = #18] in Austin, Texas

N.M.F.F. 'On The Page' Screenwriters Conference [Oct 2016 = #1] in Santa Fe, NM

Story World Conference & Expo [Oct-Nov 2011] in San Francisco, California

                    

Books  on  Screenwriting

How To Write A Photoplay 1912 book by Herbert Case Hoagland  "How To Write A Photoplay" [Magazine Maker Publng 1912]
by Herbert Case Hoagland (of Pathé Fréres)

Andesite Press 9¼x6 pb [8/2017] for $9.52
Andesite Press 9¼x6 hardcover [8/2015] for $21.95

available as free online etext at Internet Archive

How to Write Photo-Plays 1915 book by Clarence J. Caine  "How To Write Photo-Plays" [D. McKay 1915] by Clarence J. Caine
A reproduction of a series of articles on the subject, as they appeared in the "Hints For Scenario Writers" department of Picture-Play Weekly and Picture-Play Magazine; original edition included the scenario of one-reeler silent short "If I Were Young Again" [1914 lost film] { IMDb }
Forgotten Books 9x6 pb [7/2017] for $11.97
Art of Photoplay Making book by Victor Oscar Freeburg  "The Art of Photoplay Making" [Macmillan 1918]
by Victor O. Freeburg

Nabu Press 10x7 pb [8/2010] for $24.13
Kessinger Publng 9x6 pb [9/2010] for $24.76
Arno Press facsimile edition 8¾x5½ hardcover [2/80] for $21.95
How To Write Photoplays book by John Emerson & Anita Loos  "How To Write Photoplays" [James A. McCann 1920] by John Emerson & Anita Loos
TheClassics.US 9¾x7½ pb [9/2013] for $15.84

expanded edition "... With History, Commentary, and New Articles On Old Techniques"
by William C. Martell

Kindle Edition from First Strike Press [3/2015] for $2.99

Vale's Technique of Screen & Television Writing  
"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
Froug 1 / Screenwriter  "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
Fade In Screenwriting Process book by Robert A. Berman  "Fade In: The Screenwriting Process" [1977]
by Robert A. Berman

Michael Wiese Prodns 9¼x6 pb [5/77] for $24.95
Michael Wiese Prodns 8¼x6 pb [9/88] out of print/used
Wells Root / Writing The Script  "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
Straczynski Complete Book of Scriptwriting  "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
Adventures In The Screen Trade  "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
Backstory 1 book edited by Patrick McGilligan  "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
Art of Screenwriting book by William Packard  "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
Film Flam Essays On Hollywood book by Larry McMurtry  "Film Flam: Essays On Hollywood" [1988] {reprinted from "American Film"}
by Larry McMurtry [1936-2021]

Touchstone 8x5.4 pb [9/2001] for $9.60
Touchstone hardcover [8/88] out of stock/used
Backstory 2  "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
Hauge Writing Screenplays That Sell  "Writing Screenplays That Sell" [1991]
by Michael Hauge

Harper 8x5.3 pb [8/91] for $11.90

seminar website

Froug 2 / New Screenwriter  "The New Screenwriter Looks At The New Screenwriter" [1992]
by William Froug

Silman-James Press 9x6 pb [2/92] for $11.17
Froug Screenwriting Tricks of The Trade  "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
Teach Yourself Screenwriting  
"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

