By David Howard The Tools of Screenwriting: A Writer's Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay

by David Howard

In The Tools of Screenwriting, David Howard and Edward Mabley illuminate the essential elements of cinematic storytelling, and reveal the central principles that all good screenplays share. The authors address questions of dramatic structure, plot, dialogue, character development, setting, imagery, and other crucial topics as they apply to the special art of filmmaking.Howard and Mabley also demonstrate how, on a practical level, the tools of screenwriting work in sixteen notable films, including Citizen Cane, E.T., One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Rashomon, The Godfather, North by Northwest, Chinatown, and sex, lies, and videotape.

Genres: Writing, Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, How To, Textbooks, Research

Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

I attack stories and storytelling from a variety of perspectives. I write both fiction and non-fiction books as well a screenplays. I have written or co-written more than two dozen produced film and television projects which have won a number of national, international and festival awards. I have taught screenwriting for a long time at USC where I am a tenured full professor in the School of Cinematic Arts and have published two books on the art and craft of screenwriting. When I'm not working on my own stories, I'm helping my students and a variety of professionals finesse their projects.

Reviews

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a fantastic guide to screenwriting, not regarding formats and formulas. If you want format, hit up Judith Haag. If you want formula, stop and go home. There is no 'magic' formula. There is no how to. As for those citing confusion over the film write ups, reviews, and samples-- there is no answer to your question. It is your job to creatively construct your own script. If you want answers to how to do that, then your looking to plagiarize someone's work, or tread the easy route. You might get away with either or both but if you have no creativity or talent, that will quickly be evident to everyone. The fact that this section confuses the screen student is an indication they're not ready to write one yet. They need more apprentice time, in the very least. I found the section a good place to get my ideas flowing and to think about what has been done in the past in concrete examples that can be examined thoroughly. Priceless.

[Emmanuel Oberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howard, one of Frank Daniel’s [renowned screenwriting teacher at Columbia University] former students, wrote this excellent adaptation of Dramatic Construction, An Outline Of Basic Principles without ever meeting Mabley who passed away in 1984.

A fascinating foreword by Gregory McKnight explains the genesis of Mabley’s book up to its publication in 1972; how it went out of print and lay dormant until Daniel discovered it and adopted it for his own use as a teacher, recommending it to his students for many years as an excellent and concise introduction to dramatic theory; finally, how a former student of Howard introduced Mabley’s book to McKnight who, after acquiring the rights, asked Howard to rewrite the text in order to reflect the way its principles apply to screenwriting.

It also features an insightful introduction by Frank Daniel, who never wrote a book about his own influential approach to screenwriting. If you can’t get hold of a second-hand copy of the original Mabley, The Tools of Screenwriting is the closest you’ll get to it.

As Howard’s focus is on cinema – primarily American – rather than theatre, this makes it more directly relevant for many contemporary readers, especially those interested in the study of Hollywood movies.

The Tools of Screenwriting is an essential book from the man who wrote (with Robert Gordon) the hilariously entertaining Galaxy Quest. I’m grateful to David Howard for both of these achievements. The first one delighted me as a moviegoer and the second was one of my references when I wrote the Developing a Plot-Led Story of Screenwriting Unchained: Reclaim Your Creative Freedom and Master Story Structure.

[Willow Redd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read through this book several times now. It is a good, concise guide to the elements of screenplay writing. Apparently the book was adapted from an older text on the craft and elements of stage play writing and was updated by a professor upon his learning that the original was no longer available as a resource for his writing classes.

One thing I really like about this book is the great examples it incorporates from the screenplays of well known movies. The writers go through and analyze movies such as Citizen Kane, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Thelma & Louise, Diner, and others. Along with these, the final analysis is from the 1948 Hamlet directed by Laurence Olivier, thus crossing over into the area of the stage as well. It's a nice closing to the book.

While I've been through the book several times, and surely will go through it several more, this time I decided to try something a little different. After reading through the first half of the book, I decided to watch each movie analyzed before reading the analysis. This took a little time, and I did not watch the movies in any particular order (though I did end on Hamlet and plan to follow up by reading the play), but it really helped drive home the points made in the analyses because the movies were very fresh in my mind.

