Practical Screenwriting

| copyright | email us | college stores |

| school stores | online store | International Orders |

| Student online Resources | desk/exam copies | Feedback Form |

Practical Screenwriting

Charles Deemer

Portland State University

2005 • 1-58510-128-1 • paper • 234 pages • 6 x 9 • $24.95

Practical Screenwriting is a structured guide for the novice screenwriter that provides exercises in writing as well as practical guides to analyzing major films in ways that will provide insight into the screenwriting process. It is, first and foremost, a guide to writing clean, crisp, clear scripts that will get read in the crowded contemporary marketplace.

| About the Author | Contents | Preface | Reviews |

Author

Charles Deemer is a teacher and writer, primarily a scriptwriter through most of his career. Since the 1980s he has been a pioneer in the new environmental theater form called "hyperdrama," which are plays performed in real spaces with a branching narrative and simultaneous scenes generated by scripts written in hypertext.

Deemer received his BA at UCLA (Phi Beta Kappa, Honors English) and his MFA in Playwriting at the University of Oregon. Presently Deemer teaches screenwriting at Portland State University and, via the Internet, for Writers on the Net.

In 1994 Deemer created one of the first websites for screenwriters and playwrights, which he maintained until 2001. He is the author of an electronic screenwriting tutorial written in hypertext, Screenwright: the craft of screenwriting.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1.   Screenwriting: the Dream v. the Reality
2.   Your Movie’s Concept
3.   Finding Your Writing Method
4.   Screenplay Format
5.   Your Screenplay’s Structure – Introduction
6.   Structure for Tree People
7.   Structure for Forest People
8.   Basic Skills
9.   Your Hero’s Challenge: Writing Act One
10. Increasing Jeopardy: Writing Act Two (I)
11. Aiming for the Stars: Writing Act Two (II)
12. Your Hero’s Showdown: Writing Act Three
13. Writing is Rewriting
14. Tricks of the Trade
15. Marketing Your Screenplay
16. Building a Screenwriting Career
Bibliography
Appendices
    1. Examples of Movie Story Structure
        1940s movies
            Citizen Kane
            Bambi
            It's a Wonderful Life
        1950s movies
            High Noon
            The Caine Mutiny
        1960s movies
            The Hustler
            The Graduate
        1970s movies
            Cinatown
            American Grafitti
            Carrie
            Taxi Drive
        1980s movies
           Atlantic City
            Body Heat
            E.T.
            My Dinner With Andre
        1990s movies
           Thelma and Louise
            Shakespeare in Love
            The Sixth Sense
            Independence Day
        2000s movies
            A Beautiful Mind
            Monster's Ball
            My Big Fat Greek Wedding
            O Brother Where Art Thou?
            Traffic
            Far From Heaven
            Memento
            About Schmidt
            Adaptation
            The Hours
    2. 3-act Paradigm Work sheet
    3. Screenwriting Contests
    4. A Sample 10-week Syllabus

From the Preface

This book is called Practical Screenwriting for a reason. No other form of writing is as collaborative and competitive as screenwriting. Whereas earlier generations of young writers dreamed of penning “the Great American Novel,” today they are more likely to aspire to writing a screenplay. At the same time, there is no large readership of screenplays out of the environment of the movie business, most readers being employees of film production companies who read for the most practical of reasons: to decide whether or not to recommend the script at hand for possible production. The only other large group of readers looking at screenplays consists of students trying to learn how to write them. The screenplay, in other words, is rooted firmly in the soil of commerce, and this reality dictates how they are written. It’s a practical matter.

Screenplays are written to be read quickly and understood easily. My approach to teaching screenwriting craft begins with this fact.

The ideas I develop in this book evolved during my career as a university and online screenwriting teacher and were first expressed in 1997 in an electronic screenwriting tutorial called Screenwright: The Craft of Screenwriting. Along the way, many students and colleagues contributed to what became a unique approach to teaching screenwriting, unique mostly by its admission that there was more than one good way to go about it. Practical Screenwriting is, first and foremost, a guide to writing clean, crisp, clear scripts that will get read in the crowded contemporary marketplace. It also represents the culmination of my thinking on the matter..

