Screenplays: How to Write and Sell Them (Creative Essentials)

An accessible yet comprehensive guide aimed at those with a keen interest in writing feature film screenplays

Using case studies, creative exercises, and interviews from the industry, this book will guide readers through the necessary stages of writing a screenplay, from finding and developing ideas to creating and executing characters to shaping structure and constructing scenes. It will also consider how a screenplay might be sold, or used to raise interest in the writer, looking at areas such as finding and working with an agent, networking, using competitions, and raising private production funds. The book's approach is both creative and reflective, giving readers the opportunity to learn a wealth of creative skills alongside skills that will encourage them to think about themselves as writers and the work that they are developing. As such, the book will empower readers in their own creative processes and allow them to successfully tell the stories they want to tell. Rich with analyses from classic and contemporary films; littered with practical models, paradigms, and creative tasks; and enhanced by the views of key industry figures; the book is a must for any aspiring feature film screenwriter.

Craig Batty is a writer and script consultant, and has worked on many short film, feature film, and television projects. He is the coauthor of The Creative Screenwriter, Media Writing, and Writing for the Screen, and the author of Movies that Move Us.