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The Secrets of Action Screenwriting: From "Popeye Points" to "Rug Pulls"
240 pages packed with techniques and tips for screenwriters, focusing on the action, thriller and suspense genres. No theories! Only actual techniques! The ultimate HOW TO screenwriting book! Creating the ultimate villain, harvesting the audience's secrets desires or hidden fears to create a hit film, how to write a plot twist, the four kinds of suspense, using reversals to keep your descriptions exciting, four ways to explode cliches, the two types of heroes, ten ways to create exciting action scenes, using secrets and lies, weapons for weirdos, instant character identifiers, your script's DNA, 16 steps to better description, pacing secrets, rugpulls, visual characterization, "Popeye" points, and more! "Secrets Of Action Screenwriting" was written by a working professional screenwriter with seventeen produced films. He knows what works!
- GenresWritingNonfictionFilm
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2000
45 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
William C. Martell
34 books28 followersWilliam C. Martell has written nineteen produced films, including three HBO World Premiere movies: the Tom Clancy style techno-thriller STEEL SHARKS (filmed with full U.S. Navy cooperation) with Gary Busey, Billy Dee Williams, and Billy Warlock, the submarine thriller CRASH DIVE! starring Frederic Forrest, Catherine Bell, Chris Titus, and Michael Dudikoff (also with Navy cooperation), and the sci-fi actioner GRID RUNNERS starring Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Michael Dorn and Athena Massey (all three produced by Ashok Amritraj, producer of the Bruce Willis Comedy BANDITS and the Steve Martin - Queen Latifah comedy BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE.)
His two Showtime Films include BLACK THUNDER, about a stolen stealth fighter plane, starring Michael Dudikoff and Richard Norton and a sci-fi film (both produced by Andrew Stevens, producer of Jack Nicholson's THE PLEDGE and the Bruce Willis-Matthew Perry film THE WHOLE 9 YARDS and its sequel). He has written a couple of CineMax Premieres like action-thriller TREACHEROUS which stars Tia Carrere, C. Thomas Howell, and Adam Baldwin (from 20th Century Fox), the martial arts vampire flick NIGHT HUNTER and military action flick THE BASE (starring Mark Dacascos), plus a USA Network thriller.
His noir thriller HARD EVIDENCE (starring Gregory Harrison and Joan Severance - from Warner Bros.) was "video pick of the week" in over two dozen newspapers, was a Blockbuster featured new release, and beat the Julia Roberts film "Something To Talk About" in video rentals when both debuted the same week.
He is the West Coast Editor of Scr(i)pt Magazine (the largest circulation screenwriting magazine in the world) where he has written the "Independents" screenwriting column for over a decade, a contributor to Writer's Digest Magazine and a past columnist for The Hollywood Scriptwriter Magazine. He was Entertainment News Editor for Dean (INDEPENDENCE DAY) Devlin's Eon Magazine, wrote the Screenwriting 101 column for the Independent Film Channel Magazine, and was the only non-nominated screenwriter mentioned on "Siskel & Ebert's If We Picked The Winners" Oscar show in 1997. He is a frequent contributor to Ebert's Movie Answer Man syndicated column and Ebert's annual Year In Film books. He was on the jury of the Raindance Film Festival (London) in 2001 (with director Mike Figgis and actress Saffron Burrows) and again in 2004 (with actor Lennie James and director Edgar Wright) and just returned from 2009 "jury duty".
His two Showtime Films include BLACK THUNDER, about a stolen stealth fighter plane, starring Michael Dudikoff and Richard Norton and a sci-fi film (both produced by Andrew Stevens, producer of Jack Nicholson's THE PLEDGE and the Bruce Willis-Matthew Perry film THE WHOLE 9 YARDS and its sequel). He has written a couple of CineMax Premieres like action-thriller TREACHEROUS which stars Tia Carrere, C. Thomas Howell, and Adam Baldwin (from 20th Century Fox), the martial arts vampire flick NIGHT HUNTER and military action flick THE BASE (starring Mark Dacascos), plus a USA Network thriller.
His noir thriller HARD EVIDENCE (starring Gregory Harrison and Joan Severance - from Warner Bros.) was "video pick of the week" in over two dozen newspapers, was a Blockbuster featured new release, and beat the Julia Roberts film "Something To Talk About" in video rentals when both debuted the same week.
He is the West Coast Editor of Scr(i)pt Magazine (the largest circulation screenwriting magazine in the world) where he has written the "Independents" screenwriting column for over a decade, a contributor to Writer's Digest Magazine and a past columnist for The Hollywood Scriptwriter Magazine. He was Entertainment News Editor for Dean (INDEPENDENCE DAY) Devlin's Eon Magazine, wrote the Screenwriting 101 column for the Independent Film Channel Magazine, and was the only non-nominated screenwriter mentioned on "Siskel & Ebert's If We Picked The Winners" Oscar show in 1997. He is a frequent contributor to Ebert's Movie Answer Man syndicated column and Ebert's annual Year In Film books. He was on the jury of the Raindance Film Festival (London) in 2001 (with director Mike Figgis and actress Saffron Burrows) and again in 2004 (with actor Lennie James and director Edgar Wright) and just returned from 2009 "jury duty".
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 17, 2019
Billingual Review (English, Español)
English: First read this years ago and just noticed Bill Martell's entire Blue Book series is on Kindle Unlimited. The first 100 pages or so is enjoyable to read, occasionally funny and packed with helpful advice for writers or anyone working in development. After that it becomes a bit repetitive and unfortunately loaded with typographical errors.
Español: Leí este libro por primera vez hace varios años, pero acabo de enterarme que la serie completa "Blue Book" de Bill Martell ya está disponible en Kindle Unlimited. La primera parte me parece genial y a veces graciosa, repleta de consejos útiles para escritores o todo el que trabaja en el desarollo de guiones. Por desgracia, las últimas páginas contienen un exceso de repeticiones y errores tipográficos.
English: First read this years ago and just noticed Bill Martell's entire Blue Book series is on Kindle Unlimited. The first 100 pages or so is enjoyable to read, occasionally funny and packed with helpful advice for writers or anyone working in development. After that it becomes a bit repetitive and unfortunately loaded with typographical errors.
Español: Leí este libro por primera vez hace varios años, pero acabo de enterarme que la serie completa "Blue Book" de Bill Martell ya está disponible en Kindle Unlimited. La primera parte me parece genial y a veces graciosa, repleta de consejos útiles para escritores o todo el que trabaja en el desarollo de guiones. Por desgracia, las últimas páginas contienen un exceso de repeticiones y errores tipográficos.
May 1, 2014
I've now read a half-dozen screenwriting books, and enjoyed this one more than most. Of course, the focus on "action" movies makes it more fun than a generic how-to. It's a practical book, for someone who really wants to write better screenplays, but it's also immensely entertaining.
I'd also suggest that you don't have to want to write "action" movies to gain from Martell's understanding of structure, theme, conflict, drama, comedy and more. Whatever you're writing, or wish to write, will benefit from reading this book. The value of the book springs mostly from the fact that the author has sold scripts that got produced. He's not a pure theoretician, but a tradesman.
The only quibble I have with the work is the startling number of spelling mistakes and typos. In one paragraph, he actually spells Bruce Willis' character name (from 'Die Hard') two different ways. In some cases, the typo made it difficult to understand the sentence.
I'm likely to read more books in Martell's "blue book" series.
I'd also suggest that you don't have to want to write "action" movies to gain from Martell's understanding of structure, theme, conflict, drama, comedy and more. Whatever you're writing, or wish to write, will benefit from reading this book. The value of the book springs mostly from the fact that the author has sold scripts that got produced. He's not a pure theoretician, but a tradesman.
The only quibble I have with the work is the startling number of spelling mistakes and typos. In one paragraph, he actually spells Bruce Willis' character name (from 'Die Hard') two different ways. In some cases, the typo made it difficult to understand the sentence.
I'm likely to read more books in Martell's "blue book" series.
April 7, 2015
Lots of Useful Info, But Repetitious
I have all of Martell's screenwriting blue books for the Kindle. I've been making my way through them, post reviews as I complete them.
There's a lot of useful information for novice and intermediate screenwriters. On balance, the amount and quality of the information offsets the defects.
What are the weaknesses? The are three that stand out for me: typos, ,self-promotion, and repetitions.
The books are self-published. There are more than a few typos. Enough, they can become a distraction.
Also common for self-published writers is an excessive amount of self-promotion. This reaches the level of annoying behavior.
My overall recommendation is high for both this volume and for the series. This said, the same three problems appear to be features of the entire series.. The more I read, the more exasperated I become.
A professional editor could also help with all of the repeated material. Not only is there lots of bulk copying between volumes, there is more than a minor amount with this volume (and many/most volumes in the series). This becomes more disappointing as I read more of this series of books.
I have all of Martell's screenwriting blue books for the Kindle. I've been making my way through them, post reviews as I complete them.
There's a lot of useful information for novice and intermediate screenwriters. On balance, the amount and quality of the information offsets the defects.
What are the weaknesses? The are three that stand out for me: typos, ,self-promotion, and repetitions.
The books are self-published. There are more than a few typos. Enough, they can become a distraction.
Also common for self-published writers is an excessive amount of self-promotion. This reaches the level of annoying behavior.
My overall recommendation is high for both this volume and for the series. This said, the same three problems appear to be features of the entire series.. The more I read, the more exasperated I become.
A professional editor could also help with all of the repeated material. Not only is there lots of bulk copying between volumes, there is more than a minor amount with this volume (and many/most volumes in the series). This becomes more disappointing as I read more of this series of books.
April 30, 2013
Great insights, reminders and clues to help screenwriters get the most from their action scripts or action related scenes. It's a pity this book isn't more widely available. My only criticism is that I thought the information could have been organized a bit better within the book. Great source though.
