You've got an idea for the next great screenplay. Maybe you're just getting started or perhaps you've spent time with other screenwriting books, and you have your hero's journey, plot twists, reversals, and cat-saving scenes all worked out. Either way, what stands between you and an outstanding finished screenplay are the blank pages that you must fill with cinematic life, energy, conflict, and emotion. So how on Earth do you do that?The secret is scenewriting.This thorough and effective guide will help the beginner and the professional master the most critical and overlooked part of the screenwriting process: the art and craft of writing scenes. With step-by-step instruction, and numerous exercises, you will learn how to transform an outline into a fully-developed script. Learn how to prepare scenes for writing, construct sparkling, naturalistic dialogue, utilize scene description and the unique structure of the screenplay format to maximum advantage, and polish your scenes so that your idea becomes the script you always imagined it could be.Through scenewriting, great ideas become brilliant scripts.

Gives accessible, functional, and eminently practical instruction informed by decades of mentoring and teaching young writers

Why a Book About Scenes?Planning, Drafting, PerfectingWhat is a Great Scene, Anyway?PART I: PlanningCHAPTER 1: What Do They Want And Why?What's It All About?EXERCISE: Overarching GoalOne Does Not Simply Walk Into MordorKinds of Scene GoalsObjectsWords from OthersGetting SomewhereCompleting A TaskQualities of Scene GoalsRelatabilitySpecificityAchievabilityEXERCISE: And. Scene.CHAPTER 2: Why Can't They Have It?The Universe Is Out To Get YouYou Can't Share A Parking SpaceBut I Thought We Were FriendsLions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!Things In AbsentiaIt's Not You, It's MeEXERCISE: Exploring the PossibilitiesThe Just Right ObstacleResonance with World and ToneResonance with ThemeEXERCISE: What Story Does This Obstacle Tell?Time Isn't On Your SideEXERCISE: Limit the Resources, And PickCHAPTER 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 With My FriendsEXERCISE: Exploring ApproachesIt's Only a Mistake if You Don't Learn From ItThemes Like a Good IdeaEXERCISE: So THAT Didn't Work...Where're You Going With This?EXERCISE: So How Does Your Scene End?Not All Actions Are Created EqualCooking Up StakesIt Takes Two To TangoMatching World and ToneEXERCISE: One Full ApproachCHAPTER 4: Where And When Is It Gonna Happen?Changing Settings Does Not Necessarily Mean Changing ScenesIt's About Freakin' TimeEXERCISE: Identify Your Moment in TimeLocation, Location, Location!EXERCISE: Zooming in on the Precise LocationResearch and DestroyEXERCISE: Research and Character PreoccupationsPART II: DraftingChapter 5: The Fundamental Tools of ScenewritingShow 'Em What You GotPacingEXERCISE: Basic Practice With Scene DescriptionEXERCISE: Basic Practice With DialogueChapter 6: The Art of Reader EngagementMake 'Em Work For ItEXERCISE: Mapping out a Treasure HuntNobody Expects The Spanish Inquisition!ShockEXERCISE: Leverage The Unusual In Your SceneMake 'Em WaitEXERCISE: Setting Up AnticipationFeast Your Eyes On This!EXERCISE: Add a Little WonderChapter 7: The Unformatted DraftLet's Get This Party StartedWhen and WhereKnock Knock...Better Late Than BoringEXERCISE: Writing the BeginningScenis Morghulis: All Scenes Must EndRevealsThe Natural EndingThe Cyclical EndingThe Reversal EndingThe Unexplained Mystery EndingInviting The Reader Into The Next SceneWe're Closing EarlyEXERCISE: Writing the EndIn the Middle With YouOne Thing Leads To Another (But and Therefore)What's at StakeEXERCISE: Filling Out The MiddleChapter 8: Formatting for Fun and ProfitCourier? I Don't Even Know Her!A Minute Per PageEXERCISE: Pick Your Software and Import Your Unformatted DraftA Slugline Says What?EXERCISE: Writing SluglinesYou Lookin' at Me?CALLOUTSTransition CalloutsEXERCISE: Format That Scene DescriptionYou Got Something to Say?WryliesPauses and InterruptionsMORE and CONT'DTrailing Off, Interrupting, and Talking OverOther Ways Characters Can Talk: O.S. and V.O.EXERCISE: Format Your DialoguePART III: PerfectingCHAPTER 9: Check Your LengthThe Bare NecessitiesEXERCISE: Throwin' StrikeoutsWhoa, I Think I Missed SomethingEXERCISE: Did You Throw Out The Baby With The Bathwater?Chapter 10: Managing Scene Information In DialogueAs You Know, I'm Your SonI'm So ConflictedDo You Know Why I Pulled You Over?Thank You, Captain ObviousEXERCISE: Un-obviousing Your ExpositionYeah, You Already Said ThatHere We Are In PrisonThat's My Name, Don't Wear It OutEXERCISE: Removing Redundant ExpositionChapter 11: Bringing Authenticity Into Your DialogueKeepin' It RealI'm ListeningSpeaking of Questions...EXERCISE: Going Off-Topic and IgnoringRead Between The LinesUsing Subtext To Avoid Hurt FeelingsOff-Topic SubtextUsing Subtext To Communicate EmotionsEXERCISE: What I Mean Is...You Sound Just Like My MomEXERCISE: Finding Your VoiceThe Rhythm Is Gonna Get YouEXERCISE: Music in DialogueChapter 12: Final PolishOnce More With FeelingScene POVSpotlight ItWriter's CommentaryPoetic ImpressionEXERCISE: Write In The FeelsSmooth It OutEschew ImpenetrabilityAvoid AmbiguitySProoffrreading Are ImportantEXERCISE: Line By Line, For ClarityLast LooksWhite Space For The WinCompressingEXERCISE: Expand And CompressOkay, Now What?Bonus Chapter: Expanding Your Development CircleNot All Readers Are Created EqualEXERCISE: Build Your Reading RosterReadings Are FundamentalFirst-Time ReadersSlings And ArrowsPrepping QuestionsReceiving CritiqueEXERCISE: Preparing For A ReadingFound In TranslationCollectingWaitingTranslatingRevisingEXERCISE: Lather, Rinse, RepeatAppendix A: ReferencesAppendix B: Course Adoption GuideA Scenewriting-Only CourseCustom Modular AdoptionExample Adoption Into a Pilot- or Feature-writing CourseExample Adoption Into a Short Film Writing CourseAcknowledgementsIndex