Dramatic Story Structure: A Primer for Screenwriters

by Edward J. Fink

A successful screenplay starts with an understanding of the fundamentals of dramatic story structure. In this practical introduction, Edward J. Fink condenses centuries of writing about dramatic theory into ten concise and readable chapters, providing the tools for building an engaging narrative and turning it into an agent-ready script. Fink devotes chapters to expanding on the six basic elements of drama from Aristotle’s Poetics (plot, character, theme, dialogue, sound, and spectacle), the theory and structure of comedy, as well as the concepts of unity, metaphor, style, universality, and catharsis. Key terms and discussion questions encourage readers to think through the components of compelling stories and put them into practice, and script formatting guidelines ensure your finished product looks polished and professional. Dramatic Story Structure is an essential resource not only for aspiring screenwriters, but also for experienced practitioners in need of a refresher on the building blocks of storytelling.

232 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2013

Reviews

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

An academic leech showing the beautiful world of Medieval Plays. The current knowledge flies way over his head, but he does not care because the pension plan is way too good to be bothered with anything that is not long dead and buried.

[Elijah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best een pittig boek en niet iets want ik zou aan raden als je voor de lol iets wil lezen. Maar als je een interesse hebt in schrijven is dit boek de moeite wel waard. Het geeft een fijne basiskennis en dat is altijd fijn om te hebben.
Denk ik dat je klaar bent als je dit boek hebt gelezen? Nee. Maar je komt wel gelijk een eindje vooruit.