Reviews

Comments about Screenwright: The Craft of Screenwriting, an electronic screenwriting tutorial which was the precusor to Practical Screenwriting:

"an extraordinary book that promises to become the bible of screenwriting for the novice. And that's not an exaggeration!"

-- John Jarvis, StoryCraft Fiction Writers Page

For the first time (to my knowledge) the "book" is written for the way one works rather than expecting one to follow the author's suggested line of thought....Charles has done a superb job compiling as much as one needs to know to write a screenplay. It is a trove of information and guidance. Just add your own story.

-- Cam Eason, The Book Nook

.....the remarkable electronic book on Screenwriting...Screenwright has everything that you would expect in a well written screenwriting work book....Screenwright is a fresh approach to helping your screenwriting and one that deserves consideration from everyone starting out."

-- John Hopson, Virtual Screenwriter at London Screenwriters Workshop

If you're new to this screenwriting thing, unsure of yourself and the jargon, and you need some straight talk about your career path, start with Screenwright. Charles is friendly, an experienced teacher and writer. He gives you a broad spectrum of what this business is all about, from what a concept is, to how to write with a partner, to how to write a query letter."

-- Christine DeSmet, Wisconsin Screenwriters Forum newsletter.

"...the strength of Screenwright is that it presents fledgeling writers with a range of options, within
which to explore their own personal approach to screenwriting.... this book is ideal for those just dipping into the big pool of screenwriting."

--Chris Owen on misc.writing.screenplays newsgroup

From users:

He takes a lot of the various theories and puts it all in one text. He also takes into account that different people write in different ways. Lots of examples, plus he actually writes a screenplay within the pages of the text, applying the things he's talking about. If I could only choose one resource, this is the one I'd get."

--B.E., college screenwriting professor.

"What a stupendously successful effort. You know, in many ways it's better than most of the screenwriting classes I took way back when in the UCLA film program. I am totally blown away..."

-- K.M.E., screenwriter

Four years ago, I embarked on my journey into the screenwriting world. The very first piece of material I purchased was your e-book, "Screenwright: The Craft of Screenwriting". As these four years have passed, I have made great strides. I am now represented by a literary agent from The Robert A. Freedman Dramatic Agency in New York City. ... All of this was made possible by a wonderful 'electronic book' which gave me my first 'push' and insight into the mechanics and details of the craft. Your instruction is by far, the best and most easily digested source of information I have ever laid my eyes upon. Thank you, Sir, for getting me started in this field."

--B.F., Screenwright purchaser

"I have to tell you that your product is simply one of the best tutorials that I have ever come across in any subject. I have lived by it and have used it as a base to begin my screenwriting. I'm a college educated person who is a television host/reporter and I am finally branching out and pursuing a longtime goal of learning the craft of screenwriting. Your program was WELL worth the money and more."

--J.D., Screenwright purchaser

"Charles, Screenwright is great! I'm sure the masses will soon identify you as the Syd Field of the information superhighway. Thanks for bringing such a wonderful resource to writers!"

--N.L., Screenwright purchaser

"I purchased your writing disk back in 1997 and it is still of great value today. Since then I made quarter-finals with two screenplays and am still writing away."

--J.P., Screenwright purchaser

"I loved your book. I have read many books on the subject of Screenwiting and yours is one of the best I've seen. It's very comprehensive, easy to follow, and I love the format. I think that it's a great way to present material. Thanks so much for writing it."

--S.P., Screenwright purchaser

"Screenwright is my new center of gravity. I remain polarized to its content. This E-book has unraveled the mystery and confusion. I finally discovered the software I need to begin writing."

--D.W., Screenwright purchaser

Focus Publishing / R. Pullins Co.
PO Box 369
Newburyport, MA 01950

Editorial Phone: (978) 462-7288
Editorial Fax: (978) 462-9035
Orders Phone: (800) 848-7236
Order Inquiries & Questions: