Resources

This is a list of resources for screenwriters.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

This books is recommended by Robert McKee at his writing seminars. While not specifically about screenwriting, it is a valuable resource. It is a reminder that we must come to the page every day and treat our writing ritual with sanctity. One of my favorite writing quotes comes from McKee’s introduction. “The muse, if she exists, does not whisper to the untalented.”

Robert McKee (www.McKeeStory.com)

Robert McKee is one of the most famous screenwriting gurus. He was even portrayed by Brian Cox in the movie Adaptation. Follow him on Facebook and sign up for his email newsletter for free tips and videos. His book Story is one of the screenwriting bibles though it’s not where I’d recommend you start. His genre seminars are definitely worth taking. The horror seminar where he takes you through the movie Seven scene by scene is amazing.

www.positivewriter.com

Bryan Hutchinson’s inspiring blog is full of great articles about writing. His writing contest “You Are Enough” provided a deadline for me to finally publish this blog. I remain grateful for that.

Scriptnotes (https://johnaugust.com/podcast)

Scriptnotes is a podcast by the screenwriter John August who wrote Go, Big Fish, and Charlie’s Angels (2000) among others. He and Craig Mazin discuss the business and craft of screenwriting.

Creative Screenwriting (https://creativescreenwriting.com)

Top notch articles about screenwriting. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter. You’re lucky you’re getting all these articles for free. I used to have to pay a monthly subscription to have this delivered to my mailbox.

Script Magazine (https://www.scriptmag.com)

Another website with great articles about screenwriting. Subscribe to their newsletter. I used to have to pay for this one too.

William C. Martell (http://www.scriptsecrets.net/tips/tipxx.htm) Twitter: @wcmartell

Martell posts a new script secret every day. His book The Secrets of Action Screenwriting is a must! Thankfully it’s available on Kindle and Nook now so it won’t go out of print again.

Dave Trottier (https://www.keepwriting.com)

Dave Trottier is better known as Dr. Format and publishes the essential Screenwriter’s Bible, the ultimate format guide. You can also browse his Ask Dr. Format columns, subscribe to his newsletter, and check out his other books.

Save the Cat (https://www.savethecat.com)

The companion website to Blake Snyder’s book. While I don’t use this exact method of screenwriting, it is an alternate method. What I like about this website is that it provides beat sheets/breakdowns for different movies.

Final Draft (https://www.finaldraft.com)

To the best of my knowledge, Final Draft is still the industry standard. There are a lot of options for screenwriting software. But it’s best to use Final Draft if you can. If you can’t afford screenwriting software, The Screenwriting Bible will tell you where to set your tabs for dialogue, etc in a Word document.