The 90-Day Screenplay: From concept to polish

by Alan Watt

The 90-Day Screenplay was workshopped at L.A. Writers' Lab over the course of ten years and has helped hundreds of screenwriters complete their work. Many graduates of the Lab have gone on to illustrious careers as screenwriters and producers in TV and film. The 90-Day Screenplay method of structuring your story is organic, involving a rigorous inquiry into the dilemma besetting your characters. This inside-out approach avoids the distractions that frequently occur when one's focus is placed squarely on plot. Screenwriting is often taught by Hollywood story analysts who confuse story structure with "plotting," thus leading to a formulaic, one-size-fits-all style of writing. By focusing on the dilemma besetting your characters, and by exploring the resolution to this dilemma, the plot emerges naturally in surprising and dynamic ways. The 90-Day Screenplay will guide you through the process of outlining your screenplay, writing a first draft, and completing a rewrite, all in three months. In this day-by-day guide you * Uncover the dilemma at the heart of your screenplay * Learn how to write from your subconscious * Rewrite your work efficiently * Discover your story's structure as an experiential model * Develop a process of getting the story from your imagination to the page

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Film

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 20, 2014

About the author

Alan Watt is a novelist, screenwriter and playwright. His bestselling novel Diamond Dogs (Little, Brown), won numerous awards including France’s 2004 Prix Printemps (best foreign novel). He recently adapted the book for French film company, Quad, and it is soon to be a feature film. His book, The 90-Day Novel, is one of the top-selling books on writing. He's also the author of The 90-Day Rewrite and (coming Fall 2013) The 90-Day Screenplay.

Al founded L.A. Writers’ Lab in 2002 as a place for writers to deepen their craft by learning to marry the rigor of structure to the freedom of the muse. He has taught everyone from award-winning authors to A-list screenwriters, journalists, poets, actors, professional athletes, war veterans, housewives, doctors, lawyers, television showrunners, Emmy-winning directors, first-time writers, and anyone else with a story to tell.

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Alan Watt I wrote a first novel in 90 days. I did not think it could be done. But 65,000 words later a very rough first draft novel is finished. Alan Watt has done it again with The 90 Day Screenplay. The daily letters and exercises totally rock. With Watt you keep the pen moving and finish your first draft script in 90 days. Highly recommended.

[Techwriter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most books on scriptwriting are dictatorial: "Here is the formula for a screenplay. You must follow it slavishly or you will fail." But creativity should not be confined by formulas. Alan Watt recognizes the role the subconscious plays in enabling us to discover the real story within us, and he provides encouragement and exercises to help us harness the power of the subconscious as we explore our characters and the world they inhabit. I think this one quotation sums up the book for me and is a good indication of why any aspiring screenwriter should read it:

"Sometimes there can be a tendency to hold so tightly to our idea of our characters that we choke them into submission and are left with two-dimensional versions of what they could have been. By inquiring into the dilemma, we are free to explore our characters in surprising ways, and our screenplay can move inexorably to a climax that reveals a transformation."

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't sure what to expect from the title but my expectations were met and exceeded. The author explains the importance of constructing characters and how crucial it is to build the story around them, not the other way around.Each day you are given a new task to assemble your screenplay piece by piece until the end when you have a fully assembled story. From there you can rewrite as needed but having taken the time to follow the steps it should be a quick rewrite. I'm seeing a transformation in how I create characters and how much easier the rest of the story comes to me once I know the people I am dealing with.

[Grettygg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a bible. I’ve never read something with someone broke the concept down so clearly got to the heart of why we write and explain the process in which to do it in a turn up all the way over the course of 90 days I love this book and all the books in his collection I have multiple copies because I wear them out. I absolutely recommend this to anyone who is interested in writing.

[Josh Chevalier · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent guide to keep you honest and moving through the process. While everyone 's process is different and might even clash with the book, what I found most helpful was the daily reminders to just keep going. Getting past the "resistance" is key.

[Bostonlotus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent resource, if you want to craft characters with depth. Not much when it comes to plot though. Leaves you muddling through the Big Events on your own. Not bad for a school class, and now I have a rough screenplay finished. Not too shabby!!!

[Fave · Rating 3 out of 5]

still no screenplay 😢

[CC · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book. I thought it would focus more on character depth, but it seemed to gloss over everything. If you've read the better, more accessible Save the Cat, there's no need to read this.

[Camilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was an excellent introduction to the craft of screenwriting, as well as a thoughtful book of advice for attempting writing in general. The prompts, the specific assignments... all quite helpful. And I don't often like how-to books on writing. But, since -to my surprise- I actually now have the bare bones of a screenplay, I'm going to say that Alan Watts knows what he's doing!