Title Page
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. THE NATURE OF SCREENWRITING
Just a working document?
Layout
Form
A film about screenwriting
2. FINDING IDEAS
Sourcing ideas
What’s in an idea?
Knowing when an idea’s ready
3. DEVELOPING IDEAS
Where to start?
Development documents
4. CREATING A WORLD
Building your world
Case studies
5. SHAPING CHARACTERS
Inner character
Backstory
Outer character
Protagonism and antagonism
Cast design
Minor characters
6. DESIGNING A STRUCTURE
Character journeys
Three-act structure
The inciting incident
Case study
Tentpoles
Sequences
Alternative structures
7. WRITING VISUALLY
Thinking visually
Visual grammar
Setting
Visual objects and motifs
8. UNDERSTANDING GENRE
Who is genre for?
Genre – or style, or form?
Writing genre
9. WORKING WITH THEME
Defining theme
Theme in action
10. CONSTRUCTING SCENES
Finding a scene’s purpose
Driving a scene
Scenes and story texture
Writing screen directions
11. WRITING DIALOGUE
Stripping down
Character voice
Subtext
The key phrase
Key lines
Voiceover
12. SELLING YOUR SCREENPLAY
Pitching documents
Thinking strategically
Finding funding
13. SELLING YOURSELF AS A SCREENWRITER
Career planning
Promoting yourself as a screenwriter
14. SURVIVING AS A SCREENWRITER
First steps
Joining forces
Writers’ events
Conclusion and Resources
Copyright