Best American Screenplays First Series Edited by Sam Thomas  

Best American Screenplays Third Series Edited by Sam Thomas  

"Best American Screenplays: First Series - Complete Screenplays" [1991] Edited by Sam Thomas
twelve complete screenplays: "All Quiet On The Western Front" [1930], "Meet John Doe" [1941] by Robert Riskin, "Casablanca" [1942], "Miracle On 34th Street" [1947] by George Seaton, "Rebel Without A Cause" [1955] by Stewart Stern, "Bonnie and Clyde" [1967], "The Graduate" [1967] by Calder Willingham & Buck Henry, "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" [1969] by William Goldman, "Sounder" [1972] by Lonne Elder III, "The Candidate" [1972] by Jeremy Larner, "On Golden Pond" [1981] by Ernest Thompson, and "Arthur" [1981] by Steve Gordon
Crown Publrs 9¾x6½ hardcover [3/85] out of print/used
"Best American Screenplays 2" [1991] Edited by Sam Thomas
ten complete screenplays: "My Man Godfrey" [1936] by Morrie Ryskind & Eric Hatch, "Citizen Kane" [1941] by Herman Mankiewicz & Orson Welles, "Holy Matrimony" [1943] by Nunnally Johnson, "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" [1948] by John Huston, "Some Like It Hot" [1959] by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond, "Judgment At Nuremberg" [1961] by Abby Mann, "The Lion In Winter" [1968] by James Goldman, "The Sting" [1973] by David Ward, "Julia" [1977] by Alvin Sargent, and "Terms of Endearment" [1983] by James L. Brooks
Crown Publrs 9¼x6¼ hardcover [1/91] out of print/used
Crown Publrs hardcover [1/91] out of print/used
"Best American Screenplays 3" [1995] Edited by Sam Thomas
eight complete screenplays: "The Great McGinty" [1940] by Preston Sturges, "Double Indemnity" [1944] by Billy Wilder & Raymond Chandler, "Sunset Boulevard" [1950], "Harold and Maude" [1971] by Colin Higgins, "The Godfather" [1972], "The Godfather, Part II" [1974], "Tender Mercies" [1983] by Horton Foote, and "Unforgiven"
[1992] by David Webb Peoples

Crown Publrs 9¾x6¾ hardcover [2/95] out of print/used

Adaptations / 35 Great Stories That Inspired Great Films book by Stephanie Harrison  "Adaptations: From Short Story To Big Screen: 35 Great Stories That Have Inspired
Great Films" [2005] by Stephanie Harrison

Three Rivers Press 9x6 pb [4/2005] for $11.53
official book siteauthor's official website
Harrison examines each story and film, including Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "In A Grove" and Kurosawa's "Rashômon" [1950]; Brian Aldiss's "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long" and Steven Spielberg's "AI: Artificial Intelligence" [2001]; Sherman Alexie's stories and the 1998 cult hit "Smoke Signals"; Paul Auster's "Auggie Wren's Christmas Story" and Wayne Wang's "Smoke" [1995]; Raymond Carver's "Jerry and Molly and Sam" and Robert Altman's "Short Cuts" [1993]; Anton Chekhov's story and "The Lady With The Dog" [Russia 1960]; John Cheever's "The Swimmer" and the 1968 movie; Arthur C. Clarke's "The Sentinel" and Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" [1968]; Dan Clowes's "Hubba Hubba" and "Ghost
World" [2001]; Richard Connell's "A Reputation" and Frank Capra's classic "Meet John Doe" [1941]; Julio Cortazar's "Las Babas del Diablo" and Antonioni's 1966 "Blow-Up"; Philip K. Dick’s "The Minority Report" and Steven Spielberg's 2002 blockbuster; Andre Dubus's "Killings" and "In the Bedroom" [2001]; William Faulkner's "Tomorrow" and the 1972 movie starring Robert Duvall; F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Babylon, Revisited" and "The Last Time I Saw Paris" [1954]; Graham Greene's "A Base-ment Room" and Carol Reed's "The Fallen Idol" [1948]; Ernest Haycox's "Stage To Lordsburg" and John Ford's "Stagecoach" [1939]; Eric Hodgins's story and the 1948 classic "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House"; Denis Johnson's "Emergency" and "Jesus' Son" [1999]; {something by Dorothy M. Johnson}; W.P. Kinsella's "Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes To Iowa" and hit "Field of Dreams" [1989]; George Langelaan's "The Fly" and the 1958 & 1986 movies; H.P. Lovecraft's story and "Re-Animator"
[1985]; Jonathon Nolan's "Memento Mori" and "Memento" [2000]; Mary O'Hara's "My Friend Flicka" and the 1943 movie; Joyce Carol Oates's story and Joyce Chopra's "Smooth Talk" [1985]; Mary Orr's "The Wisdom of Eve" and "All About Eve" [1950]; graphic artist Harvey Pekar and "American Splendor" [2003]; Tod Robbins's "Spurs" and Tod Browning's strange "Freaks" [1932]; Frank Rooney's "Cyclists' Raid" and the Brando classic "The Wild One" [1953]; Budd Schulberg's "Your Arkansas Traveler" and Elia Kazan's "A Face In The Crowd" [1957]; Jean Shepherd's story and the 1983 holiday classic "A Christmas Story"; Hagar Wilde’s "Bringing Up Baby" and the classic 1938 film directed by Howard Hawks; Cornell Woolrich's "It Had To Be Murder" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" [1954]

