Power Screenwriting: The 12 Stages of Story Development

by Michael Chase Walker

Producer, writer, and teacher Walker analyzes what makes a screenplay work, breaking down scenes from famous movies and showing how archetypes and mythology can be adapted into movie heroes and villains. In outlining the 12 stages that story development should follow, he calls the writing of a movie "an organic process more akin to knitting than to building a house. It requires stitching, back-stitching, shoring up, tightening, then letting go." A final, trouble-shooting chapter answers questions that first-time writers frequently face. The guide has no subject index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

268 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Jerjonji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every writer needs to have this book as a reference: well used with underlining and a broken spine- not just screenplay writers. I work my way through this book with each new screenplay, and it adds depth to each one. Each story requires time spent in another section, but his sections on The World of Story and Working in Genre are critical.

You have to know the rules in order to break them if you want to be a good storyteller, if you want your story to have punch and life. This books teachs the rules and the reasons behind them. Makes breaking the rules more effective when the time comes, and makes your writing sing.

[Allison Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about developing a story before turning it into a script. There was tons of advice on how to frame a story, one of my favorites being the simple 1st Act/2nd Act/3rd Act, ex: Obsessive love/leads to/murder. I think that's an effective way to sum up what you're writing, whether it's fiction, an essay, a script, and build from there. The author establishes his credentials in the opening pages of the book, and uses a lot of movie references to help showcase what he's demonstrating with each piece of advice.

[LaRisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Chase Walker is actually one my mentors that I keep in phone/email contact with on occasion. Michael, more than anyone else fed my fire to be subversive in screenwriting, penning stories on taboo subjects that challenge social convention.

This book focuses on the essence of the screenwriter as modern day philosopher.