Alternative Scriptwriting: Contemporary Storytelling for the Screen

This book is a unique storytelling guide that encourages writers to break free from traditional three-act structure and produce original, exciting material. It includes new examples from contemporary and classic cinema and episodic series, as well as additional content on plot, character, and genre, and approaches to scriptwriting with case studies of prolific storytellers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 428 pages
Publication date: 31 January 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The three-act structure is a relic of the past! This unique storytelling guide encourages you to break free from the mundane and formulaic writing that has become prevalent in other screenwriting books. Instead, it challenges you to bend or break the rules of storytelling as we know them, allowing you to create fresh and exciting content.

In this new edition, authors Ken Dancyger, Jessie Keyt, and Jeff Rush delve into all the essential aspects of scriptwriting, covering everything from structure to genre, character to form, and tone. They explore a wide range of alternatives to the traditional three-act story structure, going beyond simply teaching you how to tell a story. Instead, they aim to teach you how to write against conventional formulas, enabling you to produce original and captivating material.

The book has been thoroughly revised and updated to include new examples from contemporary and classic cinema as well as episodic series. It also provides additional content on strategies for plot, character, and genre, an exploration of theatrical devices used in film, and approaches to scriptwriting with case studies of prolific storytellers such as Billy Wilder, Kelly Reichardt, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Kathryn Bigelow.

Whether you are a student of screenwriting or a professional screenwriter looking to refine your craft and write original scripts, this book is an invaluable resource. It will provide you with the tools and inspiration you need to take your storytelling to the next level and create content that stands out from the crowd.

Weight: 980g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032150550
Edition number: 6 ed