Zen & The Art of Screenwriting 1  "Zen & The Art of Screenwriting 1: Insights & Interviews" [1996]
by William Froug

Silman-James Press 8x8 pb [12/96] for $14.67
Backstory 3  "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 9¼x6½ hardcover [3/97] out of print/used
McKee Story / Principles of Screenwriting  "Story: Substance, Structure, Style & The Principles of Screenwriting" [1997]
by Robert McKee

HarperCollins 9½x6½ hardcover [10/97] for $19.88
Harper Audio ABR [12/97] for $19.77

seminar website

Hauge Screenwriting For Hollywood audio  "Screenwriting For Hollywood" audio [1998]
by Michael Hauge

Writer's AudioShop [1/98] two tapes for $17.95
seminar website
500 Ways / Hollywood Script Reader  "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 101  "Screenwriting 101: The Essential Craft of Feature Film Writing" [1999]
by Neill D. Hicks

Michael Wiese Prodns 9x6 pb [9/99] for $11.87
Myth & Movies  "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
More Adventures In The Screen Trade  "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
Savvy Screenwriter  "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
Zen & the Art of Screenwriting 2  "Zen & the Art of Screenwriting 2: More Insights and Interviews" [2000]
by William Froug

SCB Intl 8x8 pb [10/2000] for $15.37
Screenwriter's Survival Guide  "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
Screenwriting On The Internet  "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
Screenwriting For Dummies book by Laura Schellhardt  "Screenwriting for Dummies" [2003]
by Laura Schellhardt

Wiley & Sons 9x7¼ pb [1/2003] for $13.59
Novels Into Film  "Novels Into Film" [orig 1957; rev 2003]
by George Bluestone

Johns Hopkins Univ Press 8½x5½ pb [3/2003] for $24.55
Filmmaking for Dummies book by Bryan Michael Stoller  "Filmmaking for Dummies" [2003]
by Bryan Michael Stoller, Foreword by Jerry Lewis [1926-2017]

Wiley & Sons 9¼x7½ pb [7/2003] for $12.99
Cinematic Storytelling book by Jennifer Van Sijll  "Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know" [2005] by Jennifer Van Sijll
Michael Wiese Prodns 7¾x10¾ wide-format pb [8/2005] for $15.54
Professional Screenwriters Series  "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 for $69.95
Backstory 4  
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
History of American Screenwriting book by Marc Norman  "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
Truby's Anatomy of Story  "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
Screenwriter's Handbook series by Barry Turner  "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
Pocket Screenwriting Guide book by Mario Moreno & Anthony Grieco  "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
Tales from the Script / 50 Hollywood Screenwriters book edited by Peter Hanson & Paul Robert Herman  "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
Hollywood Screenwriting Directory book by Jesse Douma  "Hollywood Screenwriting Directory: A Specialized Resource For Discovering Where & How To Sell Your Screenplay" [2012] by Jesse Douma
Kindle Edition from F+W Media [9/2012] for $27.47
F+W Media Fall 2012 edition 9¼x7 pb [9/2012] for $32.97
Shakespeare for Screenwriters book by J.M. Evenson  "Shakespeare For Screenwriters: Timeless Writing Tips From The Master of Drama"
[2013] by J.M. Evenson
(who teaches at Pepperdine University in Malibu)
Kindle Edition from Michael Wiese Prodns [10/2013] for $11.49
Michael Wiese Prodns 9x6 pb [8/2013] for $16.06