June 15, 2024
William C. Martell had sold (by his count) seventeen screenplays in the industry by the time he wrote this book. And since “Secrets” was published in 2000 (more than 20 years ago), he’s no doubt added a few more feathers to his nest since then. Granted, a lot of these films were low-rent cable TV fare, starring kickboxing sensation Don “the Dragon” Wilson battling vampires and cyborgs, and probably vampire-cyborgs. But one shouldn’t look down their nose too much at Martell: he is a seasoned pro with a lifetime of industry wisdom and experience.
“The Secrets of Action Screenwriting” illuminates both the granular mechanics of action screenwriting and the bigger picture of making big pictures. At the granular level, it breaks down how much “white space” to leave on the page, what kind of “slug lines” to write, and how to end a scene. At the macro level, it deals with character motivations and arcs, both internal and how these should be reflected in the film’s action.
Most intriguing of all, Martell claims that the most important part of an action film is not the hero but the villain. Even when the star is charismatic and appears to carry the film on their shoulders, they’re ultimately a foil for the smarter man’s plans. The smarter man? Examine great action films from “Die Hard” to “Speed” and you’ll see that Martell’s assertion holds up as nearly axiomatic. And it makes a kind of sense, when you examine it closely. An underdog is more intriguing when trying to defuse a bomb made by more skilled hands than theirs. Otherwise, where are the stakes, the suspense?
Martell has clearly thought about this genre from the inside-out, and has the screenplays, scars, and this incredibly helpful little tome to prove it. My only qualm with it is Martell’s hardon for screenwriter Shane Black. Too often, when Martell is casting about for examples of flawed screenplays, he latches onto the work of Black. This is a curious decision, as Black is one of the most successful action screenplay writers of all-time. Indeed, examine his CV—Predator, Lethal Weapon, et. al—and even the most churlish naysayer has to admit the guy has had a remarkable run.
Why would Martell—author of “Ninja Busters” “Droid Gunner” and “Invisible Mom”—insist on beating up on Black? I don’t want to accuse him of being deep in the clutches of the Green-Eyed Monster, but I’m left unable to find another more satisfying answer.
Ultimately, though, that’s a minor quibble and you can’t really fault the guy. After all, he’s only as human as the rest of us, and who hasn’t felt a twinge of jealousy now and again? Lord knows I have. Recommended.
“The Secrets of Action Screenwriting” illuminates both the granular mechanics of action screenwriting and the bigger picture of making big pictures. At the granular level, it breaks down how much “white space” to leave on the page, what kind of “slug lines” to write, and how to end a scene. At the macro level, it deals with character motivations and arcs, both internal and how these should be reflected in the film’s action.
Most intriguing of all, Martell claims that the most important part of an action film is not the hero but the villain. Even when the star is charismatic and appears to carry the film on their shoulders, they’re ultimately a foil for the smarter man’s plans. The smarter man? Examine great action films from “Die Hard” to “Speed” and you’ll see that Martell’s assertion holds up as nearly axiomatic. And it makes a kind of sense, when you examine it closely. An underdog is more intriguing when trying to defuse a bomb made by more skilled hands than theirs. Otherwise, where are the stakes, the suspense?
Martell has clearly thought about this genre from the inside-out, and has the screenplays, scars, and this incredibly helpful little tome to prove it. My only qualm with it is Martell’s hardon for screenwriter Shane Black. Too often, when Martell is casting about for examples of flawed screenplays, he latches onto the work of Black. This is a curious decision, as Black is one of the most successful action screenplay writers of all-time. Indeed, examine his CV—Predator, Lethal Weapon, et. al—and even the most churlish naysayer has to admit the guy has had a remarkable run.
Why would Martell—author of “Ninja Busters” “Droid Gunner” and “Invisible Mom”—insist on beating up on Black? I don’t want to accuse him of being deep in the clutches of the Green-Eyed Monster, but I’m left unable to find another more satisfying answer.
Ultimately, though, that’s a minor quibble and you can’t really fault the guy. After all, he’s only as human as the rest of us, and who hasn’t felt a twinge of jealousy now and again? Lord knows I have. Recommended.
January 20, 2024
I read his books awhile ago so I can't write an in-depth review. I want to say, now that Im getting paid to write screenplays - his books and Truby's together were what did it. It's when I had my break through. I remember it happening while reading Mr. Martell's books and they changed my scripts forever. Thank you!!!
September 26, 2025
possibly the best book about screenwriting i've read so far?? i love how straight to the point martell is. thoroughly appreciated this, i think it helped me a lot!
January 23, 2009
The information in this book should be part of a constant mental checklist clicking off where required in every line, scene, act and spine of every script. I am not talking about some kind of "by-the-numbers" formula or rigid structural guideline. I am talking about character and story coming together in scripts that move. As Bill puts it,and I should hope to know, Emotion Pictures. The genre doesn't matter, keep it moving and keep it surprising and you will entertain.
July 19, 2013
A little redundant in parts, but overall the excellent content makes up for the mistakes and makes this book well worth the investment. Plenty of wonderful examples and ideas to fuel your imagination.
April 21, 2013
One of the best books on screenwriting, around. Thanks to Ebay, I now have the original as well as the revised e-book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews