Books for Screenwriters
Read about writing for film and read scripts
The best way to learn about screenwriting is to read screenplays. Published scripts for most major films and television shows are widely available. When you read scripts, you get a feel for the structure and pacing. Read several for the same series or within the same genre and you notice that scripts resemble each other.
Book Suggestions
Argentini, Paul. Elements of Style for Screenwriters. Los Angeles: Lone Eagle, 1998. (ISBN: 1580650031)
Bentley, Eric. The Theory of the Modern Theatre: An Introduction to Modern Theatre and Drama. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1976. (ISBN: 155783279X)
Bill, Tony. Movie Speak: How to Talk Like You Belong on a Film Set. New York: Workman, 2008. (ISBN: 9780761143598, 0761143599)
Brindle, Mark. The Digital Filmmaking Handbook. New York: Quercus, Random House, 2014. (ISBN: 9781623650766, 1623650763)
Brown, John Russell. The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. (ISBN: 019212997X)
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero With a Thousand Faces. 3rd ed., Novato, Calif.: New World Library, 2008. (ISBN: 9781577315933)
Catron, Louis E. The Elements of Playwriting. New York: Macmillan, 1993. (ISBN: 0025229915)
Dick, Bernard F. Anatomy of Film. 5th ed., New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2004. (ISBN: 0312415168)
Field, Syd. Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. New York: Dell Pub. Co, 1982. (ISBN: 0440579198)
Flinn, Denny Martin. How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make. Los Angeles: Lone Eagle Pub, 1999. (ISBN: 1580650155)
Hartnoll, Phyllis, and Enoch. Brater. The Theatre: A Concise History. 3rd ed., Vol. World of art New York: Thames and Hudson, 1998. (ISBN: 0500203121)
Hauge, Michael. Writing Screenplays That Sell. Collins, 2011. (ISBN: 0061791431, 9780061791437)
Herbert, Katherine Atwell. The Perfect Screenplay: Writing it and Sellling it. New York: Allworth Press, 2005. (ISBN: 1581154399)
Kenrick, John. Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amateur Theatricals. New York: Alpha, 2006. (ISBN: 1592575064)
Leipzig, Adam. Inside Track for Independent Filmmakers. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2015. (ISBN: 1319013189)
Mamet, David. Writing in Restaurants. New York.: Penguin Books, 1987. (ISBN: 0140089810)
Mamet, David. Theatre. 1st ed., New York: Faber and Faber, 2010. (ISBN: 9780865479289, 0865479283)
Mehring, Margaret. The Screenplay: A Blend of Film Form and Content. Boston: Focal Press, 1990. (ISBN: 0240800079)
Miller, Peter. Author! Screenwriter! How to Succeed as a Writer in New York and Hollywood. Avon, Mass.: Adams Media, 2006. (ISBN: 9781593375539, 1593375530)
Monaco, James. How to Read a Film: The World of Movies, Media, and Multimedia. 3rd ed., New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. (ISBN: 019503869X)
Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey. The Oxford History of World Cinema. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. (ISBN: 0198112572)
Pike, Frank, and Thomas G Dunn. The Playwright’s Handbook. New York: Plume Book, 1996. (ISBN: 0452275881)
Rannow, Jerry. Writing Television Comedy. New York: Allworth Press, 1999. (ISBN: 1581150423)
Smiley, Sam, and Norman A. Bert. Playwriting: The Structure of Action. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005. (ISBN: 0300107242)
Snyder, Blake. Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’Ll Ever Need. Studio City, CA: M. Wiese Productions, 2005. (ISBN: 1932907009)
Snyder, Blake. Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble for Screenwriters to Get Into. And Out of.. Los Angeles: Save the Cat! Press, 2009. (ISBN: 0984157603)
Spencer, Stuart. The Playwright’s Guidebook. New York: Faber and Faber, Inc, 2002. (ISBN: 0571199917)
Straczynski, J. Michael. The Complete Book of Scriptwriting. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 1996. 2002. (ISBN: 0898795125)
Toscan, Richard. Playwriting Seminars 2.0: A Handbook on the Art and Craft of Dramatic Writing With an Introduction to Screenwriting. Franz Press, 2012. (ISBN: 0615608213)
Trottier, David. The Screenwriter’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script. 5th ed., Los Angeles: Silman-James Press, 2010. (ISBN: 9781935247029, 1935247026)
Truby, John. The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller. New York: Faber and Faber, 2008. (ISBN: 0865479933, 9780865479937)