Collaborative Screenwriting and Story Development

If you want to be a mainstream professional writer, this book gives a solid foundation and lots of insights into how Hollywood works. But it also targets writers who color outside the lines, people with their own artistic vision. There’s a lot of focus on core creativity and unique storytellers that break new ground. It examines blockbusters, indie films, and hit shows that you never heard of because they were made in countries far away. As a writer, this will give you more tools, more lethal weaponry, and more ways to surprise your readers. It’s ninja training for screenwriters. Tab Murphy – Academy award nominated screenwriter, Writer: Disney’s Tarzan – Gorillas in the Mist This is a field that requires an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject matter with a global perspective, and that’s exactly what this book provides. It is the most comprehensive book on screenwriting I’ve yet encountered. Tom Musca – Writer / Producer - Stand and Deliver, Head of MFA Screenwriting, University of Miami As a film producer, I need to collaborate with writers effectively. This is the only book I’ve seen that tells writers and producers how to form effective creative teams. It tells how to develop stories, make creative decisions, solve story problems, plan out seasons and make movie magic as a group. This is essential information, especially if you are a writer who hopes to become a showrunner or creative executive in the future. Wang Pingwenan, Producer, Shanghai Senxun Media The multinational aspect of the book opens exciting new vistas and new ways of thinking that stimulate good stories and interesting characters. Most of us have only been exposed to the Western “rules” for telling stories, and Handler’s clever weaving of international structures and characterizations opens up endless possibilities for any writer or producer who is willing to learn. Mark Byers – Screenwriter: The Treatment This is an essential guide for anyone who wants to learn about the art and science of screenwriting. It is also useful for those who are teaching screenwriting and for anyone interested in how best to tell a story for an international audience. Sid Goldstein – Author: American Pastimes, Writing teacher – University of Hawaii Manoa