Working  Screenwriters

Clayton Emery
browse booksofficial websitemovie & TV credits

Peter Layton of Canada
official websitemovie credits

Aaron Sorkin
co-wrote "The West Wing" TV series [1999-2006]
wrote "A Few Good Men" stageplay & screenplay [1992]
co-wrote "The Social Network" [2010]
co-wrote "Moneyball" [2011]

screenwriter-playwright Tom Stoppard
browse booksexplore videos/DVDsBroadway creditsmovie & TV creditsWikipedia

Steven Zaillian
adapted "Schindler's List" [1993] from Thomas Keneally's book
co-wrote "Mission: Impossible" [1996]
co-wrote Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" [2002]
co-wrote "Moneyball" [2011]


                    

Books  on  Writing  -  in  general

On the Art of Writing lectures by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch  "On The Art of Writing" [1916] by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch [1863-1944]
widely-reprinted 1913-1914 Cambridge lectures; includes the origination of the literary concept 'murder your darlings', which is to delete those especially-delicious phrases and paragraphs that are actually unnecessary
Kindle Edition from Amazon Digital Services [3/2011] for FREE {sic}
CreateSpace 9x6 pb [7/2013] for $8.09
Dover Publns 8½x5¾ pb [2/2006] for $9.45
BiblioLife 9¼x6 hardcover [8/2008] for $27.27
available as free online etext at Internet Archive
Aspects of the Novel 1927 book by E.M. Forster  
"Aspects of The Novel" [1927 classic] by E.M. Forster [1879-1970]
a collection of lectures delivered at Cambridge University
Mariner Books 8x5¼ pb [9/56] for $9.10
Hodder Arnold/Abinger hardcover [11/74] out of print/used
Becoming a Writer  "Becoming A Writer" [1934 classic]
by Dorothea Brande [1893-1948]

J.P. Tarcher 8x5 pb [3/81] for $9.95
author entry at Wikipedia
Trial and Error book by Jack Woodford  "Trial and Error: A Dithyramb On The Subject of Writing & Selling" [1935]
by Jack Woodford, Introduction by Arnold Gingrich, editor of Esquire

Kessinger Publng 8¾x6 pb [3/2007] for $23.52
Woodford Memorial Editions 8¼x5½ pb [6/80] out of print/used
Kessinger Publng 9¼x6½ hardcover [6/2008] for $34.92
Garden City Publng 7¾x5¼ hardcover [1940] out of print/used
book entry at Wikipedia
Writing and Selling book by Jack Woodford  "Writing and Selling" [1940] by Jack Woodford,
Introduction by Arnold Gingrich, editor of Esquire

Perma Giants Edition hardcover [1949] out of print/used
Star Books hardcover [1940] out of print/used
'Why Write A Novel?' 1943 book by Jack Woodford  "Why Write A Novel?" [1943] by Jack Woodford
later self-published as "How To Write and Sell A Novel"

"Woodford knows the writing game and what he says about it is very much to the point."
— cover blurb by Upton Sinclair [1878-1968]

HTWSN: Kessinger Publng 9x6 pb [3/2007] for $21.24
HTWSN: Kessinger Publng 9x6 hardcover [6/2008] for $32.64
HTWSN: Woodford Press hardcover [1948] out of print/used
WWAN?: Murray & Gee hardcover [1943] out of print/used
Hero With A Thousand Faces book by Joseph Campbell  "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
see also Joseph Campbell [1904-87] Page at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore
Egri's Art of Dramatic Writing  "The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis In The Creative Interpretation of Human Motives" [S&S 1960 classic] by Lajos Egri [1888-1967]
Kindle Edition from Amazon Digital Services [2005 edition] for $2.99 {sic}
Kindle Edition from Simon & Schuster [4/2004 edition] for $11.99
B.N. Publng mass pb [5/2009] for $11.99
Kessinger Publng 9x6 pb [3/2007] for $22.59
S&S/Touchstone 8¾x5¼ pb [rev 2004] out of print/used
B.N. Publng 9¼x6 hardcover [5/2009] for $15.59
Writer's Quotation Book  
"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
Jack Woodford on Writing book edited by Jess E. Stewart  "Jack Woodford On Writing" [1980]
Compiled, selected, and edited by Jess E. Stewart

