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How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make | 
 enlarge | Author: Denny Martin Flinn
Publisher: Lone Eagle
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy Used: $7.25
You Save: $9.70 (57%)
New (32) Used (29) from $7.25
Rating:  70 reviews
Sales Rank: 8483
Media: Paperback
Pages: 240
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.6
ISBN: 1580650155
Dewey Decimal Number: 808.23
EAN: 9781580650151
ASIN: 1580650155
Publication Date: August 25, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
How Not to Write a Screenplay is an invaluable addition to any aspiring screenwriter's shelf--and you'd best make the shelf within arm's reach of the computer. Author Dean Martin Flinn, an experienced script reader, details the common rookie mistakes that drive script readers crazy. Flinn makes no pretense of being able to teach anyone how to write the next Great American Film--or for that matter the next Stupid Summer Blockbuster. Instead he offers information that will help keep the novice screenwriter's opus from being immediately tossed on the trash pile (arguably a more valuable service). As Flinn says in his introduction, if you follow the advice in this book, "you may not write a particularly good screenplay, but you won't write a bad one." Flinn offers practical advice on formatting, such as the proper form for a slugline and where to set your margins, and more general rules of thumb on giving the actors room to interpret their roles and avoiding dictating camera angles to the director (who will ignore them anyway). The second half of the book deals with content, also in a remarkably pragmatic way--structure, pacing, plot resolution, and dialogue that really stink are all handily dealt with. Flinn illustrates almost all his points with excerpts from screenplays both good and bad (names have been changed to protect the guilty), giving the reader concrete examples of the difference between poorly and well-structured scenes. Not sucking is an unusual goal for a screenwriting manual, but any script reader will agree it is a noble one. --Ali Davis
Product Description
Finally, what may be the last screenwriting book a writer will ever need to buy! Written by a Hollywood screenwriter, How NOT to Write A Screenplay carefully identifies and examines the common mistakes screenwriters invariably make when writing a screenplay.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 65 more reviews...
 Nesessary-- oops, I mean "Necessary" July 1, 2009
Stephen C. Wohlleb (wading river, new york USA)
You're looking at this book, so I'm guessing your either a writer or you are considering writing a screenplay. I've completed four and shopped them around, and though I do get interest from a few agents, I have yet to sell any. So I went out and I bought The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley and Advanced Screenwriting by Dr. Linda Seger, and as great as both those books are, there were still a lot of conflicting ideas. Should I capitalize EVERY sound, or just the ones OFF SCREEN? How much backstory is enough? How much is too much? When and how should I let my audience know certain plot points? They all have their own ideas. Unfortunately, most of them differ in opinion.
So I finally picked up this book. It was like a revelation. Denny Martin Flinn takes so many troublesome aspects of screenwriting and he breaks them down, first by showing us the incorrect way. Then he shows us a few options that "work", but might not work for every script. Finally, he shows us the "ideal" way to write a certain scene or idea. Just one example out of the 101; a character JANE is introduced. "She is a pretty, young, bank teller with dreams of becoming something more." Flinn goes on to ask us "Well, how do we know she is a bank teller? Is she currently at work? And how do we know her dreams? Can you SHOW an audience a person's dreams?" Suddenly, I was re-reading everything I've written and tearing them apart to the bare bones, and re-building them into four screenplays I am proud to call my own.
Everyone has their "notion" of how to do something, but not enough people tell you what you are doing wrong. You might disagree, but I, personally, found him right on the money with each and every point. Fact is, if you are writing camera angles and spelling out sound effects, you really have a lot of learning to do, but if you just need some "fine tuning", then THIS book is a necessity.
Now Not To Write A Screenplay April 28, 2009
Greg J. St Pierre (Palm Bay, Florida)
Fantastic. Who'd expect a book about screenwriting to be a page turner? Or even humorous? It's both, but is also loaded with practical, hands on, nitty-gritty stuff. Just what you need for venturing out into the jungle of professional screenwriting.
 After reading How Not to Write a Screenplay I entered my very first screenwriting contest.... April 14, 2009
wanderingtaoist (Kansas City, MO United States)
and made it to the semi-finals. But there is good news and bad news.
I got feedback from two reviewers. One, really liked it and based on his/her scores I would've made it into the final round.
The second reviewer pretty much hated it and it was this score that knocked me out of the final round.
There are definite rules for screenwriting and this book can help define those for you. But there are also these gray areas where rules are bent and broken and you are at the total whim of the individual reading your script at that time. Despite all the paramters it's more art than science and some very talented people have passed over awesome scripts that have gone on to be great, and well, really bad scripts get made all the time. Unfortunately no book can guide you through that. In fact the book presents some contradictory information in defining the screenwriting processes and boundaries then offering example scripts that bends or breaks them. But perhaps that was the point.
My advice after reading this book is, if you're a beginner or intermediate like me, stick closely to the rules, including what the author outlines here which is not bad advice at all. The more familiar you are with them the more adapt you will be at knowing then to toss them aside.
Covers Many Essentials Forgotten Elsewhere February 1, 2009
M. K. Adams (Seattle, WA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After you've read Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting and The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script, you're about 90% set on how to write a screenplay. This book will finish off that last 10% with excellent advice on polishing and finishing a script. The best reason to buy this book is the section on Overwriting and Underwriting, which answers frequently asked questions with clear and concise examples.
The book is written in very friendly and enjoyable manner. While not the first book on screenwriting anyone should read, it is definitely the last book you should read before getting started.
Best for more intermediate level screenwriters July 9, 2008
c.k.
I found the book extremely helpful - but I would NOT recommend for beginning screenwriters.
I've written almost 3 screenplays, and had them critiqued in class. So, I would say that I am an beginner-intermediate level. This book is an excellent resource for those who are already familiar with good screenwriting rules and formats, and need to refine these points.
I saw many of my own mistakes in the book examples (yikes!) - you know what they say, the best way to learn is by making a mistake.
Therefore, if you have yet to write at least one screenplays, I'm not sure this book will be as helpful as books like "Hot Property" or "The Screenwriter's Bible."
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