The Way of the Screenwriter

by Amnon Buchbinder

"A story is a living thing." So begins Way of the Screenwriter, a book with a novel, refreshing approach to the long-practiced art of screenwriting. Amnon Buchbinder brilliantly reinterprets screenwriting as a way for writers to capture a story’s essence, thus giving it greater meaning and fascination for the audience. Full of practical examples and exercises to enhance the skills of both beginning and experienced screenwriters, the guide is far more than a how-to book. It is a comprehensive work that covers screenwriting from virtually every conceivable angle, while also offering a different, compelling approach. It is a book that illuminates the why behind the how and points the way toward a deeper understanding of how stories work on the screen. Perhaps most importantly, Way of the Screenwriter treats screenwriting not as some disreputable task, but rather as the fine art it the convergence of storytelling, writing, and filmmaking.

Genres: Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2005

Reviews

[Karthik S V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful. Nothing much too new over McKee storytelling wise but a lot to gain with regard to aspects of process and writing.

[Russel Rabchak · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best screenwriting book I've read thus far.

[Kasem Kharsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this based on word of mouth. But overall there's better books out there depending on what exactly you're looking for from a screenwriting manual. It covers the basics, scene & script structure, character development, with an esoteric, 'inside-out', tone. I don't feel I necessarily 'learned' anything new but was reminded again of the fundamentals. Based on what your looking for I suggest alternatives. For inspiration and to get you through the first draft of your script, I recommend the fiction writing classics Bird by Bird and Writing Down the Bones . For the fundamentals of dramatic construction, from writing scenes to short scripts, I recommend Crafting Short Screenplays that Connect. And to explore how more advanced screenplay structures, involving flashback and multiple storylines & protagonists, are put together (e.g. The Usual Suspects, The Sweet Hereafter) investigate Screenwriting Updated .

[Jay Storey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent source for anyone who wants to improve their writing, whether it be screenplays, novels, short stories or anything else. Lots of great suggestions on new ways to look at plot, character, motivation, dialog, etc. I think there are more practical ideas that I will actually incorporate into my writing than I've found in any other book.

I also liked the 'Zen' slant to the book, with the goal of becoming a 'master' screenwriter. I'm not a writer of screenplays (and have no immediate plans to be one), so the chapter on the movie industry wasn't of much use to me (though it was still interesting).

Highly recommended.

[Pia Abrahams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely inspiring. This book is not so much a "how-to" as it is a look at the philosophy behind writing a screenplay - it's a holistic approach to screenwriting, rather than a step-by-step. This is something I recommend any scriptwriter/anyone interested in writing scripts to read. This book is definitely one I will be revisiting again and again as I continue to write.

[Samira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book several times and each time I found something new and extraordinary. I recommend this book not only to the writers, but to all artists, who are eager to make their art alive.