This is one I would highly recommend to anyone interested in screenwriting.

[Tolendi Kaken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Легко читается, анализы крутые (разбор Гражданина Кейна и Свидетеля просто огонь). Хоть и пришло понимание структуры сценария, такие вещи как единство и анонс будущего требуют дальнейшего изучения. Продолжу "Спасите котика", который был обруган в предисловии.

[Jordan Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the theoretical side of screenwriting in satisfying detail, keeping definitions and explanations short and to the point so that you understand each idea without them ballooning into some grandiose, pompous concept. It’s written really clearly, making new terms easy to understand and identify in popular films. While there’s no formatting/nuts and bolts section for screenwriting, the analyses at the end of the book are really useful for seeing the discussed tools in action. I followed Howard’s advice and skipped the films I haven’t seen, and I found this to be a much better reading experience. I will definitely return to this book when I’ve watched the other films to see how they utilise its main ideas.

[Sergio Perezalonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice introduction to the world of screenwriting, probably meant to be one of the first books you'd read at film school if studying the subject. You're not going to be an expert screenwriter after reading this, but for a mere film aficionado like me it was a great lesson on the structure of screenplays and how they work.

I also particularly liked the film analyses on the second half of the book. It puts into practice most of what you learned before by dissecting the story of a select group of renowned films (not just Hollywood ones!), which definitely helps you understand why these films are so special in the first place.

Specific scenes are discussed in detail; however, it doesn't go into explicit script examples. It's more like a discussion. They're meant to be read after watching the films (I haven't seen them all, so I still have a couple to read), but for a more in-depth study you'd have to find the screenplays somewhere else.

[Miffybooks]

found most helpful just as a concrete articulation of a lot of theory that i feel like ive internalized but never had the ability to identify out loud. gives a rlly digestable overview of the fundamentals and lots of great practical advice that help demystify the writing process a ton. super helpful for where i am rn, makes me excited to plunge back into making scripts :)

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. Contains a lot of valuable writing concepts, some that I haven't found in other books, some that I have but which are explained better in this book. For example: the basic principle of drama (somebody sympathetic wants something badly and is having trouble getting it), objective vs subjective drama, dramatic irony, main tension, advertising and elements of the future. Etc. It's not a perfect book. For example, the section on dialog was IMO weak and didn't begin to explain why we all remember "I'll be back" and all those other great film lines. But it's still packed with useful information. The first half of the book explains the tools. The second half uses those tools to analyze 10-20 classic films.

I was a bit surprised by one reviewer who complained that the reviews are only useful if you've seen the films. I'd respond by saying those films include Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Godfather, ET, Annie Hall, Rashoman, Witness and Some Like it Hot, clearly some of the most famous and successful films in history. In other words, I give the book high marks for explaining it's concepts with famous films.

Definitely buy it.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very helpful book. The author first explains elements that are important in a good movie. Then he gives several examples of movies that use these elements well. Unfortunately, I have not watched all of the movies the author recommends. So I skipped the chapters where he would talk about a movie I had not seen. I did not want any spoilers. That is one downfall of the book. Half of it is a spoiler if you have not seen any of the movies he gives examples of. But on the bright side they all look like movies worth seeing (for example North by Northwest). So I will hurry up and watch them so I can read the rest of the book!

[Seb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always skeptical of screenwriting books, but Dad always gives me them, and I feel obligated to read them. This is one of the better ones I've read. The case studies were particularly helpful. Since reading it, I've been thinking a lot about the concept of dramatic irony, as in when one character knows something that another doesn't. Or, alternatively, when the audience knows something the main character doesn't. This is a basic concept, but the book illustrated how effective it is, and it helped a friend and I rework the end of our screenplay. This is the screenwriting book I would recommend most, over Story and Save the Cat, though that is not saying much.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only thing I didn't like about this book were the screenplay analyses. First of all, they don't make sense if you haven't seen the films, and second, they identify the elements discussed in the rest of the book but don't effectively show why those elements are there or how they make the screenplay a good one. Basically a waste of 180 pages.