includes Introductory Notes, 'Writer's Cramp' (complete), Trial and Error (excerpts), How To Write and Sell A Novel (excerpts), How To Write For Money (excerpts), Plotting (excerpts), and 'Citizen Arrest' (short story)
Woodford Memorial Editions pb [4/81] out of print/used

more on Spirit of America Bookstore's Jack Woodford [1894-1971] Page

Gardner Fiction  
"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
Kundera's Art of The Novel  "The Art of The Novel" [1986] by Milan Kundera
Harper Perennial 8¼x5¼ pb [4/2003] for $9.92
Harper Perennial 8x5½ pb [1/89] out of print/used
Faber & Faber hardcover [12/88] out of print/used
Dibell / Plot   "Plot" (WD Elements of Fiction Writing) [1988]
by Ansen Dibell

Writers Digest Books 9x6 pb [8/99] for $9.68
Writers Digest Books 9¼x6¼ hardcover [8/88] out of print/used
Power of Myth TV series from Joseph Campbell  "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 the Joseph Campbell [1904-87] Page at Maison d'Être Philosophy Bookstore

Oakley Hall / Novel Writing  "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
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury  "Zen In The Art of Writing: Essays On Creativity" [1989]
by Ray Bradbury

Capra Press/Joshua Odell Expanded Edition 8x5½ pb [8/94] for $9.66
Bantam mass pb [4/92] for $7.99
Writer's Journey  "The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers" [1992]
by Christopher Vogler

Michael Wiese Prodns 3rd edition 9x6 pb [11/2007] for $16.17
Michael Wiese Prodns 9x6 pb [11/98] out of print/used
author's website
Dynamic Characters book by Nancy Kress  "Dynamic Characters: How To Create Personalities That Keep Readers Captivated" [1998] by Nancy Kress
Writers Digest Books 9x6 pb [6/2004] for $10.88
Writers Digest Books 9x6 hardcover [7/98] out of print/used
Elements of Fiction Writing book by Nancy Kress  "Beginnings, Middles & Ends" (WD Elements of Fiction Writing) [1999]
by Nancy Kress

Writers Digest Books pb [3/2011] for $10.19
Writers Digest Books 9x6 pb [5/99] for $9.68
Elements of Fiction Writing book by Monica Wood  "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
Stealing Fire From The Gods book by James Bonnet  "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
On Writing book by Stephen King  "On Writing: A Memoir of The Craft" [2000]
by Stephen King

Scribner Tenth Anniv edition 8¾x6¼ pb [7/2010] for $10.88
Pocket mass pb [7/2002] out of print/many, many used
Scribner 9x6 hardcover [10/2000] out of print/hundreds used
Plot Thickens  "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
Spooky Art   "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
Common Errors In English Usage book by Paul Brians  "Common Errors In English Usage" [2003]
by Paul Brians

William James & Co. 9x6 pb [3/2003] for $10.20
official booksite
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss  "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
Ten Percent of Nothing / Literary Agent From Hell  "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
Writer's Voice book by A. Alvarez  "The Writer's Voice" [2004]
by A. Alvarez

W.W. Norton 8½x5¾ hardcover [11/2004] for $14.93
Looking At The Novel  "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
Weinberg On Writing  "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
Ayn Rand / Writing Teacher  "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

Writing Tools / Essential Strategies book by Roy Peter Clark  "Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies For Every Writer" [2006]
by Roy Peter Clark
, vice president at the Poynter Institute School of Journalism
Little, Brown and Co. pb [1/2008] for $7.91
Little, Brown and Co. hardcover [9/2006] for $12.47
CQ Press college edition spiral-bound [4/2008] for $19.95
Writer's Quotebook  "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
How Fiction Works by James Wood  "How Fiction Works" [2008]
by James Wood (New Yorker Magazine book critic)

Picador pb [7/2009] for $9.10
FS&G 7½x5½ hardcover [7/2008] out of print/used
Emerson on the Creative Process book by Robert D. Richardson  "First We Read, Then We Write: Emerson On The Creative Process" [2009]
by Robert D. Richardson

Univ Iowa Press 8¼x5¼ hardcover [2/2009] for $12.46

see also the Ralph Waldo Emerson [1803-82] Page at Spirit of America Bookstore

Writer's Handbook  "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 [7/2010] out of print/used
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

®            ®

"Seminar: A Comedy" stageplay [2011] by Theresa Rebeck
playscript of 'Seminar' by Theresa Rebeck  Four students accepted to a seminar on writing the novel instead find themselves undergoing a brutal assault by the teacher; why included here? reason one is relevancy, reason two is that it will be made into a movie or TV movie (prediction 9/2012)
Smith & Kraus 8x5¼ pb [4/2012] for $11.95
216 performances on Broadway [Nov 2011-May 2012] starring Alan Rickman
run at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles [Oct-Nov 2012] starring Jeff Goldblum

'On Writing by Charles Bukowski' book edited by Abel Debritto  "On Writing by Charles Bukowski" [2015] Edited by Abel Debritto
Scholar Debritto pored over 2,000 pages of poet Charles Bukowski's letters in order to
assemble this collection of highly-opinionated advice from Hank.

Kindle Edition from Ecco Press [7/2015] for $13.99
Ecco Press 9x6 hardcover [8/2015] for $14.58

Magazines  for  Writers

Writer's Digest Magazine [est. 1920]    subscribe: 8 issues/year auto-renewal for $19.96
magazine website
The Writer Magazine [est. 1887]    subscribe: 12 issues/year for $29.00
magazine website
Creative Screenwriting Magazine, ceased publication at end of 2011   2-volume 'best of' interviews available on ebook CDs at their website
magazine website
'Written By' Magazine from the Writers Guild of America, West   direct subscription: 6 issues/year for $40.00
magazine website

Screenwriter Magazine {defunct 2010?}

Online-Only   Magazines  for  Writers

scr(i)pt Magazine (est. 1989, bought by FinalDraft in late 2006, ceased paper publication at end of 2011)         FadeIn: Magazine         On Writing Online - a publication of The Writers Guild of America, East


                    

Books  On  Cinema

Short Guide To Writing About Film book by Timothy Corrigan   "A Short Guide To Writing About Film" [orig 1994; rev 2014]
by Timothy Corrigan

Pearson 9th Edition 8½x5½ pb [7/2014] for $62.13 {sic}
Longman Press/Pearson 9th Edition pb [7/2014] out of print/40+ used
Pearson 8th Edition 8½x5½ pb [7/2011] out of print/used
Longman Press 7th Edition 8x5½ pb [2/2009] out of print/used
Longman Press 6th Edition 8¼x5½ pb [1/2006] for $13.95
Suber's Power of Film  "The Power of Film" [2006]
by Howard Suber
{U.C.L.A. Professor Emeritus}
Michael Wiese Prodns 8½x5½ pb [9/2006] for $18.26
On Film-Making / Mackendrick  "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
Big Picture  
"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  "Hollywood 101: The Film Industry" [2000]
by Frederick Levy

Renaissance Books 9x6 pb [3/2000] for $13.97

                    

Movies  &  Videos  About  Screenwriting

Magic Lantern's Hollywood Film Festival Pages

"Boy Meets Girl"  [Warner Bros. Aug 1938]
Boy Meets Girl movie  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]
Paris / Sizzles  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 & Noël 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