The discussion of the elements themselves -- the tools of screenwriting -- was informative and interesting.

[Suncan Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a few writing manuals lately and this was the best for me (out of the ones I have read recently). I like the way the book is set out, with the first part dealing with basics and giving an outline of the main (screen)writing tools (I am sure you can use many of them in any sort of writing) and in the second half it gives an analysis of 15 or 16 films so you can see on examples how certain things were tackled. Definitely worth a read if interested in writing.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading Story and a slew of other books. I felt I was reading the same thing I already knew, but presented in a lesser form. It does have some good info, but I think there are too many books out there that I would recommend other than this.

[Wes · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a reference book, with some good film analysis really. If you come to this expecting to give it a read and know how to write a screenplay, then I feel you are on the wrong track. Otherwise, pretty clear cut on the general elements that make up an effective screenplay.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep. Just as influential as it was the first time I read it. So influential that there's no point in writing a review...most of my theoretical writing is a response to this book.

[Rodrigo Mendoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for beginning screenwriters. Unpretentious and easy to read, this is a must: it's not about formulas or preconceived equations but about important concepts. Excellent.

[Jonathan Inman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provides great elements for crafting any kind of story, though its focus is screenwriting. That said, it doesn't really get into the technical aspects of screenwriting and how to use them to your best advantage. That is not workshopped in this book, though it would have been an incredibly insightful addition. Its focus is on story craft--mostly the analysis of the craft than the application of it. Still, this is a great book to start with to become familiar with common elements and to spot them. Some other book, then, might do better with the application of them.

The writing is simple and clear, despite some clunky sentence structure. I very much appreciated the film analyses and their application of the elements the book defines. I found it most advantageous to read the screenplay, then read his analysis and watch the film. Some parts of the analyses were a little too simplistic, but that was made up for with more insightful examples. Because of the near repetitious nature of the analyses, it really drives home the need for considering and using the writing elements and in using good writing craft.

[Arina Sydorkina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Подробная инструкция про то, как написать сценарий. Вот тупо бери и делай. Да, получится кагбе клише. В первый, второй и третий раз. Но на десятом сценарии есть шанс выдать кое-что достойное.
Эта книжка про азы. И хороший сценарий она писать не научит. Но она научит, как сделать первые шаги. Это букварь. Без него не продвинешься вообще никуда.

[Илья · Rating 4 out of 5]

Учебник заканчивается на 108 странице, далее анализ фильмов. Поэтому не то что бы советую брать книгу на бумаге. В цифре идеально и всегда под рукой, чтобы что-то подсмотреть, перечитать.

Анализов достаточно прочесть парочку, чтобы понять метод и на что обращать внимание. А годных разборов предостаточно на Ютубе, сразу на актуальные/любимые фильмы и сериалы.

[Наталія Толмачова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Поки це найкращий підручник зі сценарної майстерності (та й загалом, зі сторітелінгу, з письменницької майстерності), який мені траплявся. Однозначно оцінка 5/5, іншим підручникам, якщо вони тільки якимось дивом не виявляться ще кращими, тепер буду змушена ставити максимум четвірку )

[Enso · Rating 2 out of 5]

Первые 108 страниц хороши, за них две звезды. Но разбор фильмов, Аааааа, скучнейший. Если составлять мнение о фильмах только по этим разборам, я бы не смотрел ни один.

[Pearse Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty fine, and pretty old, I say as a Gen Z dumbass! I read select chapters for school and will re-read them as I continue my dumbass screenplay. Lordy!

[Abdulaziz Almograby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must if you are trying to be a screenwriter!

[Fetch the goat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars*

[Sinclair Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide to writing to read and reread to help brush up on what makes a compelling (albeit conventional) narrative. Applicable for more than just screenwriting.

[Mike Mercer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike-Nice book I like it

[Matthew Siemers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really good. Fantastic resource for screenwriting.

[Diogo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um bom livro de referência sobre roteiros. Mais completo e menos esquemático do que o Syd Field.