"Best Friends"  [Warner Bros. Dec 1982]
Best Friends 1982 poster  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

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

"The Player"  [Avenue/Spelling April 1992]
The Player movie poster  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 novel by Michael Tolkin  "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]

"Wonder Boys"  [Paramount 2000] /tt0185014/
A college reative writing professor has been working on the same novel for seven years, his wife just left him, and he’s having an affair with the
university chancellor, who is now pregnant with his child; adaptation of Michael Chabon‘s semi-autobiographical novel; starring Michael Douglas,
Frances McDormand, Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes, Rip Torn, Richard Knox, Jane Adams, Richard Thomas, Philip Bosco

"Adaptation"  [Propaganda Films Dec 2002]
Adaptation video   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
Orchid Thief  
"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

"Tales From The Script" documentary [indep March 2010]
Tales From The Script docufilm by Peter Hanson & Paul Robert Herman  On-camera comments from Hollywood writers & filmmakers, including Allison Anders, Shane Black, John Carpenter, Larry Cohen, Frank Darabont, Joe Forte, William Goldman, Peter Hyams, Adam Rifkin, Bruce Joel Rubin, Richard Rush, Paul Schrader, Melville Shavelson, Ron Shelton, Ronald Shusett, David S. Ward, and dozens more; DVD extras include 47-minute docufilm "More Tales From The Script", two featurettes Co-produced, co-written & directed by Peter Hanson; co-produced & co-written by Paul Robert Herman
First Run Features color DVD [4/2010] for $19.99
full credits at IMDbofficial movie site
Tales from the Script / 50 Hollywood Screenwriters book edited by Peter Hanson & Paul Robert Herman   "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 Books 7¾x5¼ pb [1/2010] for $10.87

"Playing It Cool" [2015]
romcom about a screenwriter who doesn't believe in love; starring Chris Evans, Michele Monaghan, Anthony Mackie, Philip Baker Hall
watch 1/2015 official trailer #1 [2:15] at YouTube



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

browse all books by Linda Seger

Syd Field's Paradigm

browse all books by Syd Field [1935-2013]

Screenplay   "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
Workshop video/DVD  "Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop: Writing A Screenplay
That Sells to Hollywood" [1999]

Final Draft DVD set [9/2006] 2 disks - out of prodn/used
Final Draft + Workshop DVD  Workshop DVD with FinalDraft 6.0 software
FinalDraft 7 for MAC & Windows systems [3/2004] out of prodn
FinalDraft 6.0 set had Amazon ranking of 646 [10/2003]
FinalDraft 6.0 for MAC & Windows systems [2003] orig $214.99 - out of prodn


Software  For  Writers

The Writers Store [est. 3/1982 in Westwood {Los Angeles}, moved 8/2010 to Burbank, California]

Writers Store's 'StoryLink' online forum [2006-12] is now Script Magazine [online Spring 2010]

Write Brothers, Inc. - software for writers [est. 1982]

Showbiz Software Store & Café [] in NYC & WLA
West Los Angeles (Westwood) locationNew York City (Flatiron District) location

The Screenwriter's Store [est. 1996] of London, U.K.

Final Draft 9 software for Windows & Mac  
"Final Draft 9" for Windows 7 & 8 and Mac OS X [2014]
CD-ROM in a box [1/2014] for $212.74


cartoon dog Snoopy working at his typewriter

here on the 'On Writing & Screenwriting' Page at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

top of page  •  Books on Writing  •  Books on Cinema  •  Books on Screenwriting  •

Magazines For Writers  •  Software For Writers  •  Links for Screenwriters  •  Movies & Videos

¸

Current Filmmakers  •   XXth Century Directors  •   Early Filmmakers
Foreign Cinema  •   Favorite Films (and Why)  •   The Movie Industry Page
Film Genres  •   Actors: Stars & Unknowns  •   Movies: Great & Unsung
Film Festivals & Orgns  •   Film Businesses Page  •   History of Cinema

                                   

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